women in whiskey
Meet the women shaping the whiskey industry
October 2021
Rhonda Kallman, Boston Harbor Distillery
When you think of bourbon or American Single Malt Whiskey, Boston may not be the first place that comes to mind. Rhonda Kallman, founder of the Boston Harbor Distillery, is looking to change that.
From Pounding Typewriter Keys to Pounding the Pavement
As a child, Rhonda remembers her father and uncle drinking Canadian rye whiskeys like Canadian Club or Seagram’s 7. Her father would fall asleep in his comfy chair and she’d nip a taste or two as a teenager. At 15, Rhonda started a decade long hospitality career working at a pub. Then she got a job in Corporate America as a secretary at the Boston Consulting Group, but continued to moonlight at bars. On her nights off, she’d enjoy drinks at one of Faneuil Hall's bars.
At Boston Consulting Group, one of the people Rhonda worked for was a management consultant named Jim Koch. He grew tired of the grind and decided that he wanted to follow in his family tradition and become a brewer. Jim knew beer and business, but it was Rhonda that knew hospitality and the Boston bar scene. Chatting about this venture, she told him “I don’t drink beer, I drink whiskey.” Jim told that her that he would make a beer that she would drink. Rhonda then asked “What makes you think we can do this?” His reply was that he never failed at anything in life. She told me that being 24 at the time neither had she, so she quit her day job, becoming co--founder and their first hire. It was the ‘80s before the age of the internet, so they were the entire operations, sales, and marketing team.
Building Brands
For the next 15 years, Rhonda helped them scale and go public; their product would become the official beer of the Boston Red Sox. Today, its stock trades at $500 a share with a current market cap of ~$6.7 billion USD. You may not recognize Boston Beer Company, but you definitely know their product: Sam Adams. In 1990, she was honored as a “Pioneering Woman in the Beer Industry” by The Institute for Brewing Studies and continues to be lauded for opening the doors for other women.
Rhonda left shortly after they went public. At that point, she was an Executive Vice President and in charge of 200+ people. Her “typical day” was less entrepreneurial and more corporate filled with back--to--back meetings; she missed being closer to the point of purchase, and her personal life included marriage and two small children. Rhonda felt it was time to start a new chapter in life.
While on a Caribbean family vacation, she got a phone call from “Joe” aka Dr. Joseph Owades, a beer consultant that she knew from Boston Beer Company who found out she had left. He was an American biochemist credited with inventing the first light beer in 1967. He told her: “I’ll make a beer and you start the company.” She took the leap and founded New Century Brewing Company with Edison Beer, a light beer. Her Boston/New York launch plans were scheduled for September 11, 2001. As you can imagine, that didn’t happen, and she ended up debuting in Las Vegas. Public sentiment wasn’t interested in new products, but Rhonda wanted to try to keep the company going.
In 2003, at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, she noticed the crowd’s desire for caffeinated drinks so she reached out to Joe to see if he was interested in working on a caffeinated beer. He hung up the phone on her.
Two days later, he called back telling her that he figured it out and Moonshot ’69, a pilsner beer with 69 mg of caffeine was launched. After securing partners including Trader Joe’s, Rhonda had to stop production and shut down. Her product was collateral damage in the Four Loko debacle. In case you missed it, this malt beverage, nicknamed “blackout in a can” and reputed to have an alcohol/caffeine equivalent to a six pack and 5 regular coffees, sent college students to emergency rooms and was blamed by parents for deaths. A well--publicized FDA campaign lead Massachusetts (among other states) to ban all alcoholic beverages with caffeine.
Rhonda’s attempt to negotiate a middle ground for regulation vs. an outright ban (as her product had a mere 4% ABV and caffeine equivalent to a half--cup of Starbucks) didn’t work out and she ended up pivoting back to her first love, whiskey.
