As the first female keeper in Greater China, and owns the title of “Queen of Scotch in China”, Julie Lee has been working in China since 2011, and constantly traveling between Europe and Asia. All of her success is not a coincidence.
Many people see Julie’s life is like George Clooney’s character in the film ‘Up in the Air’. Flying is a huge part of her life, she can be a judge of spirits in Hong Kong in the morning, host a tasting event in Shanghai in the evening, fly to Changsha the next day to attend a client’s new whisky bar opening, and the following day show up in Outer Mongolia, eat lamb with a customer in a yurt. Then she can travel around the distilleries in Scotland a week later, and accompany a customer to select his own single casks.
Julie has a great experience of the trading market of wines, spirits, and beers in Taiwan. She has worked for many well-known brands which includes craft beer, premium cognac, and single malt whisky, and is very familiar with all the channels. Now she is fully devoted herself into the cultural promotion of single malt whisky in Greater China.
After many years of experience, Julie was recommended by the owner of Glenfarclas in 2013, became the first female in Taiwan to be awarded ‘The Keeper of the Quaich’. It created a highlight in the domain of Scotch which is male dominating. She has her outstanding value to earn this great honor. The main reason is very few women can be so diligent and innovative to work on the digitalization of whisky tasting, promotion of female whisky drinking market, and introduction of single cask whisky for such a long time.
Owing to equipping with academic background of science and technology, Julie suggests that whisky is able to provide a dream to people, though it shares the nature of a simple agricultural commodity. What people taste is not only whisky, but the culture and spirit behind it. Julie regards herself as the bridge of whisky between Asia and Europe. She comprehends the insight of European culture and thinking, and introduces the needs and preferences of Asians to Europe. She hopes to become the messenger of whisky culture.
Julie considers that expanding a new territory is always the most challenging. But the story of the author of The Whisky Bible, Jim Murray, inspires her. He is from nobody to become a powerful icon in Scotch. Jim Murray is Julie’s role model, and she believes there is an ultimate success by never giving up and working hard.