On a chilly winter day in 1998, long before Tiny Bomb became a Memphis staple or Wiseacre Brewing Co. emerged as one of the South’s most celebrated craft breweries, Davin (’02) and Rachael (’02) Bartosch met on a grassy field at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. There were no helmets and no expectation that a casual game of tackle football would shape the rest of their lives. Yet one pass — thrown by Davin, caught by Rachael for a touchdown — marked the beginning of a partnership rooted in curiosity, trust and shared ambition.
That same spirit would eventually carry them from Chattanooga to Nashville, Chicago and finally to Memphis, where Davin and his brother Kellan co-founded Wiseacre Brewing Co. in 2013, while Rachael built a demanding and deeply human career in nursing and advanced practice medicine.
Finding Their Place at UTC
Both Davin and Rachael arrived at UTC, drawn by a campus that felt personal. Davin gravitated toward psychology and anthropology — disciplines that, as he puts it, were really about studying people.
“I am and have always been studying other humans,” Davin says. “My formal college studies amount to professional people watching.”
Rachael’s path was shaped by both family and academic challenges. One of her older sisters had attended UTC, and an Honors Program interview weekend sealed the decision.
“I met some amazing people and really liked Chattanooga,” she says. “Being on campus that weekend felt very comfortable to me, and I knew UTC would be my choice.”
As a biology pre-professional major in a humanities-focused Honors Program, Rachael learned to balance rigor with breadth — an experience she credits with making her more well-rounded and resilient.
Wiseacre’s HQ Taproom in Memphis, TN
Davin and Rachael with their sons.
Wiseacre Tiny Bomb – the 4th best-selling craft pilsner in the country
A Love Story (and a Lot of Studying)
Their official first date came not on that football field, but at the Tivoli Theatre, when Rachael was offered an extra ticket to an opera required for Honors students. It was March 1999. They married in 2005 and are now parents to two sons, along with their rescue dog, Jiggets.
Looking back, both remember UTC as a place of intense growth — academic, personal and relational. For Rachael, the Honors Reading Room, with its stained glass and wood-paneled walls, became a second home. For Davin, friendships formed in New Village Apartments, now known as Johnson-Obear Apartments, and campus life would endure long after graduation.
From Campus Curiosity to Career Paths
After leaving Chattanooga, the Bartosches’ journey unfolded across several cities, each adding a critical layer of experience. Rachael returned briefly to East Tennessee before moving to Nashville, where she pursued a Master of Science in Nursing at Vanderbilt University.
“My intention was to attend medical school and become a physician,” Rachael says. “But I met so many physicians who encouraged me to explore other options because of the debt and years of training.”
She chose nursing, completing Vanderbilt’s intense two-year master’s program and eventually working as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner in medical intensive care, hematology and stem cell transplant. Her work spanned inpatient and outpatient care, management and program leadership.
“All of my patients had blood cancer,” she says. “Some transplants were curative, others were palliative. That experience stays with you.”
Davin’s path took a different turn — one that, perhaps surprisingly, had roots in his UTC days.
“Well, I drank a lot of beer at UTC,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t recommend it, but my brewing began in a New Village Apartment. The beers were awful, but I learned a lot.”
That early experimentation eventually led Davin to formal brewing education in Chicago, where he and Rachael lived and worked for several years. By 2012, they felt the pull back to Memphis — and an idea that would become Wiseacre.
Building Wiseacre — Together, but Apart
Wiseacre Brewing Co. was founded as a family business, with Davin and his brother Kellan bringing complementary strengths to the table.
Find the people who support you and be prepared to work very hard.
Rachael Bartosch (’02)
“We do very different things,” Davin says. “I’m making sure the beer tastes good, and Kellan is more of a sales and marketing mastermind. There’s a level of implicit trust that makes our jobs much easier.”
That trust extends beyond operations into the brewery’s creative identity. The distinctive artwork on Wiseacre cans, created by artist Rachel Briggs, is as intentional as the beer itself.
“Our beers need to look good as well as taste good,” Davin says. “The art is a huge part of who we are.”
While Davin focused on brewing and business-building, Rachael balanced an intensive medical career with family life, offering a steady perspective as Wiseacre grew.
Rooted in Place
Today, Wiseacre is deeply woven into the fabric of Memphis — a city the Bartosches love for its culture, history and creativity. Yet Chattanooga still holds a special place in their story.
“I love Chattanooga,” Davin says. “It was a little sleepy at first, but it grew on me a lot.” Rachael echoes that affection.
“Chattanooga has great restaurants, nightlife and outdoor opportunities, but it still maintains a small-town feel,” she says. “I love Chattanooga and am always excited when we get to visit.”
Advice for the Next Generation
When asked for advice to students or alumni hoping to turn their passion into a profession, both emphasize preparation and balance.
“The most important thing you can do is gather experience,” Davin says. “Passion isn’t enough. Brewing and running a business are not the same thing.”
Rachael adds a reminder rooted in years of high-stakes care and leadership.
“Find the people who support you and be prepared to work very hard,” she says. “But always strive for work-life balance.”
From a pickup football on campus to a nationally recognized brewery and a career dedicated to caring for others, Davin and Rachael Bartosch’s story reflects the enduring impact of curiosity, commitment and a UTC foundation that helped set it all in motion.
My brewing began in a New Village apartment. The beers I made on campus were awful, but I learned a lot.
Davin Bartosch