'Booch News

Four years ago I visited The Elixir Spot vegan cafe and kombucha brewery near the Pier in Puerto Vallarta. Then in 2024 I added an update reporting they had expanded to a second location in the 5th of December neighborhood. This year I discovered that the 5th of December location had closed and, just three months ago, The Wellness Patio opened at 165 Francisca Rodríguez, a block away from the original Elixir Spot location. This sister location is in a quieter, more relaxed place than by the busy pier where tourists congregate. Located in a pleasant courtyard, down a short flight of steps at the side of a pharmacy, The Wellness Patio is managed by Monica and Omar’s daughter, Georgette. Delicious Menu They offer a range of vegan foods and beverages from juices, waffles, and salads, to wellness shots, chia puddings, and, of course, the Reiki-energized kombucha from the original location. Holistic Healing True to the name, The Wellness Patio offers Reiki, breathwork, sound healing, ice bath sessions and healing ceremonies for groups and individuals in the patio. The space is also available for birthday and wedding celebrations. Interview Georgette shares the story of The Wellness Patio in this exclusive interview. The post The Wellness Patio, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico appeared first on 'Booch News.

World Ferment Day took place on February 1st this year. Billed as a global celebration that turns theory into practice, people were invited to taste a ferment, make a ferment, share a ferment or host a ferment event. Organizer Jo Webster was supported by The Fermentation School, Wildbrine, and The Fermentation School en español. Goodfellows Restaurant in Jo’s home town of Wells, Somerset, hosted two 15-person sold-out sittings of a ‘Cultured Lunch’ by chef Adam Fellows. Jo and her friend Caroline Gilmartin helped prepare the dishes. The Cultured Lunch constituted two back to back sell-out sittings in Adam’s delightful restaurant. The aim was to showcase how ferments meld deliciously as part of tasty meals, bringing complexity and diversity to the table. Whether it was in the form of my fermentceutical crackers, loaded with labneh and Jerusalem artichoke ferment, or the Fennel Blush ferment and Cultjar‘s Cooks Kowl sauerkraut tucked under the duo of organic salmon, the results were extremely popular. My Rosemary sourdough went down a storm and so did Caroline’s mango kefir ice cream, with Fermenti’s enlivening fermented fruit bites to augment it. Caroline showed attendees how to make milk kefir and explained how those first milk kefir grains were snaffled out of the Caucasus region by subterfuge for the benefit of so many nations thereafter. I waxed lyrical about my beloved vegetable ferments and forgot to roll the sleeves of my white shirt up before grating the beetroot. People went home inspired, excited and satiated. My favourite feedback was from a gentleman who candidly said that his wife had twisted his arm to get him to attend with her.  “I thought it was going to be shit”, he said. I assumed World Ferment Day was just aimed at making money rather than genuinely aiming to make lives better by encouraging more people to eat and drink more ferments. In fact, this has been an inspiring afternoon and I am so glad that I came”. Challenges Jo acknowledges that fermented foods and drinks are still a niche. This is part of the challenge. While there’s more producers coming into the market, I still think it’s a pretty hard market to be in. For many, it has been a pretty lonely and isolating market to be in for quite a long time for quite a few people. And that is gradually changing for sure. And there’s definitely more players coming into the market. Some are ramping up production and it seems like something is shifting. Statistics 17 countries 70+ events 400 people signed up to the ferment pledge 5000+ people viewing the global map 786 Instagram followers This marked a sizable increase from the first World Ferment Day where there were only 10 events. There was very little planning for 2025. I thought of the idea at the beginning of January and we held it at the beginning of February. It was very low key. This time we’ve had a year, but various things have happened to distract me. We had a good three month run up, but this time we’re going to have a full year run up. Global Response Tomorrow, some of us will step into a communal kitchen for a cooking session guided by Food Citizen’s regular volunteer and partner, Deepa. Among other foods, we’ll be making idli — a fermented dish common in many South Indian homes and available in Singapore at stalls and restaurants. Food Citizen, Singapore I created this ebook to celebrate World Ferment Day. Fermentation is an art, a way to connect with our ancestry and, at the same time, a contemporary path to create new possibilities in the kitchen. Inside this ebook, you will find 5 very special recipes, carefully tested and developed by me over the years. Nomad Food Lab, São Bernardino, Portugal Celebrating World Fermentation Day by making my granny’s favourite ferment: sauerkraut. My love of preserving stems from my granny, Ima Mae (in the photo, which lives in my kitchen) who always had homemade pickles (including kraut) on the table, all made with veg grown by my granddad. Rachel de Thample, London, England It’s @world.ferment.day!!! What are you doing to celebrate?! Today we’re going be doing a lot of fermentation processing and feeding a lot of cultures before we head to India this week on a fermentation journey with @rtb_kombucha. Contraband Ferments, Atlanta, USA World Ferment Day exists to honor one of the oldest human food practices — preservation through time, not technology. Fermentation isn’t fast. It isn’t flashy. It’s salt, patience, attention, and trust. That’s why it felt right to host my first workshop of the year on February 1. Golden State Pickle Works, Santa Rosa, California, USA Fermentation is a revolution. #doyouhavetheguts to say yes to living in collaboration with microbes and immigrants and residents from the air and soil? And say NO to fascism? Together as a community we can do this. Cultures Group, New York, USA Today, it’s worth taking a moment to recognise just how fundamental ferm

Last year, I met Gina Méndez, the founder of Kova Kombucha in Puerto Vallarta. At that time, I reported that she had been in business for a year, was operating out of her home, and producing 250-300 bottles per month. She planned to move to a larger space. Twelve months later, I visited Gina at her larger space. She now produces twice the quantity in Puerto Vallarta and, together with her business partner, who operates a sister brewery in Zapotlanejo, near Guadalajara, sells Kova in five cities. Between the two facilities, they are selling 700 bottles a month. The larger space means she can brew more kombucha, but she barely keeps up with demand. The 200-liter stainless steep primary fermentation tank and kettle have streamlined part of the production process. Her challenge is the labor-intensive manual work of sanitizing, filling, and capping the bottles. Nevertheless, she still performs multiple times a week as the lead singer in The Lovers, playing in clubs and bars around town. She’s planning to relocate to a new facility closer to her home. I look forward to catching up next year to see how much further Kova Kombucha has come. Interview Listen to the podcast to hear Gina tell the story of her growing business. The post Update: Kova Kombucha, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico appeared first on 'Booch News.

Shajia Meraj’s thesis at Karachi University, Pakistan, was a groundbreaking exploration of kombucha “leather” (dried cellulose SCOBYs) in the context of sustainable textile design. Rather than viewing this material merely as an industrial substitute for animal leather, Meraj’s research, conducted over 11 months in 2025, treats it as a living, time-based medium that responds to its environment and the care it receives. This project balances technical material experimentation and mastery with a profound conceptual inquiry into grief, memory, and circularity. Sustainability Shajia was first inspired by a TED Talk by prominent Italian fashion designer Marina Spadafora, which introduced her to the possibility of using kombucha leather for garments. What drew her to the material was its accessibility; it can be grown using simple ingredients: water, sugar, tea, and starter. Choosing to work outside a traditional laboratory, she transformed a spare room into a domestic studio, using household fermentation tools and shallow trays to harvest the cellulose. Navigating Challenges in Pakistan Executing this project in Pakistan presented significant hurdles. Not only was kombucha unfamiliar to her academic advisors, but the local climate also posed constant threats to the material. During the monsoon season, high humidity caused mold growth, while drier months rendered the leather brittle and paper-like. Shajia spent eleven months in a trial-and-error process, eventually determining that a thickness of half an inch was ideal for drying without the material becoming too fragile. She was supported by Shahzaib Arif of ProB the only kombucha brand in Pakistan, which provided the starter necessary to maintain her continuous brewing process. A Material Reflection on Grief The heart of Shajia’s work lies in the parallels between kombucha leather and the experience of grief. Kombucha leather grows slowly over time, and every sheet is unique, imperfect, and evolving. I think that mirrors how grief works. Grief does not happen all at once; it unfolds gradually, and the memories and emotions surface in cycles. Likewise, the circular nature of kombucha leather growth very much reflects the circular life cycle of grief and memory. These two things fit together very nicely, because both processes involve patience, layering, and ever-changing memory. To ground this concept, she incorporated photographs taken by her late father, who passed away 16 years ago when she was a young girl, into her material outcomes. Her artistic installations include: The Memory-Twisting Lamp: A sculptural piece where light interacts with translucent leather and her father’s photographs to emphasize the fragility and impermanence of memory. Every image is embedded and sandwiched between two layers of kombucha leather, holding the photograph in place like a preserved moment in time. These slides represent how memories exist as fragments, separate yet connected. The Circular Installation: A gradient of 200 dyed circles moving from deep red to warm yellow, representing the evolution of grief from intense loss to a state of acceptance. The circular forms reference the cyclical nature of grief, how it returns, overlaps, and continues rather than ending. Deeper reds at the center represent emotional intensity and loss, while the warmer ambers and yellows moving outward suggest memory, warmth, and moments of acceptance. The Mosaic Portrait: A large-scale tribute composed of thousands of small photographs taken by her father, layered with organic kombucha squares to create a cohesive image that reflects how we perceive the essence of a person through fragments. The kombucha leather adds an organic, textured quality that mirrors the slow, layered nature of memory, making the piece both a visual tribute and a reflection on how we perceive and preserve the essence of a person, through both the whole and the sum of its parts. The Future of Bio-Textiles Despite initial skepticism from her peers and faculty, Shajia successfully defended her thesis and earned an A-. While she also produced functional items, such as a hand-sewn cardholder, her primary focus remained on the material’s emotional potential. Now a graduate, she’s interested in collaborating with other researchers to push the boundaries of what sustainable textiles can represent. She can be reached at [email protected]. Source: NotebookLM Interview Shajia discusses her project in this exclusive interview. The post Grief and Growth: Exploring the Alchemy of Kombucha Leather appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is the last in a series about possible futures, published in Booch News each week, starting with a Preview on October 3rd. Episode 11 appeared last week. Overview By 2100, the Earth hums with quiet vitality. Cities are green, breathable, and alive—literally. After the Climate Reckoning of the 2050s and the Fermentation Reformation that followed, humanity abandoned synthetic consumerism and rediscovered the wisdom of the microbial world. Artificial beverages—cola, beer, wine—became relics of the Carbon Age. People sought drinks that delivered tangible benefits: nourishing the microbiome, stabilizing mood, and sharpening cognition. Enter kombucha—the “living beverage,” a cornerstone of living systems. The Reformation’s legacy isn’t merely biological transformation—it’s cultural maturation: learning to work cooperatively with living systems, valuing local knowledge, building community infrastructure, maintaining honest assessment of capabilities, and recognizing that sustainable human thriving requires biological partnership rather than attempted domination. Humanity still faces continuing challenges: climate adaptation, resource management, social equity, political conflict, and planetary boundaries. Fermentation provides useful tools but not complete solutions. Humanity’s Partnership with Living Systems By 2100, humanity had learned crucial lessons about partnership with living systems. Fermentation taught that: Working with biology is often more effective than fighting it: Bacterial bioremediation, probiotic therapies, and closed-loop life support—all leverage natural processes rather than opposing them. Local diversity produces resilience: Decentralized fermentation cooperatives proved more adaptable than consolidated industrial food systems. Traditional knowledge contains valuable insights: Indigenous and traditional fermentation practices offered solutions that industrial approaches missed. Community infrastructure matters: Spaces for gathering and productive cooperation strengthen communities beyond what the consumption culture provides. Multiple approaches are necessary: Fermentation didn’t solve everything because no single practice can. Success required combining fermentation with policy reform, technological innovation, social justice work, and environmental restoration. Fermentation delivered measurable benefits: Improved public health through better nutrition Stronger communities through cooperative infrastructure Environmental benefits through local food production Cultural preservation through traditional knowledge Economic alternatives through cooperative ownership Educational frameworks through hands-on biology There are remaining challenges: Scaling benefits without losing local character Maintaining safety while enabling accessibility Supporting displaced industrial workers Balancing innovation with tradition Limiting commercial exploitation of the grassroots movement Addressing inequities in access and outcomes As the century closed, kombucha stood as both metaphor and method: proof that small, symbiotic systems could heal a planet pushed to the brink. Humanity had moved from extraction to participation, from ego-systems to ecosystems. The last generation of leaders—those raised during the chaos of the early 2000s—reflected on a hard-won truth: sustainability was not a policy but a practice of humility. The Great Rebalancing (2090–2100) The final decade before 2100 brought a reckoning—a rebalancing between people, planet, and profit. The kombucha industry, now deeply intertwined with global food, health, and climate systems, found itself both humbled and empowered. What began as a niche craft drink half a century earlier had become a symbol of regenerative commerce, microbial stewardship, and planetary renewal. The Century’s End By the 2090s, humanity had learned to live within limits. The population stabilized below nine billion. Carbon neutrality—once an abstract goal—was enforced globally through trade-linked carbon credits. Artificial intelligence governed not only production and logistics but also ecological thresholds: AI-run “planetary dashboards” warned when resources neared the threshold of overshooting. Kombucha—once merely a beverage—was now part of a symbiotic food network. Its microbial base served as a living substrate for nutritional pastes, medicinal tonics, and even biodegradable materials. SCOBY farms, floating on the world’s rewilded seas, generated both food and oxygen while sequestering carbon. The Kombucha Konfederation The seeds that were planted in 2025 with KBI’s Verified Seal Program had by 2095, evolved into the Global Kombucha Konfederation. What was once a struggling network of small brewers had grown into a transnational cooperative representing over a billion daily consumers. Its “Code of Fermentation Ethics” guided microbial stewardship and regenerative practices across all con

I recently talked with Marianne O’Donnell, the founder of Kombucha Na Dálaigh, based in Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. I began by wishing her a Happy Christmas in her native tongue, which is the limit of my Irish language skills. This was an appropriate greeting since Kombucha Na Dálaigh is located in a Gaeltacht region of the Republic, where Irish is the everyday language and a cornerstone of local culture, traditions, and identity. Origins Having taught Food and Nutrition and Communications for 24 years, and also being a Certified Nutrition Coach, Marianne has always had a curiosity for learning, wellness, and cooking. “I never set out to start a kombucha business, but sometimes the best things in life happen by accident.” “It all started during COVID, when I was struggling with gut health issues. A friend gave me a SCOBY—this strange, alien-looking thing—and I started brewing kombucha in my kitchen in Gortahork.” She felt immediate benefits, and friends encouraged her to sell commercially. Marianne attended the International Kombucha summit in Berlin in November 2023, which reinforced her to look at flavor trends. Production After starting in her kitchen and moving to the home garage, Marianne has now outsourced production, bottling, and canning to another facility under her supervision. She concentrates on marketing and growing the business. Her kombucha uses 60% organic Sencha green tea and 40% Assam black tea. Irish Identity The brand uses Irish on its labels and website. This isn’t just a matter of translation; it’s a statement of identity. Marianne believes Irish belongs in the everyday, in our food culture, and in our future. She benefits from government support through Údarás na Gaeltachta, the regional state agency responsible for the economic, social, and cultural development of Ireland’s Irish-speaking regions. Her company is listed in their directory, along with Ireland’s largest brand, Synerchi, also in Donegal, and Claregalway’s All About Kombucha. Glacadh lenár ndúchas áitiúla Gaeltachta Táimid lonnaithe i nGort a’Choirce agus táimid brodúil as a bheith ag déanamh beorach go háitiúil, ag cinntiú caighdeán d’ardcháiliócht. Mar sin de, cén fáth go mbeifeá sásta le deochanna boga atá déanta go saorga nuair a thig leat sásamh fionnuar a fháil as kombucha? Agus nuair nach bhfuil fonn ort beor, leann úll nó fíon a ól, is kombucha an deoch malartach is fearr. Embracing Our Local Gaeltacht Roots Based in Gortahork, we take pride in brewing locally, ensuring high-quality standards.So, why settle for artificially produced soft drinks when you can indulge in the refreshing satisfaction of kombucha? And for those times when you’re not in the mood for beer, cider, or wine, kombucha makes for the perfect alternative. Awards The company has been recognized multiple times at the annual Blas na hEireann (Taste of Ireland) awards, and this year was honored as the ‘Best Wellness Drink’ at the EVOKE Awards. Growing awareness Marianne is witnessing an increasing acceptance and awareness of kombucha in Ireland. The popularity of kombucha in Ireland is catching up with places like California. There are some strong kombucha companies in Ireland. Sixty percent of shops will have kombucha now. And it’s growing. It is really, really growing. And the whole no and low alcohol movement, it’s really increasing. You know, kombucha is perfect for that. People who want that adult complex flavor without the booze. There’s a real mixture of customers. Younger people have nearly all sampled kombucha before. Maybe older generations haven’t. But then once they taste it, they’re hooked. They love it. So lots of my local customers would be people in their 70s and 80s because they understand the health benefits. So, it’s a mixture of people that drink it in Ireland, but people are definitely more aware of kombucha and the benefits of fermented drinks. Distribution Kombucha Na Dálaigh is mainly sold through retail channels, with some direct-to-consumer online sales. Following her Blas na hEireann awards, premier retailer Avoca contacted her, and she’s now in their 13 stores across Ireland. She also sells in Ulster, where she has made personal contact with retail outlets. Flavors She sells both 750-milliliter bottles and slimline 250-milliliter cans. Her three flavors have Irish language names. Grá: (Love): Hibiscus, raspberry, rosehip, and herbal infusion. Anam (Soul): Ginger juice, botanical infusion (including citrus peels, ginger, lemon myrtle, and spices), natural hops. Sláinte (Health): Turmeric juice, ginger juice, herbal infusion (including apple, lemongrass, ginger, and botanical petals). Marianne also produces limited editions, such as a carrageen moss and dulse seaweed mix named ‘Mara’ for the Ballymaloe House Cookery School in Cork. In the summer, she also makes an elderflower and gooseberry brew. Podcast Click on the podcast