A Pivot to Putnam Whiskey
It was now 2011, and she incorporated Boston Harbor Distillery in 2012. As a Boston native, Rhonda wanted to pay homage to the history and spirit of Massachusetts, so location was important. She found a place within 20 miles of where she was born -- The Port on Boston Harbor in Dorchester.
Known for entrepreneurial history, it was built in 1859 by Silas Putnam, who automated production of the horse shoe nail and supplied them to both armies of the American Civil War. (History Geekout: Silas was the nephew of Israel Putnam, an American Revolutionary war hero known for his leadership and bravery at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Putnam is a well--known lineage in the area and the name of their flagship product.) It is one of the last remaining mill buildings in the Boston area.
Without a formal whiskey distillation background, Rhonda researched and found the iconic late Dr. Jim Swan aka the “Einstein of whisky” who told her that if she wanted to learn, she had to go meet him – in Taiwan. So, she got on a plane, met him, and hired him. (Dr. Swan was considered the world’s expert on whisky production and consulted for distilleries in his native Scotland as well as others around the world, including Kavalan in Taiwan.)
She then hired distiller John Couchot, whom she met while attending an event for the American Distillers Institute and encouraged him to move across the country to Boston.
Although Dr. Swan told Rhonda to get stills from Scotland, she decided instead to purchase a Vendome copper still from Kentucky, which turned out to be its 1,776th manufactured product, making it a 1776 still. She felt like it was a good omen.
While Rhonda knew that it would take some time to make and age their own whiskey, she wasn’t interested in starting with gin, so they initially sourced newmake rye distillate and aged it onsite. Their Single Malt whiskey is aged in custom barrels from Oak Solutions toasted at Char 4. (They also source barrels from other places out of West Virginia, Minnesota, Missouri, and South Carolina.)
The Whiskeys
It’s been 6 years since they opened their doors, and Boston Harbor Distillery now has an inventory that is focused on their Malt and Rye whiskeys.
(Technical notes from the Distillery.)
Their flagship product is their Putnam Single Malt Whiskey, their first product made in the Distillery with a mashbill of 100% two--row malted barley from family owned Briess featuring 20% roasted malt which gives the whiskey its coffee, toffee, and roasted chocolate flavors, and they also have a Bottled--in--Bond version. Both are 50% ABV (100 proof).
The mashbill for their Putnam New England Ryes are comprised of a 95% rye malt and 5% two-row malted barley. Rye distillate is re-distilled with additional narrow heart cuts.
Tasting Notes: Big Spice Meets Coastal Winds.
Nose: Black pepper, sea salt, and oak.
Palate: Baked apple, spiced pear, and vanilla back the palate with a sharp, earthy finish.
There are three core Rye products: Straight Rye (43% ABV, 86 Proof), Cask Strength (up to 115 proof), and a Red Wine Barrel finish re--barreled in Cabernet Franc wine barrels used to make wine at their neighbor, Boston Winery.
Recently, they added Demon Seed Rye Whiskey, a Scorpion flavored rye whiskey with fresh ginger and maple syrup. In addition to the whiskeys, they also carry distilled beer, a gin, rum, coffee liqueur, maple cream, and Ready to Drink options.
Today, the woman who once enjoyed a CC and Ginger or a Seven and Seven, prefers to drink her own Rye neat. Rhonda continues to be personally involved in the day to day running of the distillery and managing relationships with both the people who distribute their product and those who sell it. While she also does beverage consulting and is often asked to speak on team--building and building an inclusive company culture, American whiskey continues to be Rhonda’s first passion, and she continues to work on building Boston’s whiskey culture.
Join us next month when we chat with Annabel Thomas, founder of Nc'nean, a young, independent, female--led distillery based in the Scottish Highlands!
You can try out their whiskey in their sampler pack or in a cocktail. Rhonda recommends:
The Sage Advice
2 oz Putnam New England Rye Whiskey
½ oz Honey Simple Syrup
½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Sage Leaves
Add all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice.
Shake until combined.
Strain through a fine strainer into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a sage leaf.
