From chemist to cocktails: Meet the rum industry's first female Master Blender

Lorena Vasquez born in Nicaragua, Vasquez is a chemist and food technologist by training. She joined the Guatemala-based rum company Zacapa 22 years ago, where she employed her keen nose for different aromas to great effect, rising quickly through the ranks. She is one of only a handful of female master blenders in the world and is known for her exacting standards. So much so that Vasquez insisted the Zacapa distillery be built on a site 2,300 metres above sea level, which she believes helps the rum age gracefully.