Q&A with Bridgette Taylor, Founder, CEO and COO of Harridan Vodka
Bridgette Taylor started her career at Goldman Sachs in 2012 as an Analyst in Global Investment Research in New York. Since leaving the firm, Bridgette attended Harvard Business School, consulted at BCG and ultimately became Founder, CEO and COO of Harridan Vodka. Bridgette shares lessons learned at GS, her motivation for building and growing Harridan Vodka, and how she remains involved in the GS ecosystem.
How did you start your career at Goldman Sachs and what did you learn during your time here that helped you in the next phase(s) of your career?
I joined Goldman Sachs straight from undergrad at Dartmouth. I had already interned at the firm twice—first in Securities, then in Global Investment Research (GIR). After graduation, I joined GIR full-time on the Information Services team.
I’ve worked at many companies since my time in GIR, and if you had told me how impactful GS would be on my career (especially since I was there for a relatively short period), I would not have believed you.
GS first and foremost taught me how to be a professional—how to synthesize complexity, how to present myself in high-stakes environments, and how to ask better questions. But more than that, it showed me the magic of working alongside brilliant people. The intellectual capital at the firm is truly unlike anything else.
Perhaps more tactically, my GS background became absolutely critical when I set out to raise money for my current company, Harridan Vodka. Investors knew what it meant to come from that world. It gave me credibility when I needed it most.
What made you decide to break into the spirits industry in 2020? How do you differentiate Harridan Vodka from others on the market?
In early 2020, I was finishing my second year at Harvard Business School and preparing to join as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (specifically in their fashion practice). Then the pandemic hit. The fashion industry—once my dream—suddenly felt irrelevant, as we all sat in sweatpants wondering what came next. With my start date delayed and classes moved to Zoom, I turned to home bartending as my creative outlet. While others baked banana bread, I instead clarified milk punches and perfected infusions.
It didn’t take long before I saw the parallels between fashion and spirits: both rely on craft, storytelling, and sensorial experience. As I learned more and more about the space, I began to dream of starting my own spirits company. When BCG postponed my consulting offer for six months due to pandemic uncertainty, I asked myself… why not now?
As I considered what category to jump into, vodka stood out. While whiskey, gin, and agave spirits were undergoing a renaissance, vodka was treated as an afterthought. I wanted to prove it could be just as complex and character-rich.
What is the meaning behind the name ‘Harridan’?
“Harridan” is an outdated, but wonderful word that means a bossy or belligerent woman. It’s a term that was historically used to shame and belittle women who were loud, difficult, and uncompromising. I loved the idea of reclaiming it. At its core, Harridan Vodka is a tribute to defiance—to those who proudly challenge expectations and buck the status quo.
The name sets the tone for everything we do: we’re not trying to be delicate or polite. From our bold aesthetic to our flavor-forward spirit to our unabashed feminist brand ethos, Harridan celebrates complexity over neutrality. For me, the word perfectly encapsulates the energy I wanted the brand to channel: irreverent, powerful, a little scary—and totally unforgettable.
As you look to the future, what are your ambitions for Harridan Vodka over the next few years? For yourself?
I want Harridan to matter. Not just to grow, but to change the way people think about vodka. For too long, vodka has been seen as bland and utilitarian—designed to disappear into soda water or drowned in mixers. Harridan is here to shift that narrative.
My ambition is to build a cultural brand—one that redefines vodka as a craft spirit worthy of sipping and savoring. I want to scale smartly, expand into new markets, and continue pushing creative boundaries with new expressions and brand collaborations.
Personally, I want to keep building. I never set out to be an entrepreneur—I thought I’d climb the ladder at a heritage fashion house. But Harridan has taught me the thrill of creating something from nothing. Whether it’s this business or the next, I hope to keep telling stories that challenge assumptions and make people feel something.
Have you leveraged your GS network since leaving the firm? If so, how?
Constantly. I’m still in touch with several people from my analyst class, and I’ve found that the GS bond has followed me throughout every chapter of my career—from fashion to consulting to entrepreneurship. When I started fundraising for Harridan, I quickly learned how many doors the GS name opens.
What’s more surprising is how often I’ve encountered GS alums in unexpected places—at distributors, on the advisory side of deals, even in the craft spirits space. There’s an instant camaraderie and a shared language of discipline, curiosity, and standards.
I used to think of my time at the firm as a foundation. I now realize it’s more like an ecosystem—one I’m still part of, and incredibly grateful for.
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