Hammers Family Birch receives $200,000 federal grant to expand business

Locals and tourists alike have long enjoyed Kahiltna Birch Works’ syrup, brittle and wild fruit jams. In 2023, brothers Ted and Alex Hammers, along with their childhood friend, bought Kahiltna Birch Works, a birch syrup business that opened back in the 90s. Now, the brothers plan to bring that local flavor to more storefronts across Alaska.

In September, Hammers Family Birch received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand distribution of Birch Brew and improve manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. 

It all started when a family trip to Latvia inspired a new product, long before they bought the Talkeetna business. There, the Hammers brothers discovered a local fermented birch drink and eventually created their own, called Birch Brew. 

“They take the sap and they do a fermentation to it to help as a form of preservation, and then they drink it as the first detox after the long winter because birch sap is a natural diuretic,” Ted Hammers said.

The brothers originally planned to buy fermented birch sap from Latvia and launch a small-scale business on the west coast. 

“We started importing it to Los Angeles with the idea of just going to farmer’s markets and doing organic growth, getting it out there,” he said. “And right around the time of our second import, which was 2022, is when we got the call about Kahiltna Birch Works being for sale.”

Since acquiring the business, the brothers have teamed up with Denali Brewing Company to sell their birch brew at Alaska retailers. Ted Hammers said, each spring harvest Kahiltna Birch Works taps more than 6,000 local birch trees using an automated system. The drink is formulated using the sap and then sent down the street to get bottled. 

Eventually, the brothers hope to sell Birch Brew on the West Coast, as they originally planned, and then across the lower 48. But for now, Hammers said he’s excited to max out the Alaska market. 

“Our market is only so big up here,” Ted said. “You know, this is a premium functional beverage. Right now it retails for about ten dollars a bottle, so very select specialty retailers are our target market here in Alaska.”