The Folk Story
This FOLK story begins with friends, a seed of thought and a shared belief that anything is possible with intention, persistence and passion.
It was a journey of ideas…
The idea of starting FOLK Brewing Company came about following a winter solstice celebration with friends in 2013. It was a journey that began with ideas, dreams, individual philosophies, combined experiences, and a shared vision. With Brett being a chef, we had thought about opening a restaurant or developing an organic food product line. But when a friend asked us about kombucha, which Brett had been brewing for over twenty years, the light went on! That was it! We decided to focus on creating a living kombucha that was intentional, infused with positive vibrations, and that was unlike anything else available on the market. We started experimenting with flavor ideas, literally brewing sample batches in our basement. Since then, FOLK Kombucha has evolved into eight always-on-tap original flavors + ten seasonal flavors and an official brewery at Stateline, Nevada. We are located fresh on tap throughout the Lake Tahoe, Reno, Sparks and Truckee areas. Our loyal customers, who have believed in and supported us along the way, have made this journey possible!
Folk is an acronym for ‘Flower of Life Kombucha.’
The perfect form, proportion and harmony of the Flower of Life symbol has been know to philosophers, architects, and artists around the world for as far back in time as there has been human expression. The overlapping circle design of the Flower of Life symbol is believed to depict the fundamental forms of space and time and is the visual representation of the connections of life that run through all sentient beings.
FOLK also means ‘people in general’ and ‘of or relating to the traditional art or culture of a community’. Both of these definitions pretty much summarize who we are and who our customers might be, so we thought it was the perfect name for our company. Even the culture or SCOBY used to create the kombucha tea is a symbiotic ‘community’ of bacteria and yeast and also the literal culture of our community at the FOLK brewery.
Folk is ‘The Original Lake Tahoe Kombucha’
Our brewery is located at Lake Tahoe, a majestic setting for a company guided and surrounded by Nature’s essential wisdom. Our water is sourced from Lake Tahoe, the largest freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada and one of the three clearest alpine lakes in the world. Lake Tahoe is nearly 2 million years old, which makes it an ancient lake with ancient knowledge to impart.
Lake Tahoe is located at an average elevation of 6,225 feet, is surrounded by mountain peaks ranging from 9,000 to 10,000 feet high, was formed by glaciers and is fed by snowmelt and fresh mountain streams. Its water is some of the purest water in the world, and according to the Tahoe Fund, its purity rivals that of distilled water. FOLK’s water is run through an additional purification/filtration system before our teas are brewed.
Hand-crafted in small batches
What sets us apart from others is that FOLK Kombucha is 100% authentic kombucha – in other words, we make kombucha the way it was made centuries ago – NO added vinegar, NO artificial flavors or extracts, NO pre-pressed juices, NO forced carbonation. Our kombucha is hand-crafted in small batches and brewed in single barrels.
Each recipe starts with a blend of pure Lake Tahoe water, certified organic teas and certified organic cane sugar. To this we add some Mother-powered Love in the form of a SCOBY, a touch of brewer mojo, and carefully selected flowers, fruits, culinary herbs and roots to impart an ancient, energetic DNA unique to each flavor. The probiotic magic happens in the fermentation process that takes place in variable capacity stainless steel fermentation barrels in our fermentation room, slowly conjuring the alchemical flavor profiles that are absolutely unique to FOLK Kombucha.
A fresh, effervescent, living elixir
The result of our carefully designed brewing process is a fermented, naturally sparkling beverage that not only quenches the thirst but also delivers a delicious, healthful alternative to conventional sodas. A harmonic convergence of flavor, nutrition and higher consciousness. Our finished kombucha is kegged in Italian stainless steel kegs and chilled for immediate wholesale delivery to local markets, health food stores, grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and other retailers.
And that brings us to the moral of the Folk Story…
FOLK Kombucha is a fresh, naturally effervescent, living elixir like no other we’ve met! We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we enjoy making it.
Here’s to Bucha Bliss and beyond!
The Folk Brewing Team, Brett & Jennie
