Yes, there are female distillers out there, albeit in scant numbers. And yes, Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky is a real place that offers spirits courses taught by world-renowned industry insiders.
As a result, distiller extraordinaire Laura Johnson of You & Yours Distilling Co. is accepting applications from those who identify as female to receive a scholarship for a six-day course at the university.
Valued at $6,250, the awardee will gain hands-on experience in making spirits during the sessions, which run from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5, 2021. Room, board and meals are included, although airfare to and from Louisville is not part of the prize.
“I graduated from this same program in 2014,” said Johnson, who founded her urban San Diego distillery a year later and has since produced award-winning gins and vodkas. “It was without a doubt the best education I could have asked for.”
This is the first time Johnson has offered a scholarship. She can’t yet predict how many women from throughout the U.S. will apply, but she hopes to generate “a bank of candidates” from which she can draw upon when issuing future scholarships.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 25. The selected candidate will be contacted and announced in mid-December.
$6250 for six days? Sounds like Trump University