This is one in a series about possible futures, published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 10 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview In this episode, we examine the years after kombucha and fermented foods emerged into the mainstream, exploring how ordinary people experienced the transition to a fermented future. This did not happen without a backlash. Opposition to the Fermentation Reformation came from multiple sources: corporate interests protecting market share, religious communities navigating theological questions, workers facing economic displacement, and cultural conservatives wedded to familiar traditions. These culture wars revealed how commercial interests manipulate public opinion through manufactured controversy. Ultimately, the conflicts produced stronger frameworks by forcing fermentation advocates to address legitimate concerns while exposing cynical manipulation. The Corporate Disinformation Campaign: Following the Tobacco Playbook The “Pure Liquid Coalition” (PLC) emerged in 2047 as an apparently grassroots movement defending “traditional American beverages” against kombucha. Behind the patriotic rhetoric lay sophisticated corporate funding that traced directly to the tobacco industry’s playbook of manufactured doubt and astroturf activism. Internal documents leaked by whistleblower Jennifer Martinez, a former Mega-Cola strategic communications director, revealed the coalition’s true origins. The American Beverage Association had allocated $2.3 billion to create “citizen opposition” to fermentation, following tactics perfected during decades of fighting sugar taxation and nutrition labeling. The leaked “Operation Sterile Shield” documents showed how corporations manufactured controversy around living beverages using strategies tobacco companies had employed to deny cancer links. The Historical Playbook: Tobacco to Sugar to Anti-Fermentation Dr. Clara Oreskes, daughter of the famous science historian, documented the direct lineage of corporate disinformation campaigns in her landmark study, Merchants of Doubt: The Fermentation Edition. The same PR firms and lobbyists who had denied climate change and defended cigarettes shifted focus to attacking beneficial bacteria. The template was brutally effective: fund biased research, create scientific controversy where none existed, establish front groups with patriotic names, exploit religious messaging, and deploy emotional appeals about tradition and freedom. Hill+Knowlton Strategies, the firm that helped tobacco companies conceal evidence of lung cancer, orchestrated the anti-kombucha campaign through organizations such as “Americans for Beverage Safety” and “Families Against Fermentation.” These groups received millions in corporate funding while claiming to represent concerned parents. The playbook was familiar: fund sympathetic academics, support existing opposition voices, create research institutes with neutral-sounding names, and amplify concerns through media partnerships. They approached Pastor Billy Bob Hunt, head of the Southern Protestant Association. “We’d like to support your ministry’s community health initiatives with a $50,000 grant. No strings attached, though we’re naturally pleased that you share our concerns about fermentation safety.” Hunt was tempted—$50,000 could fund youth programs, building repairs, and community outreach. But he asked: “What do you want in return?” “Nothing explicit,” the strategist said carefully. “Though if you happen to speak publicly about fermentation concerns, we’d help amplify your message.” Hunt declined. He had theological concerns, but wouldn’t serve as a paid spokesperson. Other religious leaders accepted—some knowingly, others genuinely believing the corporate interests aligned with their spiritual mission. The Propaganda Streams: Exploiting Cultural Divisions The PLC deployed multiple messaging campaigns targeting different demographics: Religious Exploitation Evangelical networks received slick marketing materials arguing that fermentation represented a corruption of purity. Some religious leaders, funded through undisclosed corporate donations, preached against living beverages using theological language that resonated with communities already suspicious of scientific change. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. — John 6:27 The strategy exploited genuine religious concerns about bodily purity while hiding commercial motivations. “Charitable donations” to religious organizations obscured corporate interests behind spiritual messaging. At the Murfreesboro headquarters of the Southern Protestant Convention, Pastor Hunt preached on fermentation from a genuine theological concern. His understanding: God creat

WonderBrew Kombucha made history by clinching six prestigious titles at the World Kombucha Awards 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. The brand was founded in 2018 by Joseph Poh Wen Xian and Loke Boon Eng. Origins In 2018 Joseph began a journey to transform his gut health. He would walk the aisles of the supermarket, searching for the latest health foods and supplements to try. On one of these fateful trips, he discovered kombucha (which he had never tasted before). Going with his gut instinct, he took a bottle home and, in his words, “It was love at first sip.” He did not know it at the time, but his first purchase was Boon’s brand of kombucha. The drink calmed his indigestion and piqued his business senses. A Google search for local kombucha led him to a brewing class by Boon. Joseph signed up for the class. The two were still strangers at this point. After that, Joseph began home-brewing kombucha for personal use as his entrepreneurial spirit began to fizz. When he heard about the kombucha hype overseas, he knew he was sitting on a pot of fermented gold. After extensive study of the local market, Joseph approached Boon to join him as a partner, and WonderBrew was born. I had a sense that this could be a business opportunity in Malaysia. Because it was so rare and it was expensive with mostly the imported products from imported brands from overseas. And it was really not accessible as well. So, based on this market gap, we worked together to create a truly local brand called Wonderbrew in 2018. Joseph, WonderBrew Co-Founder WonderBrew has grown to become Malaysia’s leading kombucha producer, with more than 2,000 retail touchpoints across supermarkets, convenience stores, cafes, hotels, and restaurants nationwide. They now employ more than a dozen people. They are on record as aiming to double production in 2026 and to expand their footprint across Southeast Asia, with a focus on the Singapore and Indonesian markets. Since its founding in 2018, it has sold more than 1.5 million bottles. Small batch production To ensure consistent quality and preserve the freshness of their product, they brew in small batches. Award Winning Joseph and Boon made history on the global stage by clinching six prestigious titles at the World Kombucha Awards 2025, held in Barcelona. In its first-ever international competition, WonderBrew emerged as one of the biggest winners at this year’s event, clinching one gold, four silvers and one bronze, across both taste and design categories, (see listings below). The feat marks the first time a Malaysian brand has won at the World Kombucha Awards and the first time an Asian brand has secured six titles in a single award year. Flavors Wonderbrew offers a dizzying range of both kombucha and jun flavors. Many use local sources of ingredients and are heavily oriented to fruity flavors: When we first launched our original flavors, we found that based on feedback, something fruity and something on a slightly sweeter side helps new users get used to kombucha. So from there on, we focused very much mostly on fruit-based infusion because for especially new consumers, they don’t really like the vinegary taste. Boon, WonderBrew Co-Founder Kombucha Original: Kombucha in its purest form. The freshness of tea with a malty after-taste. Passionfruit Mint {GOLD: Fruit with Herbs}: A best-selling concoction of fresh passion fruit with a cool after-taste of mint. This is thei Purple Serai: When blue pea and a tinge of lemongrass Acai & Black Goji: Acai and goji berries are used in traditional Asian cooking. Beetroot Basil: A ruby red hue with hints of basil. Nihon Green Tea {SILVER: Original Green Tea} + {SILVER: Single Bottle Design}: Pure kombucha  full of floral hints. Tambun Pomelo: Refreshing sweet pomelo grown in Ipoh, the gateway to the Cameron Highlands. Roselle Citrus: An antioxidant-packed kombucha with a hint of lime. Osmanthus Mandarin: An auspicious pairing of “kam” and osmanthus to inspire better gut health. Apple Cinnamon: A delicately brewed kombucha with cinnamon to add warmth. Barley Rose: A brew full of floral hints of rose with the tinge of milkiness of Chinese pearl barley. Tangy Kedondong: The freshness of kampung inspired by kedondong asam boi. Sakura Lychee Rose: A  “flower power” pastel blend with notes of lychee. Mango Melur {SILVER: Fruit with Flowers}: Mango with a floral touch of jasmine. Juniper Rosemary: Woody and aromatic. Pineapple Lavender: The tangy sweetness of pineapple meets the calming notes of lavender. Blackberry Guava: Sweet and slightly tart with the fruity undertone of guava. Nutmeg: A cola-inspired blend. Nihon Yuzu Mint: The bright, citrusy essence of yuzu with the cool, refreshing taste of mint. Snow Chrysanthemum: Harvested from the snowy hills of Kunlun mountains. Kurma Honey: Characterized by its deep sweetness, reminiscent of the caramel-like richness of dates. Honey Plum: The sweetness of honey intertwining with the fruity essence o

This is one in a series about possible futures, published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 9 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Pharmaceutical companies partnered with kombucha producers to deliver medications via fermentation. Living probiotics became supportive therapy systems, enhancing the efficacy of conventional treatment. Mental health improved as gut-brain axis therapies reduced medication dependency for some patients. This episode follows Dr. Helena Marston’s development of probiotic kombucha strains that improved cancer treatment outcomes when used alongside chemotherapy. When fermented beverages became integrated into medical protocols, traditional pharmaceutical distribution adapted while neighborhood bio-brewers became complementary healthcare providers, expanding medical access through fermentation. Dr. Helena Marston: The Oncologist Who Sought Better Outcomes Dr. Helena Marston never intended to revolutionize supportive cancer care when she began brewing kombucha in the break room of her Stanford oncology lab in 2045. Exhausted by watching patients suffer through chemotherapy’s side effects, she researched whether probiotic supplements could improve treatment tolerance. Her crucial insight came when she realized that kombucha SCOBYs weren’t merely fermentation cultures—they were adaptable biological systems capable of producing compounds that could support conventional cancer therapy. Marston’s breakthrough research began with a challenging case: seven-year-old Christie Steinberg, daughter of her Palo Alto neighbor, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Traditional chemotherapy protocols offered 73% survival rates, but with significant side effects that devastated quality of life. She proposed an experimental adjunct treatment: genetically modified kombucha cultures engineered to produce compounds that could enhance chemotherapy’s effectiveness while reducing its toxicity—not replacing medical treatment, but making it more tolerable and potentially more effective. A Neighbor in Need Dr. Helena Marston encountered her neighbor Gloria Steinberg at a backyard barbecue three days after Christie’s diagnosis. “Helena, I’m so glad to see you,” Gloria exclaimed. “We got Christie’s diagnosis. It’s not good. We start chemo next month.” Marston stopped, put down her drink, and gave her friend full attention. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Gloria. I’ve watched hundreds of families face this. The treatment works, but… the journey is brutal.” Steinberg struggled to hold herself together. “She’s only seven. She should be worried about her spelling test, not about losing her hair. Is there… is there anything that makes this easier?” Helena paused, then spoke. “Actually… there might be. It’s experimental, but I’ve been researching something. Can you come to my office tomorrow?” The next day, Mrs. Steinberg sat across from her friend in the medical office. “Here’s what I’m proposing, Gloria. Three steps.” She counted on her fingers. “One: Christie gets her prescribed chemotherapy—exactly as her oncologist recommends. This is non-negotiable. The chemo is what fights cancer. Two: We sequence her tumor and microbiome. This tells us exactly which supportive compounds might help her specifically. Three: I brew a personalized kombucha that Christie drinks daily. It won’t cure cancer, but early research suggests it might reduce side effects by 15-20%.” Mrs. Steinberg sounded doubtful. “And the risks?” “She’ll be monitored weekly. If anything looks wrong, we stop immediately. But I believe this could help her feel more like Christie during treatment, instead of just ‘the sick kid.'” Later that week, the Steinberg’s met with Dr. Medway, their oncologist at the clinic. They were met with skepticism. “Experimental probiotics?” The doctor looked askance. “Mrs. Steinberg, your daughter has a serious cancer. Stick to proven protocols.” “But the side effects…” Gloria glanced at Christie through the window. “Are manageable,” Medway insisted. “We have anti-nausea drugs, blood transfusions.” “I know, but…” Steinberg hesitated. “We’d like to try Dr. Marston’s approach. Alongside the chemo.” “I can’t stop you,” Medway replied. “But if anything goes wrong…” Marston entered the consulting room. “The choice is yours, Gloria. But we need to decide now. Christie starts chemo in two weeks. I need at least ten days to culture her personalized SCOBY.” A few months later… A few months into treatment, Christie sat at the dining table doing homework, thin but alert. Her mother watched from the kitchen, tear

Source: NotebookLM Dr. Cătălin Tîlvescu is a general surgeon and the coordinator of the Department of Hyperbaric Medicine at Nova Vita Hospital in Romania. In 2020, he founded Kombucius in his hometown of Târgu Mureș, Transylvania. Market opportunity The decision to launch was heavily influenced by a clear market opportunity in Romania. A certain level of awareness of kombucha existed in the country, as it was a popular home brew in communist times, often perceived as a “miracle cure” kept in a jar by grandmothers. Although he is a physician by training, his experience as a home brewer provided the foundational knowledge for his new venture. He had a long history with fermentation, growing up learning how to make wine and moonshine (spirits) with his grandparents. He discovered that Romania didn’t have any breweries producing kombucha at the time. The imported store-bought kombucha he tasted was often “really bad” and bland. He noted that the varieties being sold locally were “very harsh, very sour, very acidic,” leading him to question why consumers would purchase them. This quality gap inspired his core business philosophy: to make a kombucha that people would actually enjoy drinking, resulting in a product that is sweeter and less carbonated, akin to the Asian style, rather than the more sour, highly carbonated North European/American types. Overcoming challenges He overcame multiple challenges in establishing the business, such as learning to produce kombucha at scale, securing a suitable factory location, and addressing public perceptions of kombucha. All this as a one-person operation while working full-time as a physician in three hospitals. However, he recognized that he needed to rebuild his life, and opening a brewery became a viable option, particularly since his ex-wife, who was “not a fan of me doing home brewing,” was no longer a factor. The business served as a positive trajectory for his life, preventing him from becoming a “bitter, resentful, old divorced dad” and allowing him to truly find happiness and personal growth. He  remarked that starting a kombucha company was the “best decision that I have ever made in my life.” He previously held the “dream” of having a large beer brewery but lacked the necessary funds. Kombucha presented a similar opportunity that was more financially accessible. Inspiration The idea solidified after watching two key online videos: one showing a brewery tour that revealed the process was “not really hard to make,” and another featuring Sebastien Bureau at the 2019 Berlin Kombucha Summit explaining how to scale up production, which transformed the concept into a “possibility.” Based on insights gained from friends in the beer industry, he decided to bypass starting in his kitchen and immediately launch the company as a professional, legal brand, knowing that serious commercial operations require stability and consistency. Recognition The brand recently gained international recognition when its mint flavor won a World Kombucha Award, validating his approach of creating a less acidic, more palatable beverage. Videos Kombucius has published a library of over 60 YouTube videos (in Romanian) that cover everything from home-brewing tips to the scientific benefits of kombucha, and even the first episode of a humorous soap opera featuring Master Kombucius, who arrives on his motorcycle, swigging kombucha! Flavors Original Kombucha with green tea – for those who love the authentic and refreshing taste. Kombucha Rojizo Granada – an explosion of freshness and fruity flavor. Ginger Khan Kombucha – for those who love a little spicy craftsmanship in their life. Fresh Mint Kombucha – an award-winning refreshing combination. Kombucha Strong Hops with hops – a bold combination of freshness and bitter subtlety. Kombucius is available across Romania. Interview This lengthy conversation tells the story of the founding of Kombucius, including overcoming challenges of limited funds and doing much of the physical labor himself. Dr. Tîlvescu discusses his brewing process and the philosophy behind his products. Finally, he shares his long-term aspirations for scaling the business and offers entrepreneurial advice, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the process and maintaining one’s principles. The post Profile: Kombucius, Târgu Mureș, Romania appeared first on 'Booch News.

