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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.
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!
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
Meet the Team
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Jason Hardy
CO-FOUNDER
Having grown up in the South, Jason Hardy has been drinking whiskey off and on since he started teething. Since that time, he has spent countless hours fine tuning his appreciation for fine whiskies and other spirits. His desire to start a distillery was realized when he formed the NRV’s “Bourbon and Rye Tasting Society” (BARDS) in 2016 along with his friend and fellow whiskeyhead Jayson Hudson.
A 20+ year veteran of the banking industry, Jason’s role with J.H. BARDS Spirit Co. is as President and Finance Officer, with duties ranging from overseeing the company’s finances to overseeing the company’s disposal of trash. Using skills and strategies developed as a commercial banker, Jason is responsible for plotting the company’s course and making sure funds are available to complete the journey.
A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, Jason is married to Kara, his high school sweetheart. They live in Blacksburg with their sons Jackson and Nate, and dog Maggie, who keeps the family on their toes.
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Jayson Hudson
CO-FOUNDER
Jayson Hudson is just an old head that’s been doing the restaurant thing for a while. One day behind the bar, he found a fellow whiskey head in Jason Hardy and the Bourbon and Rye Drinking Society (B.A.R.D.S.) was born.
As the Vice President and Operations Manager of J.H. Bards Spirit Co., Jayson is the resident bartender and whiskey specialist. He oversees the day-to-day operations, manages the tasting room, and pretty much whatever else needs to be done, while trying not to spend all of the money. Jayson has over 30 years in the hospitality industry, working across a wide range of concepts in the Northern Virginia, Denver, Colorado, and the Boston, Massachusetts areas. In 2017 he found his way back to his hometown of Blacksburg, Virginia, relaxing into a sweet bartending gig.
Jayson and his wife Amy are summer camp sweethearts, who both grew up in the New River Valley. Over the last three decades together they have traveled the world following Amy’s scientific adventurers. While they do not have any children, they have a happy little herd of far too many cats just to keep things interesting around the house.
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Candice Matthis
BRAND AMBASSADOR