Temps are hovering near the 90s. Humidity is nearing soup-like percentages. And yet, there’s nothing quite like the technicolor vividness of a Tennessee summer... as long as you have some trusty tools to help keep your cool.
Enter: Walker Brothers. Helmed by co-founding team members Luke Walker, Sam Walker and Caroline Howard, the Nashville-based operation has been thoughtfully brewing non-alcoholic and high-gravity kombucha since 2018.
With a love for hiking, rock climbing and outdoor fitness, both Walker brothers have long felt a connection to the health and function of their bodies. But their fascination with kombucha took root after realizing that it soothed their digestive system after a bout with craft beer.
“We love craft beer because it’s so complex and nuanced, but something felt a little off every time we’d have it—our bodies would complain,” says Luke. “We used to drink kombucha after having it because we realized that it had these alkalizing properties for helping your gut feel good.”
Recalling their Aunt’s knack for brewing kombucha when they were younger, they tapped her for starter liquid and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (better known as “SCOBY”) with lofty plans to craft their own version of the fermented tea. From there, the team began tinkering with recipes and formulas, finally striking upon a balanced “tea bill” consisting of black, green, and Jasmine tea from Rishi. The tea is steeped in 185-degree water, where it’s then transferred to a fermentation tank with organic Brazilian cane sugar before being introduced to the starter liquid and SCOBY.
For their high-gravity/alcohol line, the team increases the amount of sugar and adds a more aggressive beer yeast strain based on sorghum, making the contents gluten-free. “We try to keep it as close to an authentic homebrew process as possible. We’re just doing that at scale,” says Luke. “We’ve had to be very creative and clever to come up with systems for doing that.”
Today, the team is brewing up much more than your standard can of kombucha. With seven varieties in their core line-up, there’s plenty to keep the public’s palates hopping. And with their light, crisp, and nuanced flavor profiles, they’re the perfect antidote to a scorching hot summer day—especially when a beer might feel too heavy.
“It does feel like a lighter product to consume, but the depth of flavor goes above and beyond where you would expect a product that feels that light to be. It’s very satisfying and in a certain sense, reminds me of some sour beers. It’s pretty mild, even lighter than sour beer,” says Luke.
For their varietals, the Walker team sources high-quality ingredients, such as Peruvian ginger and Yosemite Valley watermelon, showcased in their simplicity to let the natural flavors shine. In addition to rotating seasonal offerings, their non- alcoholic flavors include blueberry jasmine, citrus, cucumber melon and ginger, while their high gravity (5% ABV) cans boast a robust ginger flavor, watermelon lime, and the stunningly beer-like citra hops. “It’s the brothers’ hat tip to the craft beer world,” says co-founder Caroline Howard.
Currently, Walker Brothers kombucha can be found throughout Middle and East Tennessee at local retailers such as The Turnip Truck, and retail grocers like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market. The team has also recently teamed up with Nectar Urban Cantina to release their summer seasonal flavor, margarita, featuring fresh-squeezed lime juice, agave nectar, and a touch of sea salt.
But despite their rapid growth, they’re quick to acknowledge that the operation is still very much a family affair. “Our slogan is ‘a family culture.’ The more we grow this business, the more depth there is to those words,” says Luke. “The physical culture originated from what my Aunt gifted me. Then, there’s the culture that we’re creating here. It’s been a really good experience growing Walker Brothers into a wider family.” (drinkwalkerbrothers.com)