Meet the team!
Alan Reidy
Alan was born and raised in Blennerville, Co. Kerry. He comes from a long tradition of appreciating alcoholic beverages, namely Beamish, following his move to Cork city for university in 2011. Alan was voted the King of the Redheads in 2017, at the Redhead Convention of Crosshaven. He is also a proud founding member of the Cork Disc Golf Community, and only hopes you’ll ask him about when you meet! Alan is the analytical brain behind the business, and we’d be lost without his spreadsheets!
Gretchen Kessler
Gretchen was born and raised in Loveland, Ohio, once a sleepy backwater but now a thriving hub of microbreweries along the Little Miami River. I guess it’s in the local blood to make alcohol! Gretchen’s background is in film and television, having worked in the film industry back in the States, before retraining in Archaeology at the University of College Cork. Gretchen is the creative force behind A Grave Success, exploring flavour profiles and seeing what all she can turn into alcohol (it’s most things!).
Gretchen and Alan met in 2022 while attending the after-party on the Quays for the Cork Pride parade. They started making wine together shortly after they got engaged, and, noticing the positive reception from their friends, decided to ramp up production to produce 130 bottles for the wedding. From there, it was an easy decision to turn this little hobby of theirs into a full-time business, and A Grave Success was born.
The pair live in Cork city with their three pet rats: Dougal, Zeus, and Javier. When they’re not making wine, Alan can be found throwing discs in the park, and Gretchen usually has her nose in a book somewhere.
