That's the spirit! New gin collaboration celebrates women in STEM

Local distillery Underground Spirits has teamed up with Canberra-based non-profit organisation Women in ICT (WIC) to help champion women in the information, communication and technology industries.

Underground Spirits CEO Claudia Roughley didn’t necessarily consider herself a woman in STEM – a term that covers science, technology, engineering and medicine – until meeting the team from WIC.

“I’m a woman in STEM too! When we look and think about STEM, it’s the way we use technology to run our business … and the science we’ve applied in the way we use our cryofiltration process,” Claudia told Region.

The collaboration aims to celebrate the achievements of women working in STEM and spark conversations about what a career in science or technology can look like. WIC President Tara Searle said the gin pays tribute to women’s solidarity.

“This collaboration embodies the supportive spirit of women and the level of greatness we can achieve when we team up,” Tara Searle said.

“We want all women to see themselves in digital and STEM, whether they are a web developer, digital marketer or small business owner. Technology is really what brings us all together.”

A portion of each sale will go towards various events, awards and initiatives run by WIC to advance their mission to advocate for women in tech.

But as well as raising money, Claudia is hopeful the gin can act as a catalyst to start conversations around how people can better support women to build careers in these traditionally male-dominated industries.

“The gin is about having a product that we can share, talk about, share with friends and have those conversations while we’re enjoying it. Invite your friends around, sit down and talk about it. There’s a story here.”

The team at Underground Spirits took their inspiration for the gin from the “epic and beautiful” WIC logo. As well as embracing the use of pink on the label, Claudia said they also wanted the gin to fit in with those colours.

“We used strawberries which are beautiful and delicious, and native gumbi gumbi, which is a bit like an apricot but it’s got a beautiful pinky orange hue to it,” she said

“It’s meant to be joyful!”

The result is an exciting blend with a smooth finish.

Claudia says she’s already heard stories of people buying the gin as gifts for women in their life who work in STEM and ICT industries, and she’s hopeful that it will lead to more women seeing that there are so many paths to success in those areas.

“Distilling is an ancient craft – a science, traditionally done by men,” Claudia said.

“Just like the tech space is filled with talented and game-changing women, we also want to break down stereotypes and show women are leading the way in the distilling industry.”

Visit the Women in ICT website for more information about their mission to empower and champion women in STEM.
The collaboration gin is available from Underground Spirits, or through select stockists. Visit the website for more details.