Jake Myers, the director of the new comedy-horror movie, Kombucha, visited San Francisco this weekend. He had flown in from Chicago (where the film was shot) to host a screening at the Balboa Theater’s ‘Another Hole in the Head‘ horror-fest. He sat down with Booch News to discuss his film and explain why he chose to make a horror movie about everyone’s favorite drink. I then attended the screening and formed my own opinion of what some kombucha lovers see as a gross misrepresentation of the beverage. Highly recommended Let me say now: this is a GREAT MOVIE, and anyone offended by this tongue-in-cheek satirical portrayal of kombucha should lighten up. After all, the dairy industry wasn’t offended when Wallace and Gromit picnicked on a moon made of cheese. No one took that seriously. Likewise, the movie portrays kombucha in an extreme, but humorous, manner, maybe not quite as unbelievably as a cartoon character and his dog slicing off a bit of cheese on the moon, but not that different in terms of kombucha in reality compared to its role as a plot device in this fantasy. The film has been described in reviews re-posted to Booch News in October, so check there if you want the details. Briefly, kombucha alters the behavior of hapless office workers forced to drink it with cult-like intensity by a corporation that wrings every ounce of energy, and eventually the life, out of their employees. Office screen savers read “Serve the job and the job serves you.” There’s no work-life balance. Sexually predatory female managers seduce their direct reports (“I want to have your baby! Give me your sperm!”). Cringe-worthy platitudes (“I’ll circle back to you on that”) are spouted in clinically spotless meeting rooms. This environment will be familiar to anyone who has worked in tech. It’s the world described by Dave Eggers in his 2013 novel, The Circle. Wide of the mark Those of us familiar with kombucha will spot the ways in which the ‘booch onscreen is not true to life. While many tech companies provide their employees with free kombucha, most do so on tap, rather than stocking refrigerators with dozens of bottles. To be fair, this is apparently how GT Dave’s personal refrigerator is stocked. Anyone who brews kombucha knows that if the ferment is not covered with a cloth you’ll get an infestation of fruit flies. Not so in the lobby of Simbio Corporation. Likewise, real SCOBYs look nothing like the opaque, backlit, yellow glass in the company lobby. The irony is, they often look more repulsive than the one in the film. Was the reality just too gross for a horror movie? Portraying kombucha as a tool of control and conformity, where people are forced to drink it, suffer unspeakable side-effects and withdrawal symptoms worthy of crack, OxyContin, or heroin, is a distortion of the free-wheeling, slightly ‘woke’ reputation most ‘booch lovers embody. On target There are, however, a number of places in the movie where the director totally nails the appeal of kombucha. The initial reluctance of an overweight coffee addict to even consider drinking it, and their surprise when they discover how pleasant it actually tastes. Their obvious pleasure in the first sip. The subsequent purification as bodily toxins are eliminated, although not usually in as colorful a manner as shown in the toilet bowl in the movie. The slightly addictive nature of ‘booch. Most of us who enjoy kombucha have occasional jonesing for another bottle. But not to the extent of having withdrawal symptoms that need us to be tied to a bed. A certain cult-like tendency among some true-believers (we know who we are!) who love a drink that is a minority interest and is still an object of disdain for some. Movie magic I’m no fan of horror movies. Indeed, I was uncomfortable with one of the short films shown before Kombucha. It was a ‘slasher’ flick, and I had to look away when the ax split open the girl’s head. This movie is nothing like that. There is some of what fans apparently refer to as ‘body horror’ – bacteria and yeast infestations in previously healthy people. Lesser versions of the infected zombies in The Last of Us. The main message is the dystopian exaggeration of the Silicon Valley office start-up culture where the office is a ‘family,’ and you are encouraged to burn the midnight oil to deliver the PowerPoint presentation next day. Think McKinsey consultants on steroids, or designer ‘booch. (Incidentally, and an absolute coincidence, are the parallels between the use of ‘personally customized’ kombucha in the film and a possible future described in Episode 2 of my ‘Fermented Future’ Sci-Fi series. Great minds, eh, Jake?) The film chose the brand name “Mother’s Secret” for the company brand of kombucha, which makes absolute sense given the ‘secret’ re

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 8 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Fermentation cooperatives represent one effective social organizing principle among many. In the future, kombucha cafes could replace bars and coffee shops as primary gathering spaces—not because the beverages possess magical properties, but because fermentation creates affordable spaces where people gather around shared productive work. This episode explores Mumbai’s “Fermentation District,” where bio-breweries have become community hubs, enabling stronger civic engagement. These spaces succeeded by combining smart urban design, economic cooperation, and cultural preservation into environments that made authentic connection easier than virtual isolation. The Inheritance of Empty Buildings By 2052, colonial-era buildings in Mumbai’s abandoned Ballard Estate business district stood empty after the Great Flood of July 26, 2047, drove businesses to higher ground. Climate refugee and fermentation consultant Khushi Sengupta—one of the Darjeeling tea plantation refugees who had fled to the Thames Valley Mega-tower together with the Tamang family—traveled back to India to visit family and help rebuild the shattered city. Her relatives had made the grueling 1,300-mile journey west from the Darjeeling foothills to Mumbai after their once-thriving tea plantations were devastated by climate change. It is early October. The monsoon rains have ended. Khushi stands in a gutted office building, water stains still visible three meters up the marble walls. She’s meeting municipal planner Rajesh Krishnan, who spreads architectural drawing across a ruined reception desk while Khushi’s eight-year-old daughter Priya explores the echoing space. “The flood created a crisis,” Rajesh explains. “The government wants temporary housing—stack refugees in minimal square footage, provide basic services, move on. But I’ve seen that approach fail in Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai. Dense housing without social infrastructure creates slums, not communities.” Khushi watches her daughter discover an old fermentation crock in what was once the building’s cafeteria—remnants of someone’s office kombucha hobby. “What if we built around production instead of consumption?” she asks. “In the Thames Valley tower, the tea gardens and fermentation floors weren’t just amenities; they were integral to the process. They gave people something to do together. They created economic relationships.” Rajesh considers this. The 440 lakh rupees allocated to this district could fund either 1,000 housing units with no common spaces or 700 units with shared productive facilities. The conventional approach prioritizes maximum density. However, traditional methods have produced Mumbai’s sprawling slums, where civic engagement is nearly impossible—no gathering spaces, no economic cooperation, everyone struggling individually. “Show me what you’re imagining,” he says. “Back in the UK,” she explains, “we discovered that when people brew together, they talk. When they talk, they coordinate. When they coordinate, they govern themselves. Fermentation doesn’t create democracy—it creates the conditions where democracy can happen. Regular rhythms, shared investment, economic interdependence.” Six Months Later Khushi’s visit has lasted longer than intended, but no matter. Rajesh Krishnan has secured preliminary approval from city authorities for an experimental fermentation space. He’s looking to Khushi to replicate the Thames Valley tower’s success in Mumbai. If only things were that simple. The space is chaotic—babies crying, elders arguing about fermentation technique in four languages, someone’s SCOBY is contaminated and they need to start over. This is not the harmonious vision Rajesh sold to the municipal government. Narayan, a skeptical elder from a traditional Brahmin family, insists proper fermentation requires specific ritual purity. Fatima, a Muslim woman, questions the halal status of kombucha, wanting confirmation that the fermentation process doesn’t produce haram alcohol levels. A Tamil family wants to recreate their grandmother’s rasam kombucha but lacks the ingredients. A couple from Nagaland has never fermented anything and feels overwhelmed. Mountain Bee Innovation Amira Islam, daughter of Honey Islam, founder of Mountain Bee Kombucha, watches Khushi navigate these conflicts. “This is why industrial-scale kombucha failed,” she observes quietly. “They thought they could standardize living processes. But fermentation is always local—local ingredients, local microbes, local knowledge, local preferences.” Amira operates the district’s most experimental bio-brewery in the Mountai

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 7 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Peer-to-peer flavor-sharing platforms enabled home brewers to distribute taste profiles as digital files. Blockchain-verified SCOBY genetics allowed anyone to recreate award-winning kombucha flavors. Traditional beverage companies lost control as open-source fermentation recipes spread globally. This episode follows teenage hacker Luna Reyes as she reverse-engineers Heineken’s proprietary “A-yeast” strain and the century-old master strain used for Budweiser, releasing them under Creative Commons license, triggering a flavor renaissance that made corporate beverages taste like cardboard by comparison. Luna Reyes: The Seventeen-Year-Old Who Liberated Flavor Luna Reyes was brewing kombucha in her Oakland garage when she changed the course of human history. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she had learned fermentation from her grandmother while teaching herself bioinformatics through YouTube tutorials and volunteering at the Counter Culture Labs Maker Space on Shattuck Avenue. By fifteen, she was running the Bay Area’s most sophisticated home laboratory, utilizing jury-rigged DNA sequencers and microscopes constructed from smartphone cameras. Her breakthrough came in February 2043 while investigating why her kombucha never tasted quite like expensive craft varieties and was different again from her grandmother’s home brew. Using Crispr techniques learned from online forums, Luna began reverse-engineering the microbial genetics of premium alcoholic beverages. Her target wasn’t kombucha—it was the closely guarded yeast strains that gave corporate beers their distinctive flavors. Luna hunched over her microscope, examining bacterial cultures from her latest kombucha batch. Around her, salvaged DNA sequencers hummed, fermentation vessels bubbled, and computer screens displayed multi-hued patterns of genetic sequences. Her grandmother, Rosa, entered carrying a tray with three glasses of homemade kombucha. “Mija, you’ve been working for six hours straight. Drink something.” Luna accepted the glass without looking up. “Abuela, your kombucha tastes better than anything I can buy in stores and the ones I’ve experimented with. Why? I’m using the same base ingredients—tea, sugar, water—but mine never has this complexity.” Her grandmother laughed. “Because I’ve been feeding this SCOBY for forty years. It knows what to do. You can’t rush relationships.” Luna’s sister Maya, lounging against a workbench, waved her phone. “Luna, people have noticed your forum post about Health-Ade’s fermentation process. Someone says you’re wasting your time trying to replicate commercial kombuchas.” “I’m not trying to replicate them,” Luna said, finally looking up. “I’m trying to understand why their kombucha tastes different than that I make at home. It’s not the ingredients. It’s not the process. It’s the microbial genetics.” Rosa sat down beside her granddaughter. “When I was young in Oaxaca, every family had their own kombucha culture, passed down generation to generation. Each tasted different because the bacteria adapted to their environment, their ingredients, their care. We had a saying, Hay tantas fermentaciones en el mundo como estrellas en el cielo nocturno – there are as many ferments in the world as stars in the night sky. The big companies want every bottle to be identical. That kills what makes fermentation special.” “Exactly!” Luna pulled up genetic sequences on her screen. “I’ve been reverse-engineering samples from different commercial kombuchas. Health-Ade, GT’s, Brew Dr—they all have consistent microbial profiles.” The Great Heist: Cracking Corporate DNA Luna’s first major hack targeted Heineken’s legendary “A-yeast” strain, developed in 1886 by Dr. Hartog Elion—a student of renowned chemist Louis Pasteur—in the company’s Amsterdam laboratory and protected by over 150 years of trade secret law. Using samples obtained from discarded brewery waste (technically legal under the “garbage doctrine”), she spent six months mapping the strain’s complete genetic sequence in her makeshift lab. The breakthrough required extraordinary ingenuity. Luna couldn’t afford professional gene sequencers, so she modified a broken Illumina iSeq100 purchased on eBay for $200. Her sequencing runs took weeks rather than hours; her results were identical to those produced by million-dollar laboratory equipment. Her detailed laboratory notebooks, later published as The Garage Genomics Manifesto, became essential reading for the biotech hacker movement. The Budweiser project proved even mor

I sat down with William Esslinger of Confluence Kombucha in St. Louis, Missouri. We’d just left the three-day KBI conference in Barcelona and were having lunch at Munich Airport before catching our respective connecting flights. It was William’s first time in Germany, if you count being in an airport transit lounge as being in a country. What follows is an edited transcript of our conversation. The full audio is available as a podcast at the end of this post. The Confluence Kombucha Fermentory & Ping Pong Club is located at The Fox Den, 2501 S. Jefferson Avenue, Suite 102, St. Louis, MO 63104. It is open from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Confluence Kombucha is also a regular vendor at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market. Booch News: How did you discover kombucha? I started brewing kombucha in 2009 and working in kitchens all in a span of three days. I’d graduated with my master’s in media literacy education, and wanted to teach about the constructs of media and how to use media, how to create with different kinds of media, video, photography, using sound, all that kind of stuff. And so that’s my background. But I couldn’t find a job, so I started working as a dishwasher at age 29. I was making six bucks an hour with a master’s degree. I ordered my first kombucha culture online. I’d been drinking kombucha for about a year and a half prior to that, and it basically healed my ulcers that I’d had since I was five years old. That kombucha completely healed it. I haven’t had any incidents since. I can still remember as a young person having so much pain all the time. Every single day, a burning, like an ice pick in my intestines, every time I ate. I had this severe problem. And it then drinking kombucha cured it. So, I tell people, if you really want to do this kombucha thing, you need to be drinking it. Every day. Maybe take a day off here and there. But when people start, if they’re very used to a crappy diet, they’re going to feel a little worse, maybe because they’re flushing out stuff. But you get such a vibe out of drinking every day. That was just the beginning of the healing journey with kombucha. So much more healing has happened physically and mentally through this process. Just living with the SCOBYs every day. I didn’t really think about it as a business. BN: How did your career in catering take off? I’d started working in kitchens, and graduated from dish washing to working as a chef. After about three months of dish washing, they had me come on as a prep chef during the day. It was a big corporate restaurant, and I got pretty bored with it, but I had met someone I went to photography school with. He was opening a new restaurant called Blood & Sand with one of the top chefs in St. Louis at the time. He gave me a job, saying they can’t pay much, but they gave me an education. I got the last cook position on the line. And they didn’t really know what to do with me because I was brand-new, even though I’m almost 30 now. They said they would treat me like I knew nothing. And that was the best education. On-the-job training. BN: How did your career in the culinary world prepare you to run a kombucha business? We started fermenting stuff right away. They wanted me to make some kimchi. The chef didn’t know how to do it. But I had spent a couple of years in Korea and learned when I was over there. And I had just started brewing kombucha. It started to feel like fermentation was my path. Food was my path. And since it cured my ulcers, I started to be able to eat all the things I was never able to eat. I never thought of becoming a chef or anything like that because food was such a pain point for me. Then they started handing me the pastry stuff. Because they were all line cooks. They didn’t want to deal with this finicky shit with the temperature and all that. It didn’t fit in with everything else. But my background in photography, doing black and white film developing, the exacting process, the temperature, was already there for me. They started giving me one little project at a time. And they’re like, this kid’s nailing it, right? So they basically just made me a pastry chef. And I was making like $10 an hour, which was great. BN: How did working in the kitchens lead to opening a commercial kombucha business? I kept working in restaurants. And then, I finally thought maybe I got something here with the kombucha. I was developing flavors from the beginning. I kept all my notes. I now have over 800 flavors. I’ve got a spreadsheet of everything I’ve been doing since we opened our doors. Before I left for this trip, I did three new kombuchas in one week. I’ve been doing everything on draft and kegs since we opened our brick-and-mortar in 2016. It’s been all kegs. The idea was just to have a tap room. And the first iteration was a tap roo

