Jay Bradley
Craftsman. Entrepreneur. Father. Whiskey Aficionado.
Today you meet me as the proud founder of a company revolutionising the Irish whiskey industry by crafting ultra-rare and luxurious whiskeys of unrivalled distinction. Had you met me a few years ago, it would have been a different story.
You could say I’ve been working my whole life to reach this point.
I just didn’t know it at the time. From leaving school at 14 to start working as a furniture craftsman with my father, to heading off to Australia at the age of 19; from the businesses I’ve grown and the ones I lost, to the life experiences that have formed the man I am today, my life’s journey has brought me to this point.
But this is where I was always meant to be. Because whiskey is my passion. My love affair began many years ago after reading an 1879 book called Truths about Whisky. That book lit a fire under me that has never gone out; I was born in the Liberties and raised in Dublin but this history of a lost golden age of Irish Whiskey was new even to me. I became obsessed with seeking out more.
Uncovering the history of Ireland’s greatest creation, I realised a product that had once held 85% of the world’s whiskey market had somehow tumbled to near obscurity. Even my own bar featured only two Irish whiskeys on the menu, far outnumbered by Scotch and Bourbon. This was a wrong that had to be righted.
Over a taoscán or two of whiskey one night
My father and I mapped out a plan for the businesses that would become Whiskey & Wealth Club and The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Businesses that would raise the profile of Irish Whiskey beyond the everyday blends that had entered the public consciousness, and reinstate its reputation for an unwavering commitment to craft, purity and skill.
It is this dream, this passion, that drives me every day. To see Irish whiskey restored to its former glory.
To put my homeland’s greatest export on the world stage for all to see. To redefine Irish whiskey while honouring the skill and craft of those who, like myself, stood strong in the face of adversity to build a lasting legacy. Will you join me on the rest of my journey to resurrect Irish whiskey to the glorious heights it deserves?