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Dr Joy Spence ‘very proud’ after copping DISCUS Lifetime Achievement Awards in NOLA

Published:Sunday | June 12, 2022 | 12:09 AMJanet Silvera - Sunday Gleaner Writer
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The world’s first female master blender, Dr Joy Spence (second left) poses for the camera with Julka Villa, head of marketing, Campari Group, and Lynnette Marrero, founder, Drinkat6, after accepting the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States awar
Janet Silvera
The world’s first female master blender, Dr Joy Spence (second left) poses for the camera with Julka Villa, head of marketing, Campari Group, and Lynnette Marrero, founder, Drinkat6, after accepting the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States award from that organisation’s chair Clarkson Hine (left).
Dr Joy Spence (centre) is flanked by colleagues Julka Villa, head of marketing, Campari Group and Ugo Fiorenzo, managing director, Campari America.
Janet Silvera
Dr Joy Spence (centre) is flanked by colleagues Julka Villa, head of marketing, Campari Group and Ugo Fiorenzo, managing director, Campari America.
From left: Jameel Harb, managing counsel, Campari North America; Ugo Fiorenzo, managing director, Campari America; Julka Villa, head of marketing, Campari Group; Dr Joy Spence, master blender, Appleton Estate; Erin Smolinski, public relations manager, glob
Janet Silvera
From left: Jameel Harb, managing counsel, Campari North America; Ugo Fiorenzo, managing director, Campari America; Julka Villa, head of marketing, Campari Group; Dr Joy Spence, master blender, Appleton Estate; Erin Smolinski, public relations manager, global spirits, Campari Group; Tanikie McClarthy Allen, senior director, public affairs and sustainability, Jamaica and the Caribbean, J. Wray and Nephew and Rachel Crowley, vice president, human resources, Campari North America.
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WESTERN BUREAU:

Creating great rum requires the rare ability to perfectly balance art and science. The world's first female master blender, Jamaican Dr Joy Spence, has balanced the two, literally stimulating the taste buds of rum drinkers worldwide.

Spence, a breaker of glass ceilings, yet again separated herself from her peers taking home the trophy with the inscription Lifetime Achievement Award from the world-renowned Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) on Thursday in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Accepting the award in front of an audience that included some of the most celebrated innovators in the spirits industry, Spence told the gathering she has had a lot of “firsts” throughout her career, but if not mistaken, she would be the first Jamaican woman to receive this particular award, “which makes me very proud,” she quipped.

This is also her first official Lifetime Achievement Award, having had the titles such as Fortune Magazine's Most Influential Woman in Food and Drinks, the Golden Rum Barrel award for being the most influential rum blender over the last 10 years, plus recognition in Food & Wine Magazine.

DESTINED FOR DISTILLERY

Spence, who initially set out to be a medical doctor, but was destined for the distillery, studied chemistry and taught the subject before joining the J. Wray & Nephew team over 23 years ago.

On Thursday, the passionate force of nature, the kind, energetic, and skilful master blender, who Campari Group's Managing Director, Jean-Phillipe Beyer, spoke of, dazzled under the lights that lit the stage in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency in the city called NOLA.

“As many of you may know, I celebrated a rather dazzling milestone last year of 40 years with Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum. It has been one of the great pleasures of my life to share Jamaican excellence across the globe, and it's a journey I never knew I'd be on when I was younger,” she stated, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

Revealing that the study of chemistry gave her the foundation for what would be her career, which is making the highest quality, premium Jamaican rum in the world and sharing it with the world, Spence did not need to say much as her impressive trajectory spoke volumes.

In fact, Beyer said it best. “Using her vast knowledge and search for perfection into every bottle of Jamaica's most famous and celebrated rum, she broke the glass ceiling in our industry. I know that we repeat that fact quite often, but remember that it is an incredible accomplishment in an industry that back then was and still is today, mostly dominated by men.”

Indeed in the last 40 years, Spence has created some of the finest, most highly awarded rums in the world, like the Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve and Appleton Estate 12 Year Rare Blend. The list also includes the limited edition Appleton Estate Joy 25 Year Old, which marked Spence's 20th anniversary as Appleton Estate's master blender, earning the coveted title of Rum of the Year.

Spence did not stop there. She went on to create the limited edition Appleton Estate 50-year-old Jamaica Independence Reserve Rum.

Beyer, in his videotaped message, reminded the audience that although Spence's name was synonymous with the Appleton Estate brand, she had created over 30 unique rum blends, wines and liquors, and many of her creations have won gold medals at different international wine and spirits competitions, proof of how accomplished she is.

Jamaica's Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, also celebrated the latest accolade to be bestowed on the woman described as one of the kindest, most generous, smartest and wisest among the J Wray & Nephew family.

GOLD STANDARD

“The name Joyce Spence is synonymous with rum and Jamaica. She continues to be the gold standard in her field,” he stated, revealing he has known her since school days.

“I have watched her blossom, bloom, and distinguish herself globally as a standard by which excellence can be judged. So her achievement is not just an achievement that I can speak to academically, but it's an achievement that I can relate to personally. And I think that the timing of her award by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States is critical for us and is vitally important in the scheme of our own arrangements here in Jamaica,” he lauded.

Referencing her award on Jamaica's 60th anniversary of Independence, Bartlett spoke of a gem who, like Jamaica, was “likkle but tallawah”.

Spence shared the spotlight with three illustrious female change-makers, Deborah Brenner, president, Women of the Vine and Spirits Foundation; Nicole Austin, distiller of Cascade Hollow Distilling Company, and Becky Harris, chief distiller, who shared the limelight with her husband Scott, co-founder of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com