The Last Sipper with Martha Dalton
The CEO and co-founder of Never Say Die bourbon is one of only 8% of women leaders in world whisky. On International Women’s Day, she shares her love of English single malts, Michael Sheen and the Sugababes
Home is…
Southeast London, where I live with my husband and our two children. I originally moved here from Bristol in 2008, and it’s become the place where I’ve planted my roots and watched both my family and – our bourbon –flourish.
My first dram
It was a Johnnie Walker blue with my dad, who’s a big whisky enthusiast. He introduced me to the spirit, and I’m incredibly grateful he did – it sparked a love for whisky that has taken me on a journey I could never imagine. The first dram of bourbon I experienced was on a work trip in Washington DC, where we enjoyed Four Roses in the excellent bars there.
The last gig I went to
This year’s Brit Awards. One standout moment was when Jade Thirlwall dramatically fell through the stage in a wedding dress, only to reappear as a white angel. It reminded me of watching Kate Bush during her last tour, where she similarly fell through the ice and emerged as a black angel. After the Brits, we headed to the Sugababes’ after party, which was a dream come true for my Y2K teenage self!
My culture fix
It comes from seeing anything at the National Theatre in London. It’s the epitome of proper escapism – you always know you’re in for an amazing show with brilliant actors. The last performance I saw was Nye with Michael Sheen, which was incredible. Each visit there reaffirms my love for the theatre and its power to transport you to different worlds.
Where I get away from it all
We’ve been on a couple of desert safaris in Morocco in recent years, and it truly defines what it means to be in the middle of nowhere. You have to hire a driver to navigate because there are no roads, just endless dunes stretching as far as the eye can see, with no signs of civilization. It’s a complete escape, a place where you can fully disconnect and just soak in the vastness and silence of the desert. The ‘out of office’ is well and truly on when we go there.
My favourite whisky bar in the world
That’s a tough one, as there are so many incredible spots. In London, I’m a huge fan of Black Rock, Dram, and Satan’s Whiskers. I also adore Flute at The Broadwick Hotel. I’m a sucker for beautiful interiors, and it’s a fantastic place for after-work cocktails. Stateside, the Barrel Room in San Francisco is great. They have a gorgeous speakeasy vibe that’s just perfect for sipping Old Fashioneds. When I’m back home in Bristol, I always visit The Milk Thistle.
What I’m drinking right now
I’m really excited by the English whisky category as a whole and one of my favourites is from White Peak Distillery and their Wire Works single malt finished in a port cask. I love a high rye – Wilderness Trail’s is delicious. On the bourbon front, New Riff is my go to.
My go-to cocktail
The boulevardier is a whiskey twist on the negroni. However, recently I have been cheating on it with the Black Stallion, which was created by Ruchira Neotia especially for Never Say Die. It is made with our Rye, Cynar, Chartreuse Élixir Végétal, chocolate bitters and cherry liqueur.
The biggest challenge facing whisky today
Particularly for a bourbon brand like ours, is the potential re-imposition of international tariffs. We remain hopeful that the UK won’t be affected this time around. During the previous tariff period imposed during the first Trump administration, I helped create the Bourbon Alliance alongside industry giants like Beam Suntory and Jack Daniel’s. We collectively lobbied the UK government to negotiate with the US to remove these tariffs and encourage reciprocal trade. This concerted effort demonstrated the industry's unity and played a critical role in clearing the way for new brands like ours to enter the market.
Whisky in five words…
The best drink, try it
My last sipper
It would undoubtedly be from Barrel 8 of our cask strength bourbon. To date, it’s my favourite single barrel. I'm cherishing every last drop. This particular barrel spent longer in the US and the UK than any other cask strength single barrel we’ve released, which makes it simply magic.
Never Say Die Batch bourbon (£59.95) is available to buy from Master of Malt
