How Victoria Butler is Making History as the First Black Woman to Work as a Bourbon Master Blender

04/25/22 • 23 min

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Victoria Butler might be the first Black woman to work as a bourbon master blender, but her story begins long before she officially began her career in the industry. In fact, Butler's family tree reveals how her ancestry plays an instrumental role in the distilling industry, most notably her great, great grandfather Nearest Green, who was the genius mind behind Jack Daniels, one of the oldest American whiskeys on the market.

Photo credit: Eric Ryan Anderson

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Photo credit: Eric Ryan Anderson

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The Check In with Jnee Hill

The Check-In is a monthly episode that focuses on fine-tuning our mental health and well-being with the support of Afros and Knives' therapist in residence, Jnee Hill. This month I introduce you to Jnee Hill and we touch on just a few topics you can expect to dive deeper into in upcoming episodes. Black women have worked tirelessly to improve their communities. Their activism has led to a more just and equal society, but they still face systematic oppression that prevents them from achieving full equality. One of the most pervasive forms of oppression that black women face is mental health. Even though only about 9% of the U.S. population suffers from a serious mental illness, 51% of black women deal with one or more diagnosable mental disorders. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that the number of Americans with a mental illness is growing and that many of these patients are minorities. This is because of the increased stress that accompanies the changing roles of women in our society and the social isolation that comes with it.

This series will spend time looking at a space Black women often occupy--entrepreneurship. Being an entrepreneur is hard. Really hard. It can be lonely, isolating, and stressful. But the rewards can be great, too. Once you’ve made the decision to take the plunge and start your own business, you’ll find yourself facing many challenges. However, with persistence and hard work, the rewards can be tremendous. You may also find it difficult to discuss your struggles as an entrepreneur, especially with friends and family. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can make it difficult for you to reach out for help. Don’t feel like you are alone. Many successful entrepreneurs have dealt with similar struggles, and they overcame them to become successful.

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Bringing everyone to the table with Chef Adrienne Cheatham

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In this bonus episode of the Afros and Knives podcast in collaboration with For the Culture Magazine, host Tiffani Rozier chats with Chef Adrienne Cheatham about her new cookbook, Sunday Best. The full interview is available to the For the Culture patreon community--to hear every moment of this interview and to get access to the transcript head over to www.patreon.com/FortheCultureMagazine

Chef Adrienne grew up in the kitchens and dining rooms of restaurants her mother managed in Chicago, Illinois. She would help with busing tables, running food, washing dishes, and whatever was needed, after homework was finished. At her parents’ insistence, she went to college before pursuing her culinary ambitions, attending Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, where she studied business and journalism.

Adrienne went on to work with Marcus Samuelsson as the Chef de Cuisine of the Marcus Samuelsson Group, opening Streetbird, where she received a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, and Marcus’ Bermuda before being promoted to Executive Chef at Red Rooster. Adrienne has also traveled extensively with Chef Marcus for demonstrations, appearances, and festivals. Adrienne curated special tasting menus, including the Black History Month menu at Red Rooster, a multi-course menu inspired by female African-American chefs in the industry. When planning the Red Rooster Cookbook, Marcus tapped Adrienne to test and edit the recipes as well as cook/style all food that was photographed for the book.

Adrienne competed on season 15 of Top Chef, making it all the way to the finale and finishing second. She has been featured as a speaker at Cherry Bombe Magazine’s annual Jubilee festival and was the subject of a New York Times documentary series titled “Tastemakers.” Passionate about nutrition, she works with Schwan’s as part of the Chef’s Collective to develop healthy food for school lunch programs. Adrienne has appeared in Food & Wine, US Weekly, Sports Illustrated online, People, Grubstreet, Eater, AM New York, among others. Adrienne shares a home in Harlem with her best friend and husband, Stephen Bailey. She is also the founder of SundayBest, a pop-up series held in secret locations around Harlem.

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