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 6 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Introduction Legacy beverage corporations attempting hostile takeovers of kombucha startups failed to understand the living systems involved. Their sterile production methods eliminated beneficial microorganisms, while regulatory capture backfired as health authorities mandated probiotic content. Mega-Cola’s final CEO, James Morrison, desperately tried fermenting cola using SCOBYs, creating undrinkable disasters. This episode chronicles the corporation’s transformation from global giant to urban composting service, with former executives becoming mushroom farmers in Detroit’s abandoned factories. The $49 Billion Graveyard: When Giants Couldn’t Learn to Dance Harvard Business School’s legendary case study “The Mega-Cola Kombucha Catastrophe” became required reading for understanding how industrial thinking proved fatal in the biological economy. Between 2035 and 2042, legacy beverage corporations spent $48.7 billion attempting to acquire kombucha startups, only to discover that living systems couldn’t be purchased—they could only be cultivated. Mega-Cola’s acquisition spree began aggressively in 2035 under CEO James Morrison, a chemical engineer before ascending to the C-suite. He’d once loved the alchemy of bubbles and sweetness. His father had worked at a bottling plant; he’d grown up thinking carbonation was progress. He viewed kombucha as merely another “disruption” to be absorbed and had become a champion of “hydration portfolios”—a polite euphemism for diversifying out of soda into teas, waters, and ferments. The company spent $12.7 billion acquiring 47 kombucha brands, from market leader Health-Ade to smaller artisanal producers like Portland’s Brew Dr Kombucha. Morrison’s strategy seemed logical: leverage Mega-Cola’s distribution network and manufacturing scale to dominate the emerging probiotic market. The Sterilization Disaster The first catastrophic failure occurred when Mega-Cola attempted to scale Humm Kombucha production at its Oregon facility. Morrison stood before a 10,000-gallon fermentation tank—ten times the size of any used by the acquired kombucha companies. Chief Science Officer Dr. Hiram Walsh explained the modifications they’d made. “We’ve adapted our quality control protocols from our soft drink lines,” Walsh said proudly. “Every input is filtered, pasteurized, and chemically treated. We’ve eliminated 99.9% of microbial contamination risk.” Walsh pulled up charts showing their testing results. “Batch consistency is perfect. Zero deviation. Every bottle identical.” Morrison smiled. “Exactly what we wanted. When do we start distribution?” “Next week,” Walsh confirmed. “We’re calling it MegaBucha. Focus groups love the name.” One week later, Morrison sat in an emergency meeting. The first consumer feedback was catastrophic. Walsh read from report after report: “‘Tastes like carbonated vinegar.’ ‘Chemical aftertaste.’ ‘Nothing like real kombucha.’ ‘Dead and flat.’ Return rates are 87%.” Walsh looked confused. “I don’t understand it. The bacteria counts are perfect. We followed their recipes exactly.” On the teleconference screen, Health-Ade founder Vanessa Dew shook her head. “You killed it. Your ‘quality control’ eliminated every living organism. Kombucha isn’t about sterility—it’s about controlled biological diversity. You can’t pasteurize and filter kombucha and expect it to remain the same. You’ve simply made acidic sugar water.” Morrison spluttered, “We spent $2.1 billion acquiring your company. We’re not walking away because of ‘quality control’ issues.” “It’s not quality control—it’s biology,” Vanessa explained. “Kombucha cultures need biodiversity to thrive. Your system is built to prevent exactly that.” Morrison’s jaw tightened. “Then we’ll adjust the process. Keep some bacteria alive.” Vanessa sighed. “Your entire facility is designed to kill microbes. Your pipes, your tanks, your air filtration, your worker protocols—everything optimized for sterility. You’d have to rebuild from scratch. And even then, you’d need to fundamentally rethink how you approach production. Living systems don’t work like machines.” The company had overlooked the success of the UK’s ROBOT Kombucha, the “A.I. Cola” replicated cola’s taste in a fermented drink, becoming the beverage of choice for adults who had first tasted it as teenagers when it was introduced in 2025.  

I visited Bioma Kombucha on the final day of my trip to Barcelona for the World Kombucha Awards and KBI European Summit. Christopher Davite is the founder of Bioma Kombucha in Barcelona. His personal health struggles, including ADHD, depression, and digestive issues, along with an unexpected allergic reaction to pollen after moving to Vancouver, led him to discover the healing benefits of kombucha. Inspired by his own transformative experience and his grandfather’s knowledge of medicinal plants, Davite shifted from a career in architecture and personal training to founding Bioma Kombucha in 2017, motivated by a mission to empower people with an affordable, functional beverage. The company focuses on creating a high-quality, sustainably produced product using locally sourced medicinal plants. From the first sip, I knew I had found something truly special. The benefits were astounding. Every day, I felt my body and mind fill with renewed energy, propelling me to improve my life in ways I had never imagined. Kombucha inspired me to share this gift with the world, with the mission of “empowering people from within.” Today, my message is simple: “Take care of your body, and your body will take care of you.” Kombucha is not just a beverage for me; it’s a way of life, a source of energy and well-being. I hope my story inspires you to discover the wonderful benefits it can offer and to find your own path to a healthier and happier life.” Branded initially as ‘Kashaya Kombucha’ selling a green tea classic, in 2021 he rebranded to Bioma and expanded the range to add seven more flavors. Production and sustainability Sustainability is at the heart of their business. Christopher drew on his background in interior architecture and design to renovate an old garage that is his production facility. All the building materials were sourced from within Catalonia. This includes cork insulation and marble-based paint in the fermentation room. The low pH in the paint means nothing can grow in it. He explains that this has a significant impact on the SCOBY’s overall well-being and health. The walk-in cooler was constructed with natural mortar and insulated with hay behind a cork lining. When empty, it smells like a hay barn. The Bioma bottles are screen-printed, so there is no glue or labels, making them easier to recycle. Some are on their 10th life cycle. Bioma was the first to produce kombucha at an industrial scale in Barcelona and has grown into a team of eight people. Method Bioma uses a traditional brewing process with native medicinal and aromatic plants and premium ingredients to produce authentic kombucha. The Rwandan green tea is cold-brewed overnight for 12-16 hours (an environmental saving in and of itself). Cold brewing brings out smooth, natural notes that harmonize perfectly with the kombucha’s acidic profile. This method preserves the maximum amount of nutrients and probiotic properties, ensuring a healthy experience with every sip. They then add the starter, ferment for 7 days, and then undergo an additional 2 to 5 days of secondary fermentation with flavorings sourced from foraged ingredients or local farmers. Christopher periodically chants to the kombucha while it ferments, which he believes enhances the brew’s medicinal resonance. Chakra-aligned flavors Bioma Kombucha believes in the holistic connection between body, mind, and spirit. Their kombucha is rich in probiotics and antioxidants that not only improve digestive health but can also contribute to overall well-being. A healthy digestive system helps keep energy flowing properly, which can positively influence the balance of your chakras. Their kombucha is formulated with medicinal and aromatic herbs that help unblock the chakras. Ingredients such as lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, and chamomile not only provide a delicious flavor but also have properties that benefit energy and inner balance. While an infusion is great, it is during the fermentation stage that the metabolites and essential oils get introduced. They all have the specifics of the plant and how they interact during the fermentation stage and the pH and yeast levels. Vida Verde, their Classic Kombucha of cold-infused Rwandan high-mountain green tea, is the base for all the other flavors. This was the original kombucha they sold when the brand was known as ‘Kashaya’–the Ayurvedic term for a medicinal drink. The full range is infused with herbs, flowers, and fruits that align with the seven mystical chakras in the human body. Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” and refers to the energy centers in our bodies. The chakras serve the same function in our body as electrical outlets in a room: they distribute the energy that enters through the crown chakra to organs, glands, and muscles. Here are the seven chakras paired with the corresponding Bioma flavor. Base Chakra (Muladhara) Seasonal Star – The wint

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 5 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Introduction In the mid-21st century, rising seas and extreme weather rendered traditional agriculture impossible, but kombucha cultures thrived in controlled environments. Vertical fermentation towers became humanity’s primary food production method, with kombucha serving as a crucial source of nutrition. Climate refugees built resilient communities around shared SCOBY cultures that could withstand disasters. A critical challenge for kombucha production was tea availability, which became increasingly problematic on a planet where climate had reached a tipping point. Fortunately, tea plantations—like French vineyards that migrated across the Channel to England due to global warming—proved adaptable. This episode describes the expansion of tea plantations housed in vertical agricultural towers in the United Kingdom. These symbiotic systems proved more resilient to warmer temperatures than traditional agriculture. The Great Tea Migration: From Tropics to Temperate Towers By 2045, the traditional tea-growing regions of Darjeeling, Ceylon, and Fujian had become uninhabitable wastelands. Rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, and soil degradation forced humanity to reimagine where and how tea gardens could survive. The solution emerged from an unlikely source: the pioneering tea estates of Britain’s Celtic fringe, whose temperature-tolerant Camellia sinensis varieties became the foundation for humanity’s vertical fermentation revolution. The Cornwall Prophecy: Tregothnan’s Vision Realized Dr. Sarah Boscawen-Chen—a scion of the estate family and daughter of fermentation pioneer Dr. Lila Chen—pioneered the integration of tea cultivation with kombucha production. Her breakthrough insight was that, rather than importing tea leaves from distant plantations at great carbon cost, enclosed vertical towers could simultaneously grow tea and brew kombucha, creating closed-loop ecosystems in which plant and microbial systems symbiotically enhanced each other. What began in 2005 as Jonathon Jones‘s ambitious experiment at the Tregothnan Tea Estate in Cornwall—England’s first commercial tea estate—evolved into the template for post-climate agriculture. The estate’s sheltered valleys, with acidic soil and a mild climate moderated by the sea, made Tregothnan ideal for tea cultivation. Located eight miles inland from the coast, the tea garden was shielded from corrosive salt air. The plantation initially seemed a botanical curiosity, producing boutique teas for local markets. But as global warming devastated traditional growing regions, Tregothnan’s hardy cultivars proved prophetic. By 2055, Tregothnan’s original 20-acre plantation had expanded into a 150-story vertical tea forest, its crystalline towers rising from Cornwall’s coast like botanical cathedrals. The estate’s heirloom varieties—originally adapted to British weather patterns—thrived in controlled environments that precisely mimicked their ancestral growing conditions while protecting them from the climate chaos outside. They extended the original Cornish innovation of the iconic biomes at the nearby Eden Project. No One’s Cup of Tea The BBC documentary No One’s Cup of Tea, broadcast in 2045, revealed the scale of disaster in the world’s major tea-growing regions. While Britons were left “gasping for a cuppa” as prices skyrocketed, growers in India and elsewhere lost their livelihoods. The Chinese government, flush with its successful invasion of Taiwan, barred BBC camera crews from plantations; there were no such restrictions in India. The moving documentary footage remains unforgettable: Sabnam Tamang stands among dying tea plants, the soil cracked and lifeless beneath her feet. The temperature reads 41°C—impossible for Camellia sinensis to survive. Around her, workers harvest what they know will be the estate’s final crop. Mardin approaches her mother, carrying a withered tea leaf. “Mama, the irrigation system failed again. The aquifer is empty.” Sabnam takes the leaf, crumbling it between her fingers. “This estate has produced tea for over 200 years. Our ancestors planted these original bushes stolen from China by the British. And now…” She doesn’t finish. She doesn’t need to. Dr. Boscawen-Chen, flown over by the BBC as an advisor, examines the soil with portable equipment, recording data. “Mrs. Tamang, I’m sorry. I know what this means to your family.” “Do you?” Sabnam’s voice carries an edge. “Your Cornwall estate thrives while ours dies. British tea survives because you got lucky with latitude and ocean currents. We weren’t lucky.” Sarah meets her anger with compassion. “You’re right. Ge

Origins Jordi Dalmau improved his health with kombucha and founded Mūn Kombucha. He is a multi-year World Kombucha Awards winner and sits on the KBI Board of Directors.Kombucha proved to be a solution to the health problems he had experienced since he was a child, which were due to Gilbert’s syndrome, which he was diagnosed with when he was only 13 years old. An engineer by profession, Jordi struggled with daily headaches, muscle pain, and fatigue caused by his difficulty eliminating toxins through the liver. The search for better health had been tireless. After various dietary modifications, he was advised to start eating fermented foods. In addition to the sauerkraut and kefir he already made, he decided to try kombucha. However, in 2013, no one in Spain knew where to find it, so Jordi decided to start making it at home. He quickly discovered that the organic acids in this ancient drink aided in liver detoxification. His first homebrew tasted like vinegar! But, little by little, he modified the recipe and began offering it to friends who, with some reluctance, tried it. They couldn’t say if they liked it or not. But, soon after, they asked him if he could give them another bottle. And so one day, when he realized all his friends had tried it and returned for refills, Jordi and his wife Mercè decided to launch Mūn (named after the moon) in 2015. Jordi feels he has discovered his tabiat — his innate disposition or calling. Theirs was the first manufacturing plant for organic, glass-packaged kombucha in all of Spain. They set themselves the goal of making an ultra-healthy, absolutely natural drink with certified organic ingredients and as little sugar as possible, without losing any of the flavor. They wanted to make the kombucha they would have liked to find in the store. The Mission Their mission is to provide wellness and health through our kombucha. Mūn Ferments is committed to producing healthy, safe and beneficial products for health using only ingredients of organic origin. For its production, we use electrical energy from renewable resources. Likewise, we work with the objective of reducing the volume of waste as much as possible and with a policy of zero CO2 emissions as an objective. Process Mūn Ferments was the first Spanish kombucha made with 100% natural, certified organic ingredients. It contains the lowest amount of sugar of all kombucha currently on the market (0.1–1.8 g/100 ml). Up to 18 times less than others. It is based on Lung Ching green tea, also known as Longjing or Dragon Well. This is a variety of pan-roasted green tea from the Longjing Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Their kombucha is fermented for a month. Due to the exceptionally low sugar content in the final product. Mūn Kombucha is shelf-stable, unfiltered, and unpasteurized, and does not require refrigeration. Indeed, during a tour of their shipping department, I saw their kombucha stored at room temperature. This results in energy and environmental savings in manufacturing and distribution. Specifically, the CO2 emissions from kombucha that needs a cold chain are up to 180 times higher than those from Mūn’s. Customer sophistication I call my customers connoisseurs, people who know the health benefits, but who can taste something that isn’t sweet-sweet. Because a lot of people, I think, sell kombucha as a soda replacement. If you only like soda, you won’t like our kombucha. And this is bad for sales because a huge amount of potential customers, when they try it, they don’t like it. At the beginning, it was very difficult to grow. Because not many people were prepared for the taste. But now, more people have tried other brands. And it’s like chocolate. People start with 50% milk or dark chocolate. But when they become more sophisticated they are ready for the 90-95% cacao varieties. When they’re ready, they’re ready for it. I can’t eat 50% chocolate. It’s too sweet. All I taste is the sugar. I can’t find the cacao. And I’m not alone. There are a lot of people who drink coffee without sugar. Chocolate without sugar. And they need a brand of kombucha that gives exactly what they need. My  point of view about the evolution of the consumer is that if you are drinking soda and you want something healthier, you start drinking kombucha with a lot of sugar. Once you get used to that taste, then you want something more pure. It’s what happens with all fermented food, for example, with cheese. If you never have tasted cheese, you don’t like a Stilton, Gorgonzola, or Roquefort, or cheeses like that. It’s too strong. Your mind cannot know what this taste is. So you have to start with a cheese that almost has no taste. And you have to get used to that taste. Sandor Katz explained that fermented food is a taste that you have to know and adapt to. So our market is smaller. They’re more dedicated, maybe. Not all consumers of kombucha like ours. Collect

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 4 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview The fermentation revolution isn’t about returning to the past, but about recognizing that humanity’s oldest food may be its most sophisticated—algorithms encoded in bacteria, operating on time rather than electricity, generating complexity no factory can replicate. When the global cold chain collapsed during the Three-Week Blackout of 2047, humanity faced a choice: starve or remember. Ultra-processed food, dependent on continuous refrigeration and transcontinental supply networks, simply vanished. The Fermentation Renaissance emerged in its place, powered by open-source microbial libraries, neighborhood bioreactors, and a radical truth: food that improves with time proves more resilient than food that merely delays decay. By 2100, fermented foods dominated through abundance rather than scarcity. Climate-adapted vertical farms fed decentralized fermentation cooperatives. Every neighborhood maintained a “terroir vault”—living microbial archives passed between generations as heirlooms. Corporations that once imposed homogeneity now compete to preserve microbial diversity. Fermentation became the foundation of both cuisine and community, transforming kitchens into laboratories of resilient nourishment. What was once a grandmother’s secret became humanity’s operating system. The Three-Week Blackout of 2047 During the Three-Week Blackout, Charlotte Perez, a food systems engineer, watched her refrigerator’s contents spoil while her grandmother’s fermentation crocks remained viable. This event marked the first stage of what would become known as the Global Supply Chain Winter. Charlotte witnessed the cascade firsthand: refrigerated warehouses failing, supply chains breaking, supermarkets emptying. Yet in immigrant and rural communities where fermentation had never ceased, people ate well. The Cyberattack It began at 3:47 am on Wednesday, May 15, 2047, a cyberattack struck critical infrastructure. By dawn, electrical grids across twelve states had failed. Emergency power systems, designed for hours rather than days, began failing by afternoon. Charlotte stood in her apartment, watching her refrigerator warm. Milk, meat, and vegetables—hundreds of dollars of food deteriorating. She called her grandmother in panic. “Abuela, the power’s out. Everything’s going bad.” Carmen’s response was calm. “Come to my house, chiquita. Bring your neighbors. We have food.” Charlotte arrived to find Carmen’s kitchen unchanged—nothing required electricity. Fermentation crocks lined every counter: sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, preserved vegetables, sourdough starter, and kombucha, all fermenting steadily. “You see?” Carmen gestured around. “When power fails, industrial food dies. But fermented food? It doesn’t care about electricity. It never did.” Over the next three weeks, Carmen’s kitchen became a community hub. Charlotte watched her technically illiterate grandmother feed forty people using technology older than civilization. No power, no problem. The food improved with time rather than deteriorating. Across the city, supermarkets became disaster zones. Rotting food, empty shelves, desperate crowds. Charlotte walked through one, calculating the waste: millions of pounds of produce, tons of meat and fish, all thrown away. By week three, when power returned, Charlotte had made a decision. She hauled her dead refrigerator to the curb and apprenticed herself to Mrs. Popescu, a Romanian woman teaching emergency fermentation workshops in abandoned parking lots. “Why do you want to learn?” Mrs. Popescu asked. “Because my engineering degree couldn’t feed anyone for three weeks,” Charlotte responded. “But your kimchi fed hundreds. I studied the wrong kind of engineering.” Mrs. Popescu smiled. “Then we start from the beginning. First lesson: food that improves with time is more powerful than food that fights time.” The Political Awakening The Supply Chain Winter of 2047 sparked political uprisings that eventually changed food law. Industrial agriculture had criminalized decay, rendering fermentation legally suspect. The Spoilage Rights Movement fought for the “right to rot”—legal protection for controlled decomposition as food preparation. Street protesters ate aged cheeses and drank wild-fermented beer on courthouse steps, deliberately violating the law. The movement’s intellectual leader, a former food safety inspector turned rebel, argued that industrial foods’ war on bacteria created nutritional deserts and immunological fragility. His 2052 trial became a watershed moment, culminating in landmark legislation: a Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing every ci

