The holidays are about family and while we all have our own, we’re lucky to have a family right here at Jackalope, too! We’re proud to shine the spotlight on Will Hadley, one of Jackalope’s first crew members. Will came to Nashville in 2011 from Memphis, Tennessee, where he obtained a Music Production degree from Lambuth University. While pumping out long hours in the studio, Will realized that this wasn’t the life he had imagined and that his path was leading him elsewhere, so he took a bold leap and quit cold-turkey. A home brewer at the time, he decided to take a chance and follow that path, so he began Googling and calling breweries around Nashville.
After a short conversation with Bailey, she invited him to wash kegs in exchange for beer – an ideal bargain for a young man fresh out of college. He spent his days working as a Special Education teaching assistant at Brentwood High School and his evenings at the brewery, learning everything he could. His internship with Jackalope started in August of 2012 and lasted until they hired him on full-time 6 months later.
As dedicated and hard-working as he may be – get this! – he has a life outside of beer. Will and his wife Kylan are on their 3rd year of marriage and live in East Nashville with their two furry rescue friends, Rompo and Barley (okay, so beer remains relevant). They love taking the pups on hikes and spending warmer days at Kylan’s parents’ lake house jet skiing, fishing, and enjoying time by the water. Will utilizes his creative eye at his in-home wood workshop by repurposing old brewery pallets for different projects.
Will has worked diligently over the years, now holding the title of head brewer and seeing through all of the daily in’s and out’s of the brew grind. He struggled to pinpoint his proudest moment throughout his years with Jackalope, but couldn’t say enough about the formation and growth of the entire production team through the opening of the Ranch. “It’s been really inspiring to grow with the company and watch others grow,” he stated gratefully.
As we all are, Will is excited to spend this holiday season with family and loved ones; however, while we’re nestled snug in our beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads, it’ll be more Jackalope beer making its way into cans dancing in his. We’re so thankful for all of his hard work and all of the love he pours into all of our beers before they hit the taps. Thank you for being a crucial part of the Jackalope family, Will!