At Ethereal Kombucha Brewery and Taproom, we specialize in brewing premium Jun Kombucha using cold-brewed high-grade green tea and raw Tennessee honey. We have 8 unique flavors on tap including 3 rotating seasonal varieties. In addition to Kombucha, we offer a wide variety of High Garden loose leaf teas, wellness potions, mushroom extracts, local Tennessee honey, and more. Come explore our selection and find the perfect addition to elevate your wellness routine.
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 05:00 pm
Our Mission is to empower our customers to live healthier, more vibrant lives by providing a delicious, living elixir that supports both body and mind
At Ethereal Kombucha, we take pride in crafting premium Jun Kombucha using high-quality ingredients and meticulous methods to ensure exceptional flavor and benefits in every batch.
We start with organic Dragonwell green tea, known for its superior quality and flavor. After extensive trials with various green tea varieties and both hot and cold brew methods, we found that Dragonwell offers the best balance of a smooth, refreshing finish. Dragonwell green tea is celebrated for its rich, mellow flavor and abundant antioxidants, making it the perfect base for our Jun Kombucha.
To preserve the delicate flavors and beneficial properties of the Dragonwell green tea, we use a cold brewing method. Cold brewing extracts the flavors more gently than hot brewing, resulting in a smoother, less bitter tea. We steep the tea in cold water for 8 hours, which maximizes the extraction of flavors and antioxidants while minimizing any astringency.
Once the cold brew is complete, the tea is strained, and the brew is sweetened with raw, local Tennessee honey. Because it’s unprocessed and unpasteurized, the honey retains its natural benefits, including being rich in antioxidants and containing enzymes that support digestion. By using local honey, we also support Tennessee beekeepers while ensuring the freshest, highest quality product.
The sweetened tea is then inoculated with Jun kombucha culture from our mother culture, all within specially designed fermenters. These fermenters provide optimal conditions for fermentation, ensuring uniform heat distribution and efficient gas exchange. The primary fermentation lasts about 7 days.
After the primary fermentation, the kombucha is transferred to flavoring vessels where it is infused with organically sourced fruits, herbs, and spices for 2 days under refrigeration. This infusion process allows the kombucha to absorb the natural flavors, nutrients, and wellness benefits of the ingredients that create our unique and delicious varieties.
Once the flavor infusion is complete, the kombucha is transferred to kegs with the help of a brite tank, ensuring the perfect level of carbonation to enhance the drinking experience.
Committed to sustainability and quality, we bottle our kombucha in non-reactive, 100% recyclable glass bottles. Each bottle is labeled with our easy-to-remove labels, supporting our bottle return program and promoting reusability.
Every batch of Ethereal Kombucha undergoes rigorous quality control checks throughout the brewing process. We also regularly use an onsite photometric analyzer to determine sugar, alcohol content, and acetic acid content, ensuring each batch meets our high standards for flavor and quality.
The journey to Ethereal Kombucha began in 2012 when founder Ash Johnson gave up soda and decided to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Upon discovering GT's Kombucha, he quickly fell in love with the effervescent drink and incorporated it into his daily routine. After months of buying bottles nearly every day, he decided to explore homebrewing. He bought his first starter culture online and brewed his first batch in a 1-gallon cookie jar.
By 2014, brewing 1-gallon batches had become a regular practice. This period was marked by experimentation with different tea blends and sharing homemade kombucha with friends and family. Feedback was mixed, as some found kombucha's bold and tangy profile to be more of an acquired taste. However, these insights were invaluable as Ash continued to refine his brewing process.
In 2017, a significant milestone was reached when Ash purchased a 16-gallon brew kettle. This upgrade allowed him to implement a continuous brew strategy, ensuring a constant supply of kombucha. The increased capacity also provided more precise control over the fermentation process, leading to improved consistency and flavor. This marked a major step forward in the kombucha brewing journey and set the stage for future growth and innovation.
A major turning point occurred in 2020 when Ash discovered Jun Kombucha, a traditional kombucha variant made with green tea and honey. Struck by the unique and premium flavor profile, he purchased a smaller 10-gallon brew kettle and began to brew Jun Kombucha in addition to traditional kombucha.
In 2021, Ash faced a common challenge for kombucha brewers: fruit flies which are naturally drawn to the fermenting brew. During the summer, his traditional kombucha vessel was infiltrated by these unwelcome visitors, forcing him to discard the entire mother culture. Rather than restarting the traditional kombucha culture from scratch, Ash decided to simplify his brewing process and focus exclusively on Jun Kombucha, recognizing its superior taste and premium quality. This shift allowed him to streamline his efforts and refine his craft.
2022 marked a significant evolution in the brewing process. Ash elevated his already premium Jun Kombucha by switching to cold-brewed high-grade green tea and local raw Tennessee honey, enhancing both quality and flavor. Additionally, he began batch brewing in specially designed vessels that provide optimal fermentation conditions. Alongside these improvements, Ash experimented with various flavor infusions, receiving resoundingly positive feedback from family and friends. This encouragement sparked the idea for a business, as he realized that Jun Kombucha appealed to a much wider audience. Recognizing the potential to spread his love for kombucha and its whole body wellness benefits to a broader community, an ethereal flame was lit, leading him to file for an LLC at the end of 2022.
Ash began 2023 by crafting a thorough business plan and figuring out everything needed to transition from homebrewing to commercial brewing. He acquired a kegerator and learned how to properly keg his batches of kombucha. Extensive recipe trials, which continue to this day, helped fine-tune what would become the core four flavor varieties.
Committed to quality and sustainability, Ash chose glass bottles for their non-reactive nature, recyclability, and the ability to showcase the visually appealing kombucha. He sourced suppliers, designed labels, and collaborated with a local print group to create easily removable labels to support a planned bottle return program.
In the fall of 2023, Ash began executing his business plan. He initiated talks with a realtor for a space in the Bellevue West shopping center, securing a lease in December of that year.
This year was all about transforming a vision into reality. The space, initially a doctor’s office, required a complete overhaul to become the Ethereal Kombucha Brewery and Taproom. The entire space was redesigned and built out to match the aesthetic and functional needs of the new brewery.
Ash also reached out to local businesses, curating a lineup of offerings to complement his kombucha. After completing the buildout, he moved in the necessary equipment to scale up production and went through several rounds of inspections to meet all regulatory standards.
On June 19th, the doors to Ethereal Kombucha Brewery and Taproom officially opened, welcoming the community to experience the unique flavors and wellness benefits of premium Jun Kombucha.
As the founder and brewmaster behind Ethereal Kombucha, I have a commitment to wellness and natural living. Over the last 12 years, I’ve dedicated myself to creating a beverage that is both delicious and nourishing.
My approach to brewing kombucha focuses on quality, sustainability, and innovation. From the carefully selected organic ingredients, to the specially designed fermentation vessels, to an emphasis on reusable glass bottles, every step of my process reflects these values.
I believe in the importance of being mindful about what we consume, as the choices we make significantly affect our health, our mood, and our overall sense of well-being. That’s why I fell in love with kombucha in the first place. Whether you’re a longtime kombucha enthusiast or new to fermented beverages, I invite you to discover the truly unique experience of Ethereal Kombucha.
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