I met Khadija Benslimane at the recent KBI European Salon and World Kombucha Awards event in Barcelona. She founded KaBé Kombucha in Casablanca, Morocco, just 18 months ago. This is the first and so far the only commercial kombucha brand in a country of almost 40 million — an outstanding example of a Blue Ocean Strategy. Award Winning KaBé Kombucha was honored as the *only* recipient of a medal in the Original, Black Tea category for their Earl Grey. Their Gold Medal stood alone. There was no Silver or Bronze awarded. An impressive accomplishment for a new brand! Background The brand name is formed from Khadija Benslimane’s initials – KB – and the two letters in KomBucha. Khadija didn’t wake up one day and decide to start a kombucha company. She grew up in the family textile business, where she became familiar with the production side and factory operations. After the family business closed, she moved to the corporate food sector. Over time, she felt an increasing disconnect between her work and values. She longed for something more aligned with what she truly believed in: health, nature, and meaning. So she left Morocco and trained in Paris as a naturopath, leading fasting retreats, helping people take care of their guts, and learn about the microbiome. She first tasted kombucha in Paris: Karma Kombucha, the major brand in France. After that, an idea kept bubbling up: to move back to Morocco and create a fun, healthy, living drink people could enjoy daily, rooted in tradition and crafted with love. In founding KaBé, she has come full circle: returning to her native Morocco and founding a health company that brings together her industrial family background and her passion for health. Opportunity Back home in Morocco, she noticed that a pasteurized, imported kombucha was selling well at Green Village stores. She saw an opportunity to develop her own brand. After two years studying the craft, doing web training, experimenting in her kitchen, and testing to keep alcohol levels below 0.5%, she contacted KBI for documentation that helped the Moroccan authorities write the regulations based on US standards and grant her authorization. In August 2024, she moved from the kitchen, set up a production unit, and began selling to a few restaurants. As a predominantly Muslim country where people avoid alcohol, and sugary sodas are causing a diabetes epidemic, kombucha made in Morocco was well received by locals and tourists alike. We are in a time in Morocco when people are proud to be Moroccan and support Moroccan producers. People like to believe that we can have products of equal quality to those in Europe. Whereas before, if it was from abroad, it was better than Moroccan; we had that 20 years ago. But now, it’s switching, and people are eager to discover Moroccan brands. They are excited to discover something fermented, alive, not alcoholic, and something they should try because it’s funky, it’s complex, there is this acidity and this sugar balance that can be good. Scaling Even though 2025 is her first full year of production, the brand has scaled quickly, selling 40,000 bottles in restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, and large supermarkets, including Carrefour and Super U in Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, and Agadir. Breaking into these accounts was not easy: I worked really, really hard just to have an appointment, and they didn’t even know what kombucha was. I had to explain it to them and tell them that there were only two international brands sold in organic markets. When they heard we were the first Moroccan brand and that kombucha was a trend, they said, “Okay, we are going to give it a shot,” and they were really surprised by the sales. Media Media exposure has helped promote her brand. One video went viral, with 700,00 views, leading to inquiries from hotels and cafes asking to stock it. A wide-ranging 40-minute interview in the ‘One on One with Wiam’ series (in French) she discussed the challenges and rewards of being a woman entrepreneur, establishing a new brand, and becoming a pioneer in the category. Challenges Khadija is a member of the ANFAS collective of women founders, artists, and change makers who, like KBI, believe in collaboration and shared growth. They are based in Morocco with chapters in Paris. Her ANFAS Instagram interview detailed some of the challenges faced by commercial kombucha producers. Entrepreneurship demands a lot of energy. Nothing ever goes as planned, especially in food production. We’ve had it all: miscalculations, leaks, unexpected spills. I still remember mopping up 50 liters of ice-cold kombucha off the floor, soaked, freezing, and trembling after the scare. We’ve had tea shortages, dosing errors, machines that stop working right in the middle of fermentation. To be honest, I’m always a little tense on production days, at least until every last bottle is filled, capped, and safely tucked away in the cold room. Flavors In

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 3 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. As we look back over the last 75 years, it’s clear that the global fermentation renaissance is a story with many chapters. They wove together multiple legacies that enabled our collective survival and enjoyment of life in the year 2100. Here are nine of those chapters. 1. The Metchnikoff Prophecy: From Nobel Prize to Planetary Transformation The foundations of the fermentations of 2100 can be traced to a prescient insight from 1907, when Nobel laureate Élie Metchnikoff published The Prolongation of Life: Optimistic Studies. His observation that Bulgarian peasants consuming fermented milk lived remarkably long lives—and his subsequent isolation of L. bulgaricus—established the scientific foundation for what would become humanity’s biological salvation. Metchnikoff’s prophetic words resonated across the centuries: From time immemorial human beings have absorbed quantities of lactic microbes by consuming in the uncooked condition substances such as soured milk, kephir, sauerkraut, or salted cucumbers which have undergone lactic fermentation. By these means they have unknowingly lessened the evil consequences of intestinal putrefaction. By 2075, his “intestinal putrefaction” theory had become the foundational framework of the Global Microbiome Crisis—a recognition that industrial food had systematically destroyed humanity’s internal ecosystem. 2. The Wolfe Revolution: Mapping Humanity’s Microbial Heritage Dr. Benjamin Wolfe II’s 2089 breakthrough at the Tufts Planetary Fermentation Institute was directly traced to his grandfather’s 2020s research, which analyzed 500 sourdough starters across four continents. The older Wolfe discovered that household fermentation cultures contained vastly more microbial diversity than commercial operations. This insight became crucial when climate change destroyed industrial food systems. The younger Wolfe’s research titled the “Global Fermentation Genome Project” expanded his grandfather’s Medford research to catalog over 2.3 million distinct fermentation cultures from every inhabited region on Earth, creating humanity’s most precious database. When traditional agriculture collapsed, these preserved microbial libraries became the genetic foundation for survival. Communities could resurrect ancient fermentation practices using Wolfe’s genomic blueprints, ensuring that local food cultures survived even when their original ecosystems disappeared. Wolfe’s research proved that fermentation diversity directly correlated with human resilience. Populations with access to diverse fermented foods showed superior adaptation to climate stress, disease resistance, and cognitive performance. His “Microbial Diversity Index” became the most accurate predictor of community survival in the climate-changed world. One day at the Tufts Institute, Wolfe’s research partner, Dr. Gail Sonenshein, enters carrying emergency reports. “Ben, we have another situation. The refugee settlement in Nevada is experiencing 60% mortality within three months of arrival. Malnutrition, immune collapse, systemic organ failure.” Wolfe does not hesitate. “What are they eating?” “Standard industrial rations. Nutritionally complete according to FDA standards. High-calorie, protein-fortified, vitamin-supplemented.” “And completely dead.” Benjamin pulls up the settlement’s microbiome data. The graphs are devastating: almost no bacterial diversity, compromised gut function, cascading health failures. “The industrial food is killing them faster than starvation would.” Gail nods grimly. “We have 47 similar settlements reporting identical patterns. Millions of climate refugees are being fed ‘safe’ processed food, and they’re dying anyway. The food provides calories but destroys their microbial ecosystems.” Benjamin accesses his grandfather’s sourdough archive, searching for cultures from the refugees’ original regions. “What if we could resurrect their traditional fermentation practices? Give them back the microbes they evolved with?” “Using genetic data to recreate fermented foods from extinct ecosystems?” Gail considers. “That’s never been attempted at scale.” “Because we never had to before. My grandfather cataloged this diversity, thinking it was merely academic research. Turns out he was creating a survival manual.” Benjamin begins pulling culture samples. “We start with the Nevada settlement. Identify their regional origins, match them with appropriate fermentation cultures, teach them to recreate their traditional foods.” Gail considers this before asking, “And if i

Kombucha in a time of war Among the dozens of kombucha producers I spoke with from around the world gathered in Barcelona for the World Kombucha Awards, one stood out. Artem Manko the founder of Wild Kombucha, Kiev, Ukraine, shared the story of his brand and the effect the conflict with Russia has had on his business. It’s not what you might expect: Business in Ukraine are thriving, to be honest. The war brings some sadness and some possibilities. There is an increased demand for kombucha. It’s not only for kombucha, but for every product, because people are…how to say it right, at a crossroad. And which way to go, they always try new, because they do fear that they will die at any time. It might be the last day, so they’re trying everything. And kombucha is not the product that you think of for the first, when you want to drink something. When people come to the market, they see the shelf and they see kombucha, and they might think, I never tried it before. I want to try it, yeah, because this could be my last day, you know? World Kombucha Awards Wild Kombucha received three awards at the Barcelona World Kombucha Awards ceremony: Gold: Fruits with Herbs category for their “Berries” flavor. Bronze: “Classic, Other Teas” category. Best Rookie: For the best newly founded kombucha company. Flavors Classic: Crafted from white and red tea sourced from China (Bronze Award Winner) Rooibos Coffee: A blend of African rooibos and red bush teas with nine Ukrainian herbs enriched with 100% Arabica coffee beans. Green Tea: Sencha green tea with cornflower petals, complemented by candied tropical fruits. Raspberry: Made with fresh raspberry puree. A rich berry sweetness with a hint of tartness. (Gold Award Winner) Citrus: Green tea blended with fresh lemon and orange. Hibiscus: Based on classic kombucha with a hint of hibiscus. A vibrant berry-red flavor with notes of cherry and wild fruit. Slightly tart and refreshing. Ginger: The vibrant warmth of real ginger. Natural spiciness is balanced with the citrus brightness of lemon, lime, and grapefruit, while hints of lemongrass, cardamom, and nutmeg add depth and harmony. Distribution Wild Kombucha is available across Ukraine in 400 to 500 cafes, restaurants, and hotels. They won these accounts “by asking”. It’s as simple as that. We make some propositions on price and taste, and we handle our own logistics. We transfer our products to the main centers of these retail networks. Instagram More than most brands, Wild Kombucha highlights the many ways their kombucha is enjoyed fit, healthy, and attractive young people. A refreshing counter to the pictures of front line troops and Russian drone damage that the world sees on the nightly news. We don’t want people to stay stressed all the time. Right. So, they can find like half an hour to relax, think about themselves, reflect, and drink some kombucha. Future plans They are a new brand — not the largest in Ukraine — but have plans to grow. We are looking for partners —maybe in Europe, another brand, or an investor. Olympic Fencing Champion Artem is no stranger to Awards. When not brewing kombucha, he is a member of the Ukrainian Olympic team as a wheelchair fencer, competing in épée, foil, and saber. He won a silver medal in the men’s saber event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan. He was also a member of the three-man national team that won Gold at the 2025 Para Fencing World Championships in Iksan, South Korea. He qualified for the Paralympics fencing category after suffering a fall from a 5th-floor window and shattering his legs, putting an end to his participation in the sport he had excelled in since he was a young man, unless seated in a wheelchair. He hopes his Olympic medal will be an inspiration to the Ukrainian men and women injured in the war: That is really important right now as there are a lot of injured soldiers without legs, hands, and in wheelchairs. It is hugely important for them to feel that disabled people are accepted in society. Podcast Hear Artem describe his experiences as one of Ukraine’s leading kombucha producers in this exclusive Booch News interview. The post Profile: Wild Kombucha, Kiev, Ukraine appeared first on 'Booch News.

Sunday, October 26, was the ‘Open House’ day for the members of the public to come to the World Kombucha Awards venue in Barcelona and meet the winners from around the world. Over 70 people from across Europe gathered on the rooftop patio to hear from each brand and sample the kombucha on offer. What an amazing event! Where else could you be in one location and drink award-winning kombucha from around the world? The producers displayed their bottles and cans. The presentations gave a brief overview of production methods and flavors. The selections were kept on ice until it was time to taste. Podcast Listen to consumers say why they like kombucha. The post World Kombucha Awards: Open House appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 2 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Building on Curro Polo’s pioneering research in the late 2020s, bio-engineered SCOBYs interfaced with quantum processors created unprecedented flavor complexity and therapeutic precision. These living computers optimized fermentation in real-time, responding to environmental conditions and consumer biometrics. Kombucha cultures became self-modifying organisms that evolved custom probiotics on demand. This episode follows biotech researchers around the world as they developed SCOBYs that communicated through fungal networks, sharing genetic improvements globally. Traditional brewing companies couldn’t compete with these adaptive, intelligent fermentation systems that literally thought their way to perfect flavor profiles. The Polo Revolution: From Basque Brewery to Global Bio-Network The quantum fermentation revolution began modestly in 2025 with a PhD student’s crowdfunding campaign. Dr. Curro Polo, working at the Ama Brewery in Spain’s Basque Country under Chef Ramón Perisé Moré, launched Open Flavor: Modeling Fermentation Through Open Science with a revolutionary premise: fermentation could be mathematically modeled, predicted, and optimized using open-source bioreactors and collaborative data sharing. Curro worked on the pitch video for the crowdfunding campaign with his sister Elena and Chef Moré. Ever the perfectionist, he was delivering the pitch for the twentieth time while Elena edited footage and Ramón watched critically. “Let me start again,” Curro says, positioning himself before the camera. “Our approach to fermentation recognizes that each microorganism has a distinct metabolic signature that we can track, measure, and predict using statistical modeling.” Ramón interrupts. “Too technical. Nobody crowdfunding understands metabolic signatures.” “But that’s the breakthrough!” Curro protests. “If we can model fermentation mathematically, we can optimize it, predict it, control it precisely.” “Then explain it like you’re talking to your grandmother,” Ramón advises. “What does this mean for someone who just wants better kombucha?” Curro thinks, then starts again. “Imagine knowing exactly what your fermentation will taste like before it happens. Imagine never having vinegar-flavored failures, never guessing about timing. That’s what mathematical modeling enables. Perfect fermentation, every time.” “Better,” Elena encourages. “But you’re still missing the bigger vision. This isn’t just about better kombucha. It’s about open science transforming fermentation globally.” Curro nods, refocusing. “Here’s the real revolution: I’m making everything open-source. Every method, every data point, every tool. When someone in Tokyo makes a breakthrough using my protocols, everyone benefits, from the home brewer in Detroit to the commercial brewery in Copenhagen. We’re building collective intelligence.” “That’s it! That’s your pitch,” Ramón says approvingly. “Not ‘give me money to research fermentation,’ but ‘join a global movement to democratize brewing knowledge.'” They reached their $2,565 goal in record time and raised an additional $47,000 from 1,200 backers across forty countries. The campaign video was viewed 200,000 times. Ramón reads the comments aloud: “Listen Curro. Someone says ‘Finally, someone treating fermentation as science, not folklore. I’ve been waiting for this approach my entire career. Take my money and share everything you discover.'” Polo’s early experiments with the Pioreactor—an affordable 20ml bioreactor precisely controlling pH, oxygen, temperature, and agitation—seemed unremarkable at first. His breakthrough insight was treating fermentation, as he liked to say, as a “party where different guests wear unique perfumes,” measuring the distinct metabolic signature of each microorganism. The Harvard-Basque Connection Polo’s industrial PhD program, bridging Harvard University and the Basque Culinary Center at the Ama Brewery, positioned him perfectly to merge academic rigor with practical brewing innovation. His Master’s thesis, Kombucha: A Word on Metamorphosis, had already established him as a rising star in fermentation science. His decision to make all research methods, data, and tools openly available transformed individual brilliance into a global revolution. By 2027, Polo’s initial experiments with three non-Saccharomyces yeasts had spawned a worldwide network of “Polo Pods”—laboratories utilizing his open-source protocols to map fermentation dynamics. “The beauty is, every

