A bartender and a banker walked into a bar . . .
When Jayson Hudson and Jason Hardy, both natives of Blacksburg, VA, moved home to the New River Valley region of Virginia in 2016, they started a local whiskey club called the Bourbon and Rye Drinking Society, or BARDS. Over the next several months they had many whiskey-infused conversations about how great it would be to start their own distillery and be able to bring their vision of good whiskey to the area. From these conversations, J.H. BARDS Spirit Co. was born.
Our facility is located steps from the beautiful New River, a northerly-flowing river that is said to be the second oldest in the world. Inside our production facility you’ll find our tasting room, which we constructed by hand from an old barn that we took down board by board. It is intentionally rustic, providing a cozy, relaxed atmosphere to sit and enjoy a flight of our whiskies or one of our signature cocktails.
We hope you will join us for what is certain to be an exciting ride! While we have grand plans for the future, we believe that starting small and earning local support is what’s most important. Connect with us, come see us in our facility, and let’s share a taste of Appalachian culture together. We can’t wait to see you soon!
---Jayson & Jason
Our Mission
As an Appalachian distillery located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we believe that our local focus (90% of our ingredients are sourced in Southwest Virginia) and commitment to our mountain heritage shine through in our products. Our mission is three-fold:
-
to create exceptional spirits from locally produced and sourced ingredients
-
to provide education on the history and current trends in the distilled spirit business
-
to impart in others an appreciation for both the culture and science of whiskey