By Chandler Brandes

Joe. Java. Bean juice. Liquid energy.

Whatever you call it, you have to have it – and coffee addicts everywhere will go berserk for this new brand that started right here in Louisville.

Bland Matthews ’96 created Berserker Brew with a specific vision: engineer smooth, non-bitter coffee with no empty calories, added sugar, or chemicals. Although originally designed with athletes in mind, Berserker Brew is fit for any coffee-lover aiming for a healthier lifestyle.

“People don’t think about how coffee impacts their training and their ability to heal. It’s all about knowledge and about understanding,” Matthews said. “No one has really talked to athletes before about coffee, about its health benefits, and why they should drink organic coffee.”

Coffee is the second-largest commodity on the planet behind crude oil, yet only 5% of the world’s coffee is organic. With more than 200 pounds of chemicals on non-organic coffee per acre, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides must be used in order to meet demand.

“When I created Berserker Brew, I had a global view that I wanted a clean, beautiful coffee flavor with an aroma that blows up when you roast it and you smell that wonderful smell of coffee.” -Bland Matthews

“People drink coffee every day, and the aggregation of fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides is what’s impacting the food chain,” Matthews explained. “That’s why drinking organic coffee is important, and I just want to get the sugar out of everyone’s coffee.”

Matthews, who started Berserker Brew in 2017, wanted his business to be organic and fair trade. With 100% organic beans and omni-degradable packaging, Berserker Brew leaves an ecological footprint much smaller than the footprint of larger coffee corporations.

 

 “People want me to sell non-organic coffee because it’s cheaper and I could make more profit, but I’m not in it for that,” said Matthews. “I don’t want to substitute the quality of the Berserker Brew experience just for more money.”

Matthews understands the importance of having a solid brand after 20 years of management experience at UPS. With customers in 35 states and three countries, he hopes to solidify partnerships with big racing events like Ironman and the Ragnar Relay Series as Berserker Brew continues to grow.

“It’s essential that I don’t ever try to go cheap and damage the brand, and I want people to have trust in my brand,” said Matthews, who sold his first pound of coffee at a farmer’s market in J-town. “My goal is to be global while never forgetting my neighborhood, and I look forward to growing more in Louisville.”

Matthews graduated from UofL in 1996 with a degree in Political Science from the College of Arts and Sciences. He knows his degree changed his life and put him in a position where he can travel the world to understand coffee. His experience at UofL transformed his life, and he hopes one day Berserker Brew will be on campus.

“When I created Berserker Brew, I had a global view that I wanted a clean, beautiful coffee flavor with an aroma that blows up when you roast it and you smell that wonderful smell of coffee,” said Matthews. “It’s the perfect coffee.”

So, wake up and smell the coffee…as long as it’s Berserker Brew.

Stay up-to-date with what’s brewing at Berserker Brew by checking out their website and following them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.