“From Darjeeling to the world.” Rooted in the ancient wisdom of the Himalayas, Syang’s Kombucha crafts wellness-focused drinks like sparkling teas, kombucha, and functional infusions made from ancient grains, herbs, and Himalayan botanicals. From the high slopes of Darjeeling, where clouds kiss tea leaves and spring water runs pure, we create raw, living drinks that are deeply rooted in nature, crafted with care, and bursting with purpose. Origins Syang’s is a tribal- and women-led company that partners directly with small farmers, foragers, and artisans from Darjeeling, Sikkim, and the Northeast Indian hills. More than 60% of their team is made up of indigenous tribal community members. The Tamang are an ethnic group primarily living in Nepal, India, and Bhutan, known for their Buddhist faith, Tibeto-Burman language, and agricultural lifestyle. Ashish Syangbo Tamang – Sabnam Tamang – Pritam Subba Himalayan authenticity Syang’s is not just a beverage—it’s the voice of the Himalayas in a bottle. They hand-pick organic tea leaves from small growers in the Darjeeling hills, supporting families who’ve lived and farmed here for generations. They brew with crystal-clear Himalayan spring water, and source fruits and honey from local farmers, not factories—supporting biodiversity, not industrialization. Syang’s Kombucha is brewed in small batches using only organic ingredients. Their unpasteurized, naturally fermented kombucha offers a clean, complex flavor profile — raw, effervescent, and elegantly understated. The biggest USP of our brand is that all our teas are ethically sourced from small tea growers. It’s not done on a large scale. So that’s the reason the photo is on our website, because it’s done on a very small scale. It’s handcrafted, and there is traceability. It’s ethically sourced. More than just a beverage company, we are a socially innovative company as well. Because we grow along with the farmers, with everyone, with the community. Growth In 2021, Syangbo and his mother, Sabnam, started brewing kombucha at home in 10 to 15-liter batches. They then moved up to 200 liters. The ground floor of their home is now a nano brewery where they can produce around five to 10,000 liters. Flavors Classic Kombucha: The purest expression of the kombucha tradition — naturally fermented tea, carefully cultured, and lightly sparkling. Ginger Lemon: A vibrant fusion of bold ginger and zesty lemon, delicately brewed with organic tea and raw kombucha cultures. Apple Cinnamon: A refined blend of organic green tea, raw kombucha cultures, and natural apple and cinnamon infusions. Limited Editions: Suntala Mandarin Orange Winter Edition, Passion Fruit, and Strawberry. Beyond teas Classic Sparkling Water is pure hydration with a refreshing twist — zero sugar, zero calories, and perfectly balanced bubbles. Whether you’re sipping it solo or using it as a mixer, this timeless favorite delivers a light, invigorating sparkle that refreshes any moment. Simple, pure, and endlessly refreshing.Unpasteurized and crafted with no added flavors, it offers a clean, floral acidity balanced by the subtle elegance of white tea — a sparkling expression of nature’s quieter power. Classic Sparkling Tea is a celebration of simplicity done exceptionally well. Crafted from organic, unpasteurized tea with no added flavors, this sparkling infusion delivers a crisp, clean finish — refined in taste, rich in tradition. Fermented for complexity, bottled for elegance — each sip is alive with delicate effervescence and the quiet energy of living cultures. No noise, no additives — just honest ingredients and modern restraint. White Hibiscus Sparkling Tea: A light, floral infusion made from carefully selected white hibiscus petals. Naturally caffeine-free and rich in antioxidants, this delicate blend offers a crisp, slightly tart flavor that’s perfect for any time of day. A Tea Vinegar is being developed. Podcast Listen to the podcast to hear Syangbo tell the story of his company. The post Profile: Syang’s Kombucha, West Bengal, India appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 1 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Breakthroughs in fermentation science occurred when researchers transitioned from mouse models to human trials. Neural-linked biosensors provided real-time gut health data, revealing each person’s unique microbial ecosystem. This episode follows Dr. Lila Chen, whose groundbreaking research demonstrates that optimal cognitive performance requires individually tailored fermented beverages. Her work disrupts one-size-fits-all consumption patterns, compelling beverage companies to either personalize their offerings or perish in the new biological economy. Dr. Lila Chen: From Mouse Models to Human Revelation Dr. Lila Chen arrived at Stanford’s Sonnenburg Lab in 2038 with a radical hypothesis, which her colleagues dismissed as “probiotic pseudoscience.” She felt the weight of living at the edge of revolutionary science: the profound isolation that accompanies seeing truths others cannot yet perceive. Like Galileo facing the Inquisition, she possessed irrefutable evidence challenging fundamental assumptions about human biology, yet was branded a heretic by the very institutions meant to pursue truth. The daughter of Taiwanese biochemists, she’d spent her postdoctoral years frustrated by microbiome studies using lab mice—elegant experiments that rarely translated to human physiology. At 33, her frustration with mouse models and reductionist approaches stemmed from an intuitive understanding that biological systems were far more complex and interconnected than her colleagues imagined. While Big Pharma poured billions into synthetic nootropics, Chen suspected the key to cognitive enhancement lay in the ancient art. of fermentation. Her breakthrough came from rejecting the reductionist approach dominating gut-brain research. Instead of studying isolated bacterial strains in sterile lab conditions, Chen investigated how complete fermented ecosystems—specifically kombucha SCOBYs—interacted with human neural networks in real-world environments. One late October evening, Dr. Justin Sonnenburg, the lab director and Lila’s supervisor, finds her at her desk at 9:00 pm. “Lila, you need to go home. Running yourself into the ground won’t fix the replication problem.” “The replication problem is that we’re using the wrong model,” Lila responds without looking up from her work. “Mice aren’t humans. Their gut microbiomes are fundamentally different. Their neural architecture is different. We’re trying to extrapolate complex cognitive effects from organisms that don’t possess the cognitive complexity we’re studying.” “Mouse models are the gold standard—” “For pharmaceutical companies who need cheap, controllable test subjects,” Lila interrupts. “But for understanding how fermented foods affect human cognition? We’re wasting time. I’ve been reviewing traditional medicine literature—Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese. Thousands of years of documented cognitive effects from fermented foods. But we ignore it because it’s not ‘rigorous’ enough. I’m not abandoning scientific rigor. I’m expanding it. What if we skipped the mouse phase entirely and went straight to large-scale human trials? Real people, real fermented foods, real cognitive measurements.” “The IRB would never approve—” “They would if we framed it properly. We’re not testing drugs. We’re studying foods humans have consumed safely for millennia. Korean kimchi, Japanese miso, Taiwanese pickles. These aren’t experimental substances. They’re cultural heritage.” Sonnenburg considers this. “You’d need massive sample sizes to show statistically significant effects. Thousands of participants across diverse populations.” “Ten thousand,” Lila says immediately. “Six continents. Three years. I’ve already drafted the protocol.” She pulls up a document she’s been working on for months. “We compare mass-produced beverages—sodas, commercial coffee, standardized drinks—against personalized kombucha matched to individual microbiome profiles. Neural monitoring throughout. If I’m right, we’ll see cognitive improvements that mouse models could never predict.” “And if you’re wrong?” “Then I’ve wasted three years proving fermentation is folklore. But if I’m right…” She turns to face him directly. “If I’m right, we’re looking at the biggest breakthrough in nutritional neuroscience in decades. Personalized fermented beverages as cognitive enhancement. Not drugs. Not supplements. Just optimized partnerships between human biology and ancient fermentation.&#8221

Stargazer Kombucha was founded in 2019 by Alison and Mike Schmitt. This boutique craft kombucha business based in Albuquerque, New Mexico is now for sale. Brewing a traditional form of kombucha, the company selects fine single-origin teas and ferments them slowly in small batches, expressing the complex flavors of each tea without adding fruit juices, purees, or syrups. Every variety is made from just four simple ingredients: filtered water, organic raw cane sugar, live kombucha culture, and loose leaf tea. Flavors include: Assam Cota Lavender Spearmint Rose Earl Grey Over the past six years, the business has expanded its product line, grown a loyal following, and secured numerous wholesale accounts. The kombucha is highly regarded locally and has received national recognition, winning two Good Food Awards in 2024. It is currently sold on tap and in cans at over 20 retailers in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe metro area. The business is currently majority woman-, minority-, and immigrant-owned. Due to recent health challenges and changes in family commitments, Alison has decided to sell the business and pass it on to new owners with the vision to develop its full potential. It is well-positioned to scale into a standout regional—or national—brand. Brewing operations are housed in a leased 2,000 sq ft brewery in Albuquerque’s North Valley. The landlord has indicated a willingness to work with the buyer on a new lease. Alternatively, the business can be easily relocated, as the branding is universally themed and not tied to a specific location. The current owners are willing to assist the buyer to ensure a smooth transition. Termsheet Asking Price: $190,000 Now reduced to $70,000 (1/6/2026) Launched: 2019 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Current production capacity: Up to 270 gallons/week Distribution: Farmers markets, festivals, breweries, coffee shops, grocery stores, etc. Financials and full asset list: Available upon signing a non-disclosure agreement Assets (Partial. Full list available on request.) All intellectual property: Recipes, formulas, and proprietary information Branding and marketing assets Client list, leads, contacts, and related information Nutrition facts panels Barcodes USPTO-registered brand trademark, etc. All digital assets: Square point of sale app Square online store PayPal account Website Social media accounts Additional web domains Other digital assets, etc. All equipment owned by the business: 7’x14′ walk-in cooler with Coolbot system Stainless steel 3-section sink (1) Stainless steel hand wash sinks (2) Stainless steel tables (2) Shelving units (7) 50-gallon stainless steel Italian Marchisio fermenters (6) Inkbird digital temperature controllers (8) 1/6 BBL Sankey kegs (15) 5-gallon Cornelius kegs (15) 3-gallon Italian ball lock kegs (10) Chest freezers (2) Food prep and small kitchen equipment Testing equipment Full market and festival booth setups POS terminals Internet router, etc. All inventory owned by the business: Teas Sugar Spices Other miscellaneous ingredients Cans Bottles Labels Other packaging materials, etc. To learn more review the sale sheet at BusinessesForSale or email Alison at [email protected]. Podcast Alison shares the story of Stargazer Kombucha in this exclusive Booch News interview. The post For Sale: Stargazer Kombucha, Albuquerque, New Mexico appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is the first episode in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. The Preview appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Decades before the year 2100 the processed food industrial complex implodes when synthetic biology renders traditional agriculture obsolete. Corn subsidies vanish as vertical farms produce superior nutrition. High-fructose corn syrup becomes economically unviable compared with  living beverages that actively improve health metrics. Corporate executives desperately pivot into fermentation, but their sterile facilities can’t compete with distributed home-brewing networks. This episode follows Maria Vasquez, a former BigSoda executive, as she witnesses her empire crumble while underground kombucha kollectives thrive in abandoned shopping malls. Maria Vasquez: A Portrait of Corporate Extinction Maria Vasquez climbed the corporate ladder at BigSoda for thirty-seven years, from a quality control intern at the Fresno bottling plant in 2009 to Senior Vice President of Global Beverage Innovation by 2041. Born to migrant farmworkers in California’s Central Valley, she embodied the American Dream—her Stanford MBA and ruthless market instincts transformed her into BigSoda’s most formidable executive. Maria orchestrated the Cola Wars 2.0, crushing craft beverage startups and acquiring kombucha pioneers like GT’s Living Foods with the goal of scaling them internationally. Her corner office in BigSoda Tower overlooked the Mississippi River, but by 2046, she stared at quarterly reports that defied comprehension. Revenue hemorrhaging. Market share evaporating. The ultra-processed food industrial complex was imploding as innovative biology has rendered traditional agriculture obsolete. Corn subsidies—the foundation of her empire—vanished overnight when vertical farms began producing superior nutrition at a fraction of the cost. High-fructose corn syrup became economically unviable compared to living beverages that actively improved consumer health metrics in real-time. The Transformation Crisis Maria’s deepest fear wasn’t poverty—she had accumulated enough wealth to retire comfortably. Her terror was her irrelevance. She had spent decades crushing “hippie health drinks” only to watch them resurrect as biotechnology made her products look primitive. When her own daughter Sofia stopped drinking BigSoda after her neural implant flagged it as “biologically incompatible,” Maria knew the war was lost. Corporate desperation drove her to champion BigSoda’s $50 billion pivot to fermentation. Still, their sterile, centralized facilities couldn’t replicate the complex ecosystems and diverse biochemistry of home-brewing networks established in local communities. Every attempt to industrialize kombucha ultimately killed the living cultures that consumers demanded. Focus groups rejected BigSoda’s fermented cola hybrids as “dead water with bubbles.” Discovery in the Underground The scales lifted from her eyes when Maria, investigating competitive intelligence on the West Coast, discovered the Eastridge Mall Kollective—a thriving kombucha community in an abandoned California shopping center. Here, former tech workers, climate refugees, and unemployed factory workers had established a post-corporate economy based on SCOBY sharing and cooperative fermentation. The kollective’s leader, Dr. Kenji Nakamura (a former Genentech biotech researcher), showed Maria fermentation tanks growing in old department stores, their glass walls pulsing with bioluminescent cultures. These aren’t businesses—they’re living ecosystems that adapt to each member’s health needs. Maria watched teenagers trade SCOBY genetics like vintage vinyl records, their enthusiasm genuine in ways her focus groups never achieved. The Executive’s Epiphany Maria’s conversion came when she tastes a batch brewed specifically for her gut microbiome profile. For the first time in decades, a beverage made her feel genuinely better rather than just satisfying addiction. She realizes that BigSoda’s business model—creating dependency through sugar and caffeine—is evolutionarily obsolete. The future belongs to beverages that enhance rather than exploit human biology. Her final act in the corporate world was submitting a resignation letter recommending that BigSoda dissolve voluntarily and donate its assets to fermentation cooperatives. The board fires her via an encrypted Signal message while she’s still in the mall, but Maria doesn’t care. She was already negotiating with Nakamura about converting BigSoda’s abandoned Fresno plant into a kombucha monastery. Personal Stakes and Transformation Maria transformed from corporate warrior to biological pilgrim. Her most significant challenge isn’t mastering fermentation—it’s abandoning thirty y

Inspired by the recent Stanford Fermented Food Conference, I imagined outlandish futures:that ultra-processed foods are a thing of the past; that crops are grown indoors after climate change devastates farmlands; that absolutely everyone makes home-brewed kombucha. This is a preview of a series about possible futures that will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. New episodes drop every Friday. Introduction: The World of 2100 It’s 2100, and kombucha? It flows from a worldwide network of fermentation vats. The Great Health Awakening of 2047 shattered BigSoda’s duopoly when personalized medicine proved that individual gut microbiomes determined optimal beverage choices. Corporate monocultures collapsed as distributed fermentation networks—powered by AI mycologists and quantum-enhanced SCOBYs—delivered custom-brewed probiotics directly to consumers based on their biometric profiles. Climate refugees discovered that kombucha cultures thrive in vertical hydroponic gardens, making it one of the most sustainable beverages on a warming planet. What began early in the 21st Century as a hipster health drink evolved into humanity’s primary liquid interface with symbiotic biotechnology. In the Beginning: 2025 We sit here in 2025 at the apex of a global industrial civilization. Billions have been lifted out of poverty. In the developed world, living standards and life expectancy are at levels that were unimaginable 75 years ago. In 1950, there were no color televisions, smartphones, electric cars, PCs, or microwave ovens. I was born in the England of the 1950’s, at a time when rationing of food and gasoline was still in place. The polio vaccine had not been discovered. We had a limited diet, and without a refrigerator in the kitchen, my Mum shopped daily for vegetables, bread, and milk. Even in the USA, the land of plenty, there were only around 3,000 products in a typical supermarket. Seventy-five years later, by 2025, the number of SKUs had reached 26,000—dramatic developments in one lifetime. What will the world be like in the year 2100, 75 years from now? When today’s toddlers are as old as I am today. What changes will have occurred in the economy, society, and the climate? What scientific breakthroughs?  What will our diets be like? Our nutrition? Our beverage choices? Today, kombucha producers, both home brewers and commercial brands, are in the minority. Even in the hipster communities of Santa Monica, Marin County, and Hackney Wick, most people have never tasted kombucha. Back in 1950, no one, except for those with Russian grandmothers who kept a jar of ‘booch in the kitchen, had even heard of kombucha. But imagine, for a moment, what it would be like if everyone drank ‘booch as regularly as they consume beer or wine, coffee, or tea today. What would the world of 2100 be like if this happened? What developments in science, production, and consumer awareness would usher in such a world?  Are there any seeds of change that have been planted today that we can, with intelligent scenario planning, project into the future? What is there in the kombucha market today that augur changes in global acceptance? What scenarios of a speculative look 75 years ahead can help commercial kombucha companies make better decisions today? Is this even possible? This is a story of possibilities. Prelude: The Morning Commute The sun rose over San Francisco Bay in 2025. Maya ducked into the corner store before catching the ferry to work in the City. Checking the cooler, her eyes skimmed past the bright reds and neon blues of soda cans, the bottles of beer, the plastic jugs of sweet tea. Finally, she spotted what she was looking for. On the lowest shelf, half hidden, sat three lonely bottles of kombucha. She picked up a couple of ginger-lemon flavors, wincing at the cost, and wondered how long this small brand would last. Maya tucked them carefully into her bag. As she stepped back into the foggy morning, she felt again the strange double life she lived—part of a culture invisible to most, yet deeply nourishing to her. On the Sausalito ferry, most of the commuters clutched coffee cups or colas. Maya unscrewed the cap, a slight hiss escaped, and she savored the rising scents—lemon bright, ginger sharp. “What’s that?” a man asked, eyeing her drink as if it might explode. “Kombucha,” she said, smiling. “Fermented tea. It’s full of probiotics, good for your gut health. Gives you energy without the crash.” He squinted, confused. “Tea that…ferments? Like beer?” She nodded. “Kind of, but…” But he had already turned back to his donut, dismissing her explanation as if it were a fad too complicated to matter. Maya sighed and sipped anyway. The fizz sparkled on her tongue. To her, kombucha was alive, a tiny rebellion in a world dulled by sugar and alcohol. Maya had given up hoping that the refreshment bar on the ferry would stock kombucha. Neither did most of the cafes, bars, and restaurants in the City. Onc

