begin your journey to BOURBON ENLIGHTENMENT

Meet Linda Ruffenach, Whisky Chicks Founder

There is something a little “badass” about a women who can confidently walk up to a bar to order a bourbon neat or on the rocks. To have the knowledge and experience to know what you like, the way you like it and understand the reasons why behind it provides confidence.

I will never claim to be a whisk(e)y expert, but I am an expert on my own journey to becoming a Bourbon Badass. Through the Whisky Chicks I want to help YOU become an expert on YOUR journey.

The Whisky Chicks® started out of the need to find a community outside of family and work. What started as a passion project has turned in a revolution. The Whisky Chicks® have taken the stuffy, cigars smoking in a dark oak room out of whisky and made it accessible to everyone of drinking age. We don’t care if you drink your whisk(e)y neat, on the rocks, or with Dr. Pepper- we just want to enjoy it together.

That’s where you come in! We want to invite you to join us and embark or enhance your own bourbon journey.

Come Join Us!

Our Members

Whisky Chicks® are experts in creating experiences for women and whisky. We welcome all, including Whisky Dudes. Our members are curious about whisky, brown spirits, and the adventure that awaits them when they pursue these experiences. They are Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers. They are from legal drinking age to 94.

They have an adventurous spirit, are independent and are not afraid to share their thoughts and opinions. They value friendships and seek ways to enrich their existing friend network with fun experiences like Whisky Chicks® event, and seek to meet new people with diverse backgrounds and experiences . They are not afraid to begin their journey to become a Bourbon Badass™.

WHO WE ARE AND OUR STORIES

I was a born and raised Kentuckian, and bourbon has always been a part of every family celebration and gathering. Social norms about drinking were less strict back then and legend has it I had my first cocktail at the age of three. No, seriously! I would sneak sips of my mom’s whiskey sours when she wasn’t looking. By the age of 6 I became skilled at mixing highballs for company, made with Very Old Barton and ginger ale . And of course, hot toddies cured all our ailments. Things have changed since then but one thing remains the same, bourbon brings people together.

It took my Yankee husband moving to Kentucky and getting into the bourbon culture for me to reignite my curiosity. I guess I had taken it for granted, and seeing it through his eyes exhilarated me and my zeal for whiskey. As I started to move through this bourbon world, I started to learn more about the people in the industry. The history of the distilleries. The personalities of the distillers. The folklore and facts that make this industry so gritty and beautiful. This wealth of knowledge deepened my appreciation for what we find in the bottle. Whiskey is a real spirit. And I wanted to share it with real women, through real experiences.

This is my story, but we have 1000’s of Whisky Chicks and Dudes that have their own stories, and they’d love to share them with you, over a cocktail! Come on over, we’d love to pour you a drink and hear your bourbon tales.