Wines & Spirits

A romance, journeys between continents, chance encounters and an arrest that almost put an end to an adventure that had barely started.

About J&B

Giacamo Justerini was an Italian master distiller who fell head over heels for an opera singer, Margherita Bellini, and followed her to England. Although his love was unrequited, Margherita did introduce him to Samuel Johnson, who in turn introduced him to his nephew, George Johnson, his future partner.

Two generations of Johnsons later, we meet the other initial of J&B: Alfred Brooks. Brooks bought the company from Johnson and renamed it Justerini&Brooks. Brooks then heard about Andrew Usher, a liquor trader from Edinburgh who liked to experiment and who had become the first person to market blended whisky.

A story full of coincidences and good moves, involving restlessly creative people. People who left us a legacy destined to be discovered and experimented with forever more. A legacy which today invites us to continue exploring the unexplored and to fascinate us with those coincidences and good moves that led to J&B.