MOMO kombucha was in the news recently after securing an additional £2 million in investment funds. I ask co-founder Josh Puddle about the history and plans for his company. Origins In May 2016, Josh was somewhere over the North Atlantic, on a flight from London to New York, when his girlfriend, now wife, Lisa, started telling him about gut health. She claimed that there was a new drink in the States called “kombucha” that had become popular. At the time, as I had discovered, it was almost entirely unknown in the UK. They went to a Whole Foods in Manhattan and were astounded by the amount of kombucha in the cooler, it was “meters wide, floor to ceiling, loads of brands, loads of flavors. And we absolutely loved the stuff.” Josh shared what happened next. When we returned to London, we did nothing about it for about seven months. Although obviously, the idea was percolating away. At Christmas, we were back at my parents’ house. And I was feeling particularly fed up with my corporate job. I’d been in the City for ten years. I’d learned a considerable amount, but I had always had this yearning to do my own thing. So I went online and I bought Hannah Crumb’s Big Book of Kombucha and a £30 kombucha-making kit. When Lisa and I got home, we brewed our first-ever batch on New Year’s Day, 2017. And I just completely fell in love with the process of making it. From the beginning, the company was built on Lisa’s unwavering belief that it had the potential to be something truly remarkable. Even the name was inspired by her favorite children’s book. They spent almost two years building the foundations of the company: developing their recipe, branding, and website. Josh returned to the States on a fact-finding visit to Los Angeles, where he met Hannah Crum, who consulted on starting the business. Process From day one, their mission has been simple: to make the UK’s best kombucha. That meant keeping it raw, completely unfiltered, and brewed the traditional way. They ferment in hundreds of small nine-liter glass jars, which are pumped into a brite tank before being bottled. MOMO utilizes high-quality ingredients and artisanal brewing methods, incorporating organic teas and slow-pressed juices. The brand’s commitment to producing raw, unfiltered kombucha not only enhances flavor but also maximizes health benefits, appealing to health-conscious consumers. In fact, in a 2024 test of kombucha commercially available in the UK, fermentation experts and citizen scientists Jo Webster and Caroline Gilmartin discovered that “The only commercial kombucha we tested that behaved like a real kombucha was MOMO.” The operation has grown from a husband-and-wife team to a team of 26. From shipping 400 bottles a week when they started, to 50,000 bottles a week today. Last year MOMO was named to the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list. Funding The recent £2 million funding round, supported by 24 angel investors including Jez Galaun, co-founder of Brixton Brewery, will be used to enhance production capacity through a larger brewery facility and the acquisition of new equipment. This latest investment boosts MOMO’s total funding to £4.5 million. The funds will enable them to significantly scale their production capacity, which has been a limiting factor since the brand’s launch, and continue to enhance the quality of their kombucha offerings. Flavors They sell a core range of four flavors: ginger lemon, elderflower, turmeric, and raspberry hibiscus. They are known for a number of seasonal specialties, and take the time to visit the locations where ingredients originate. Josh is passionate about these sources and delights in meeting the suppliers. They work with seasonal produce supplier Natoora. Watermelon Unless you’ve tried one of Zerbinati’s Sentinels, you’ve never tasted a watermelon with such intense, concentrated flavour. That depth comes from careful control. Watermelons are adapted to soak up as much water as they can – and too much leads to dilution. On the clay-rich soils of his farm in Sermide, Oscar Zerbinati shields the plants from rain and raises the best fruits onto mounds so excess water drains away. Smaller fruits are removed, allowing each plant to channel its energy into one. The result is very large (up to 18kg!), watermelons with a punchy sweetness. A perfect match for unfiltered kombucha. Blood Orange and Green Mandarin We flew out to Sicily, met Carmelo and his family took us for an amazing tour through the groves where we were just ripping oranges off the trees, ripping them open and eating them, squeezing them into our mouths. It was an amazing experience. And we got taken out for a big, big Sicilian dinner that night. And he also does these amazing mandarins. For our winter seasonal flavor we use his green mandarins. They’re harvested before they’re ripe. Most of the flavor is in the skin of the fruit. And that’s my

Curro Polo is currently pursuing an industrial PhD in the Basque Culinary Center program, with the academic guidance of Harvard University. His research project is taking place at Ama Brewery, where he is on the R&D team with Chef Ramón Perisé Moré who we interviewed recently. Curro is exploring the fascinating world of microbiology as it applies to beverages. We’d met at the 2024 KBI conference in Reno, Nevada, where Curro and I were both Kombucha Kup judges. At that time, he was finishing up his Master’s in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Harvard. I reported on his Master’s thesis, Kombucha: A Word on Metamorphosis, in March 2025. Curro has launched a campaign to fund the first experiments of his PhD project: Open Flavor: Modeling Fermentation Through Open Science. The goal is to scale and model fermentation processes for the No/Lo (low and no alcohol) beverage category using open science and open source tools. The idea is to rethink fermentation beyond traditional beer and wine, exploring substrates like teas, and to make all methods, data, and tools openly available. He will utilize platforms such as the Pioreactor, an open source mini bioreactor. Expanding the cluster will enable him to conduct stronger, reproducible experiments that benefit both science and industry. The Pioreactor The Pioreactor is an affordable and user-friendly bioreactor that is flexible and easy to scale. It’s an open source tool for controlled micro-fermentations where variables such as pH, oxygen, temperature, and agitation can be precisely managed. Micro-fermentations of 20ml not only provide fast, cost-effective, and reproducible data generation but also create a foundation for predictive models that can be scaled to industrial production. This approach brings both scientific rigor and competitive advantages to the No/Lo industry. A bioreactor is basically a machine that helps you to create an environment where you can control temperature, the movement, or whatever liquid is inside. You can also control what kind of other liquids you would put in the liquid for a pumping system. And then it also has a system, which is called optical density, that it measures how fast your cells are growing in that liquid, right? Because there’s many ways to approach fermentation, right? How I like to imagine fermentation is like a system, there’s a box and in that box you have a liquid, and that liquid has different compounds. Initial work will focus on three non-Saccharomyces yeasts relevant for No/Lo beverages. We will systematically vary temperature, pH, oxygen, stirring speed, and tea substrate to assess strain performance. Growth curves and CO₂ production, measured directly in the Pioreactor, will provide high-resolution insights into metabolic activity and fermentation dynamics. These datasets will support the first generation of predictive models, later validated against 500 L and 2000 L fermentations to test reproducibility and scalability. Positive and negative controls will anchor results, ensuring the models capture strain-specific behavior and guide cost-effective, science-based innovation in the No/Lo sector. The fermentation is studied in 40 ml vials, where 10-30 ml of liquid ensures the liquid-air interface is optimized and tubing remains clear of the liquid. Crowdfunding success! Curro reached his goal of $2,564 on September 22, allowing him to expand the current cluster from nine Pioreactors to 15, and conduct experiments with five variables in triplicate. Here’s his description of the project: The whole idea of the project is not to create a product but rather to test a statistical model. You can think of any mixed fermentation as a party where different guests are wearing unique perfumes. If I had a sensor that could detect each perfume, I could assume which guest is doing what and maybe even predict their behavior. I will give you an example with a very reduced consortia: Imagine you have a sweet tea with a yeast strain (that produces CO₂) and also a bacterial strain (let’s assume that it only produces lactic acid). Well, if I ferment the tea with 10g/L of glucose and take samples at the end of the fermentation (where there is 0g/L of glucose left), I can start drawing hypotheses. If the pH was very high, then the CO₂ must be very high as well (more glucose went into CO₂ production by yeast rather than into acid production by bacteria) etc… the key goal is to give a unique “ID” card to each microorganism, to see their behavior during the experiment in terms of activity (more activity of “x” microorganism means more flavor development of “x” compound).  The ultimate goal is to develop a system through the Pioreactors that could be potentially implemented in other laboratories, breweries, and so on, and to predict and model fermentation. However, the campaign still has 28 days to go, and any additional funds that are donated (hint!)

Ama Brewery produces a pét-nat tea brewed using local spring water from the Izarraitz Massif in the Basque Country, and high-quality tea and herbs. Pét-nat, an ancient method of making sparkling wine, is short for pétillant naturel, where the wine is bottled while it’s still undergoing its first fermentation, capturing the carbonation from the remaining yeast and sugar that creates bubbles and the structure inside the bottle–a process generally thought to have originated in Limoux, in France’s Languedoc, as far back as the 16th century. The brewery team of fine dining chefs, artisan wine makers, scientists, craftsmen, and tea expert Henrietta Lovell, is proud of producing sophisticated, low-alcohol drinks. At 1.5 and 2.7ABV, it’s high enough to be taxed as an alcoholic drink. The current research scientist, Curro Polo, who we interviewed in March, works with co-founder and chef Ramón Perisé Moré of Mugaritz Restaurant, San Sebastian. I met co-founder, Chef Ramón Perisé Moré at the recent Stanford Fermented Food Conference, where he updated me on developments at Ama Brewery. Ramón runs the R&D department of Mugaritz and is passionate about natural yeasts and spontaneous fermentation. When a German kombucha enthusiast sent him his first SCOBY through the mail, he started exploring the possibilities. Some of his early bottles exploded after he inadvertently left them to age for several weeks, and he realized that aging was the key. Those that remained had reached the point of excellence he was looking for. We believe the future of drink pairings in restaurants will challenge the status quo. Low and non-alcoholic alternatives have become part of traditional wine pairings and have given mixologists more to play with. Our bottle-aged kombucha is as complete a drinking experience as any fine wine, beer, or sake. Less alcohol – more experience. Method What began as a guerrilla group of friends brewing new-wave, aged kombucha in a garage lock-up on a San Sebastian back street, evolved into a fully-fledged R&D facility. Using high-quality tea and herbs, Ama pét-nat tea is brewed with pure Basque mountain water. Its exceptionally low minerality highlights the complex flavors developed during fermentation. Depending on the composition of these infusions and the action of the SCOBYs, the micro-batches are ready for bottling between one and three weeks later, when simple sugars, yeasts, and bacteria have achieved the right balance. The closed environment of the bottle means the bacteria are starved of air and are unable to acidify the drink excessively. The yeasts, meanwhile, continue turning simple sugars into bubbles. As the bubbles mature they decrease in size, becoming more integrated into the liquid. Aromas intensify, flavors harmonize, and the mouthfeel becomes silky. The micro-batch kombucha is released to market after a minimum of six months of bottle-aging at room temperature, when it has become more rounded and each infusion has developed a distinct character, resulting in an exceptional drinking experience. The resulting Amas are lightly sparkling, richly flavored, and elegant – an expression of the terroir and craftsmanship that go into them.It is an ambient beverage that doesn’t need to be kept cool, as it is filtered to delay fermentation. Water is key Ama Brewery emphasizes that water is a key ingredient. We believe in a terroir of water consisting of an environment, a geology, a climate, a culture and ways of doing things that only happen in this place and time and have been gradually moulded over the centuries. The plants we use to create our drinks express the regionality of the places they come from: sencha tea from Shizuoka, in Japan, lemongrass from Sri Lanka, green tea from Malawi, milk oolong from Taiwan… grown by people who, despite the great distances and cultural differences, share the same vision vis-à-vis sustainability, ecological agriculture and the search for taste. However, it is water, the element that makes up 95% of our pét-nat tea, that – as happens with the kuras in Japan – anchors us in our own land, linking us through it to the foothills of the massif of Izarraitz, where we work and live with that mountainous, marine and karstic landscape in which small farmers, stockbreeders and fisherfolk lay the basis for the culinary identity of the entire country. Kombucha Ama sells small batch varieties in 750ml champagne-style bottles priced from Euro 24 to 35 ($28 to $41), but doesn’t actually market their beverage as ‘kombucha’. We don’t call it kombucha. So the word kombucha appears in the back label, in the third or fourth line. We try to stay away from the word kombucha because, as I said, the expectations that we can create about what’s inside the bottle. We made a label that you cannot see because we understand that we made a beverage that doesn’t exist! So that was the idea. Some people think that it was a mistake to make a bottl

Origins Nirraj Satish Manek and his wife, Kajall, teamed with his friend and partner, Chef Niyati Rao of Ekaa, a Mumbai fine-dining restaurant, who introduced him to kombucha. His 18-year career at financial behemoths Citibank, H&R Block, and elsewhere gave him the background to spot untapped opportunities. From his first sip of kombucha, he wondered why this natural, gut-friendly beverage wasn’t readily available in India. SBOOCH was launched in July 2024 and, within a year, was named ‘Kombucha of the Year’ at the London Beer Competition for their Rasam flavor in the non-alcoholic category. Production and distribution Production is outsourced to a third-party in Pune. Nirraj has refused to compromise on quality, even if it meant tighter budgets and slower scaling. By forging smart partnerships and maintaining lean operations, they have captured shelf space at an unexpectedly fast pace. People can order from their website for pan-India shipping (free for orders above Rs 1,500) and also from Amazon India and Blinkit. Over the next three years, they plan to expand distribution to every major Indian city and enter select global markets. They are in a new funding round to support those plans. The US and Canada are a big market for kombucha. And we are in the process of penetrating that market, as well as a few Asian markets and the UK, because of the UK and India tie-up. We are trying to take advantage of that as well. These are the three major markets we are looking at. Marketing Instead of bombarding consumers with jargon, the SBOOCH team took a grassroots approach — organizing free tastings, using familiar flavors to ease people in, and telling stories that connected kombucha to India’s own fermentation traditions. The early days were not without challenges. The biggest? Educating the market. For many Indians, fermented drinks either belonged to the realm of home remedies or were dismissed as “acquired tastes.” SBOOCH is marketed as a lifestyle drink aimed at what Nirraj sees is “a huge gap in a $1.6 trillion beverage landscape globally, where you and I can’t even name one beverage except kombucha which someone can pick from the shelf, and is completely clean and unadulterated.” On the one hand, potential customers range “from a five-year-old toddler to a 95-year-old senior and above, who can enjoy it guilt-free.” On the other hand, the category leaders in terms of adoption are Gen Zs and Millennials. In today’s world, a 50-year-old, a 60-year-old, or a 40-year-old in the house might not be exposed to the external developments in terms of food and beverages as much as Gen Z is. So they are the carriers of our brand, any new brand. That is a core target, and as we all know, this generation is one of the healthiest, aspiring generations. They are the most non-alcoholic consuming generation over the last century, based on the data. Their Instagram has content that appeals to the younger generation. Bollywood actor and fitness icon Sunil Shetty is a brand ambassador. Flavors With just 1–4g of sugar per 100ml, and an ambient shelf life of up to 18 months, achieved by filtration, with no chemicals or preservatives, SBOOCH is a balance of flavor, wellness, and reach that gives the brand an edge in both the Indian and international markets. Chef Niyati’s handcrafted blends celebrate the rich regional flavors of India. Naga Pepper (Nagaland), is a foraged (not farmed) green pepper ingredient is a hybrid of Asian flavors such as Kaffir Lime and Sichuan. Rice & Pandan’s (Odisha), “The Aromatic”, highlights include “Annapurna Ke Patte” which is what pandan leaves are often called in Odisha. Witness how rice and pandan, two mainstays of the eastern state, combine in a bottle. Tulsi Lemon (Uttar Pradesh), “The Sacred” is inspired by the “Panchamrit” of Varanasi. The light bitterness of tulsi is masked by its herby notes and balanced by the perfect citrus of local lemons. Rasam  (Tamil Nadu), “From the kitchens of south,” is inspired by the original Madurai Rasam. This well-known flavor is neither too sour, nor too spicy but just right with its blend of tomato, hing, tamarind and earthy spices. Koshimbir (Maharashtra), “A salad in a bottle,” is inspired by its namesake, the household Maharashtrian accompaniment, made using tomato, cucumber & coriander. Gor Keri (Gujarat), “Straight from Nani’s house.” An additive staple in Gujarati pickle, this flavor captures the essence of the sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy Gor Keri. We have Chef Niyati, and because of her, we were able to create these amazing flavors, which people have never experienced in a bottle before. That is the unique thing, transforming an ingredient-based restaurant into an ingredient-based beverage that touches base with the Indian palate. All ingredients used in SBOOCH are real; there are no nature-identical flavors. We use only all-natural, real ingredients. Podcast Nirraj s

