Confluence Kombucha has moved from the Grove to a new location in Fox Park in south St. Louis

Confluence Kombucha has moved from its 4507 Manchester Ave. location in the Grove to 2501 S. Jefferson Ave., Suite 102, in south St. Louis. Although there was a soft opening in December, owner William Pauley took his time with the move and the business officially opened in late February.

“We’ve been keeping it kind of low key,” Pauley said of the transition to the new location.

The Jefferson Avenue space has been home to two other kombucha breweries: KomBlu and Kombae Kombucha. Pauley explained that last year he received a call from the owner asking if he would be interested in taking over the space.

“When I looked at it, I realized it had all the great bones needed to move Confluence forward,” he said.

The interior features eight taps, with room to grow up to 12 in the future. For now, Pauley plans to utilize the eight taps with seasonal and flagship flavors. “Most will be seasonal offerings, but some flagships will be mixed in here and there,” he said.

Some of those flagships include ginger-lavender, aronia berry, and gold kiwi and hops, a take on an IPA, with sweetness from the kiwi that adds a flavor profile similar to Champagne. Other flagship flavors are lemon, coriander and sea salt, a take on a gose beer, as well as the pineapple palo santo, which has notes similar to a piña colada.

Although Confluence Kombucha offered food at its previous location, no food is served at the new space, as the focus is on kombucha and community.

Due to its proximity to Fox Park, Pauley has leaned into the animal in the decor, and calls the new space Confluence Kombucha at The Fox Den. The interior vibe is more of a personal reflection of Pauley than his previous space, and he said much of what’s inside are items he already owned or repurposed. The 2,000-square-foot space features what Pauley deems a funky, earthy style, from the fox mural painted on one of the walls, to the tilework around the taps, as well as a small tiled mosaic of a leaping fox near the entrance.

There’s also an impossible-to-miss pingpong table, which is Pauley’s childhood table, at the heart of the space. “That came over straight from my mom’s basement,” Pauley said with a laugh.

Between counter seats, a handful of chairs and the pew that lines the front window, there’s room for about a dozen guests. The maximum occupancy is around 40 people, and additional tables and seats are available for events, like birthday parties.

Pauley, a self-proclaimed “music freak,” said he brought his record player into the space the night he signed the lease, with the intent that customers will bring their own records in, drink kombucha and stay a while.

“It’s pingpong, records and kombucha taps. That’s the vibe,” he said.