Robin Singh had everything he wanted and more—well-settled in the US, financial freedom, married to the love of his life—except he was not happy. It was in his pursuit of happiness that he stumbled across his purpose. He found what he had been looking for when he started Peepal Farm, an animal rescue center and kombucha brewery. Peepal Farm is an animal rescue organization and an organic farm located in Dhanotu Village, Himachal Pradesh, with the primary objective of healing and protecting animals and transforming their suffering. The project employs 60 people in projects that include animal rescue, animal sanctuary, food and beverage products, and an animation studio. The animation studio produces short clips to raise awareness of their vision and bring lasting change by changing how people think about animals. They have 50 to 80 million views monthly. Founding philosophy The founder’s philosophy is stated on their website: Live to do maximum good; live while causing minimum harm. It’s our understanding that involuntary physical suffering is an absolute bad across all species; so reducing suffering and nurturing changes that reduce suffering is absolutely good. This philosophy is explained in more detail in the newly published book Happiness Happens–the story of Robin’s journey from a difficult childhood in India to finding success as a tech entrepreneur in the States, who had everything in life except happiness. It was in his pursuit of happiness that he stumbled across purpose. It eventually took giving up on happiness and pursuing purpose before he realized that he had finally found what he had been looking for back in his homeland. The book describes what happened between his exit from his tech company and his use of the funds to start Peepal Farm. Products As part of a quest to reach more people, spread their message, and support their program, Robin launched Peepal Farm Products. Starting with farm-grown herbs, the product line gradually expanded into a range of categories with a major aim in mind — to generate more employment for women and income for work with animals. Peepal Farm Products employs women of the village to make the products by hand. The team creates everything from vegan food to upcycled decor, skincare products, and delicious kombucha. They sell a range of nutritious foods all prepared in small batches: Crunchy Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Spread, Vegan Snack, Vegan Muesli, Vegan Energy Bars, Vegan Body Butter Lavender, and Flourless Chocolate Cookies Sweetened with Dates and Jaggery. There are gift baskets and individual items for sale. With an ethos of “Consume less, harm less”, they even encourage people NOT to buy their products! Indeed, they are one of the premier suppliers of SCOBYs and starter liquid for home brewers, allowing them to start enjoying their own kombucha rather than purchasing commercial. They have recipes and how-tos for almost everything they sell on social media. But for people who don’t have the time for that, they can buy the products knowing that they minimize waste and packaging, and all of the profits go towards saving animals. Kombucha A blend of cane sugar, black tea, and purified Himalayan water is fermented over a week or two, and shipped pan-India in plastic bottles, which are safer and easier to send than glass. The label tells the story. The kombucha is shipped pan-India and can be ordered from their website. It’s also available in selected retail outlets in the Kangra region. In keeping with their founding philosophy, the purpose of the product sales, including kombucha, is to raise awareness of their cause, not just to generate income. The animals are the ultimate beneficiaries of the sales. Podcast Robin shares the story of Peepal Farm in this interview. The post Profile: Peepal Farm, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India appeared first on 'Booch News.

Suyra Prakash was introduced to kombucha while living in Denver, Colorado, in 2017, and he brought back a taste for it to India. However, he was unable to find good kombucha, so he started brewing it at home, working for a year until he got it right. His friends encouraged him to start selling. But Surya was not satisfied. His goal was to create a low-sugar kombucha that would still appeal to the Indian palate. Finally, at the end of 2021, he launched Heaven’s Elix, selling an authentic kombucha based on a green and black tea base. I was not able to find a good product. I was unable to get good kombucha at an affordable rate anywhere. Either it was too expensive and good, or it was affordable and bad. So I decided to make my own at home and provide it to people in similar situations like mine. That’s how Heaven’s Elix Kombucha came about. Their kombucha is brewed in five-liter glass jars. They have now grown to employ three people and ship pan-India. We don’t filter our kombucha; ours is a live kombucha. We have worked with the delivery partner. They can ship pan-India within three to four days maximum. During shipping, it carbonates itself. We store it at the right temperature, and we have cold storage here. So we ship it at the right fermentation level. So once it travels, it carbonates on the go. And once you get it in your home, you let it sit it for one or two hours, get all the bubbles settled down, and then you have a physical kombucha in your hand. Customers Among the customers they meet at farmers’ markets are different groups. Some are health-conscious people into yoga or other fitness regimens. Then there are people avoiding processed foods or reducing sugar, counting calories with every meal. Another groups are the people who want a different type of cocktail or mocktail, which they can make with kombucha. Surya has seen changes in customer acceptance over the past four years: For the first two years we were in business, it was difficult. More than 50% of the people did not know what kombucha was. And the ones who knew, they were like, “Kombucha is not really my type of cup of tea. I’ve had kombucha before, I don’t like this.” But those are the people who I try to catch, and I try to give them a sample. And once they tried it, okay, this is better than the last one I had. But for the last two years, more people are learning about it. Now people are starting to know more about it and acceptance is growing. Flavors They offer a wide range of flavors, including: Original OG – crisp, clean, classic kombucha. Lavender Calm – floral, aromatic, smooth. Sulaimani Pop – our spiced rebel, brewed like the tea you grew up on. Hibiscus Hit – tart, punchy, unapologetically red. Rose Reverie – delicate, romantic, nostalgia in every sip. Hops Hype – bold, bitter, a craft brew twist you didn’t see coming. Inspired by the IPA Surya tasted in Colorado. Sulaimani and Hops are the best sellers. Cans To facilitate shipping they have recently added kombucha in 250ml cans. These are currently on offer at a discount of Rps 518 for a 4-pack (usually Rps 740). The company pays the shipping costs. Kimchi and Almond Cookies Their kimchi is very popular. Spicy, crunchy, and authentically crafted. It was developed in response to customer demand. They also make two types of cookies. The Almond Cookies are nutty and sweet; the Butter Cookies use farm-fresh butter. We are selling our cookies, using the proceeds to fund our kombucha. Since we are completely bootstrapped, we are not taking any money from outside. Cookies are easy to sell. Kombucha, you have to basically hold people and then you have to pour it in their mouth. But cookies, they will just sell like hot cakes. Classes They’ve offered classes in home brewing for the past year and have trained over 100 people, Join us for an interactive, hands-on workshop where you’ll learn the secrets of making your own fizzy, flavorful, and gut-friendly kombucha from scratch. What to Expect:• Tasting Session: 20 mins – Try different kombucha flavors• Brewing Session: 40 mins – Learn how to brew from scratch• Q&A: 20-30 mins – Get your kombucha questions answeredTake Home With You:1️⃣ A bottle of original kombucha (enjoy or use as a starter)2️⃣ Instruction sheet to guide your future brews3️⃣ Excel sheet to track your kombucha batches Podcast Listen to the podcast to hear Surya tell the story of Heaven’s Elix. The post Profile: Heaven’s Elix, Chennai, India appeared first on 'Booch News.

Honey Islam authored the recent 3-part Guest Post on Booch News How the New Indian Government Tax Reform Punishes Beverage Startups, which raised concerns about a 40% tax the Indian Government plans to impose on kombucha. This Profile and podcast interview tells the story of her company. Origins The story of Mountain Bee Kombucha began in 2016, at the very first Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa. What started as a much-needed break from work became a turning point. At a workshop at the festival, Honey Islam, the founder of Mountain Bee Kombucha, first learned about what she called the “strange ferment” known as kombucha. She did not get a chance to drink it, but she was intrigued. Months later in Dallas, Texas she spotted bottles of kombucha lining the shelves at Whole Foods and tasted it for the first time. She then volunteered at a fermentation workshop in San Francisco led by chef Anne Marie Bonneau. She gifted Honey a piece of her SCOBY that she brought back to Bangalore. Reviving it took time and effort, and it barely survived the trip. But when it did, it felt like magic. What began on a kitchen countertop slowly turned into a mission: to craft authentic, small-batch kombucha in India, with the same intention and wonder she felt in that first perfect sip. Mountain Bee Kombucha was born in 2018. At her first weekend at an area farmers’ market, she sold all 50 bottles in the first two hours. She now has a team of six and sells 5,000 liters of kombucha a month, depending on the season, which is fermented in 300-liter stainless steel containers. Production We source and ferment only the very best whole-leaf teas, working closely with trusted growers who share our passion for quality. All sample teas are carefully fermented, and only those that meet our highest standards of flavour and balance make it into our production process. From bold blacks to complex oolongs, every tea brings its own personality to the brew. Our brewing techniques extract their full expression, setting a strong foundation for the flavour complexity that we strive to achieve. We produce in small batches from brew to bottle, never outsourcing any part of our process. This hands-on, craft-driven approach ensures that every bottle reflects our standards, stories, and soul. Environmental savings Mountain Bee has diverted over 50,000 bottles from landfills. Our major contributor to the savings is our B2B partners. So unlike a lot of retail bottles that go one-way from the production house to the customer’s house, when we’re dealing with the businesses, we actually use returnable kegs and returnable bottles with our business partners. We don’t give them our retail bottles. So that’s the kind of ecosystem we’re trying to build and save on unnecessary packaging where we can. Customers are able to enjoy our fresh kombucha on tap, and enjoy different flavors that don’t see the retail shelves. Taproom The Mountain Bee Kombucha taproom is an extension of their brewery, a space dedicated to kombucha enthusiasts, gut health and fermentation. Tucked away in the by-lanes of Indiranagar, it is a one-of-a-kind place to experience kombucha. Visitors can sample taproom-only flavors during a guided tasting where they learn about ingredients, fermentation techniques, and the art of non-alcoholic brewing. In addition to tastings, they offer Mixology workshops and Kombucha Brewing classes. I felt that in order to build a community, we need to engage participants, not just as customers of kombucha, but also as practitioners themselves. Unless and until you know your product from that level, you wouldn’t understand or you wouldn’t want to consume it in the long run. So my motto for conducting workshops and tastings was to let people into the world of fermentation, into the world of kombucha, and tell them how amazing microbes and probiotics and natural fermentation could be. Flavors We take a creative approach to our flavoring process, inspired by stories, memories, and a deep respect for ingredients. Each flavour is thoughtfully developed to highlight the complexity of ingredients in their fermented form rather than cover up the funk. Whether inspired by a season, a place, or a moment, our blends aim to evoke a feeling as much as a flavour. The Original Booch: Crafted with Darjeeling’s finest Oolong, often called the Champagne of teas. This is kombucha in its purest form. No added flavours. No distractions. Just a beautifully complex kombucha that lets the tea and the craft speak for itself. A classic for a reason. Food Pairing suggestion: Sandos, Sushi, Just by itself, ideally sipped in a flute. Vanilla Brown: Smooth and surprisingly complex. Vanilla brings a rich, velvety depth to our sweet-and-sour kombucha base. It’s not vanilla-flavoured, it’s the real vanilla. Food Pairing suggestion: Spicy biryani, onion samosa, cinnamon bun. Singer Ginger: Zesty pick-me-up for any time of day. With a bold ginger bi

Ezhil Mathy discovered kombucha in 2022 and started brewing small batches in her kitchen. She was guided by the recipes in Hannah Crum’s Big Book of Kombucha that she customized for the Indian palate. In May, 2024 she announced on Instagram that Dramila Kombucha was available in Chennai cafes and restaurants. She’s now outgrown her kitchen and ferments in 10 L glass jars in a dedicated space. She is a one-person artisanal producer. Chennai is one of India’s main cities with a population over over 12 million in the metro area. This makes it the fifth largest in the country. It’s located on the East coast, in South India. She sources her teas from the Nilgiri Hills plantations located around the town of Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Teas from here are known for briskness, referring to lively fragrant flavors, a quality attributed to the climatic growing conditions. Customers Ezhil has seen the popularity of kombucha in India grow among a range of people. There is a range of people trying kombucha. The younger crowd want non-alcoholic drinks. They’re not  even into drinking a lot of coffee, but they’re happy having a glass of kombucha. And then a lot of people working out at the gym, and for them this more like a post-workout drink. And I see a lot of people at the cafes, wanting to have kombucha because they feel it just helps their gut. For all of these different groups, what is very important is the taste. It’s a taste that just grows on you. I think people are just opening up to it. And when they try it they say, “Oh yeah, I really like it!” Flavors Ezhil delights in creating new flavors every month. Among the many she has listed: Pomegranate & Rose Apple Cinnamon Mango, Chili & Coconut Cherry Hibiscus & Ginger Orange & Christmas Spice Passion Fruit & Tender Coconut Blueberry Lemon & Ginger Rose, Kokum & Ginger Orange, Pineapple & Basil Coconut Water, Ginger, Lime & Chia Dragon fruit Nannari lemon Amla, Kaffir Lime & Ginger Many of these incorporate regional ingredients and celebrate Indian culture. My mango and cayenne pepper is a big hit. Vendors on Chennai’s East Coast Beach sell a snack called a Sundal, which has lentils and chickpeas spiced with a ginger-garlic-chili paste, coconut, and assorted toppings such as mango. So I picked out just one part of it and made a kombucha with mango, chili and tender coconut. I think it’s one of the best. Podcast Ezhil shares the story of Dramila Kombucha in this interview. The post Profile: Dramila Kombucha, Chennai, India appeared first on 'Booch News.

MAVI’s Pantry is a homegrown artisanal fermented food and beverage brand which makes gut-friendly functional products like kombucha, kimchi, kvas, ginger ale, kanji, and sauerkraut using local, seasonal and organic ingredients. They started with kombucha and it still is their flagship product. MAVI’s is named after Meenakshi and her husband Vikram (MA+VI) who started out making kombucha in their home kitchen. They began selling at local farmers’ markets, where they sold out on their first day. Since launching the business in 2017 they have seen steadily increasing demand and now have a team of twelve. Shark Tank While they were still a young company their appearance on the first season of the Indian version of Shark Tank in 2021 brought them national attention. Though their pitch was rejected by the “sharks” due to concerns over pricing and a belief kombucha was a narrow niche market, it gave them great exposure. Post-show, MAVI’s Pantry expanded aggressively—improving branding, retail shelf presence, listing on platforms like Amazon and taking online orders. The video of the episode (in Hindi) is available online. Distribution From those early days in farmers’ markets they now sell pan-India. Despite being a naturally fermented, unpasteurized product, they have overcome the challenge of the lack of a robust cold chain in the country. When we started, our idea was only to keep it in modern gourmet retail stores, A-plus stores as they are called. And because the clientele who shop there have refrigeration, it is not a problem. Retail stores, cafes, restaurants, and hotels are now our primary buyers. Yes, cold chain is a problem, but you know necessity is the mother of invention as they say, right? So we’ve figured out tweaks and hacks to make sure that we can deliver kombucha before it needs to be refrigerated. When you make kombucha it’s naturally carbonated, and there are about two or three days before it needs to be refrigerated and it gets self-carbonated. So we use that time as a hack to transport it anywhere we want. And usually we figured out that in say around 48 to 72 hours, we can deliver it anywhere in India. Customers Vikram sees three groups of customers interested in kombucha in India. We did an audience analysis when we were rebranding and we understood there were three different categories. One was the category where people were choosing fermented food because their doctors told them to eat healthy or their nutritionist told them to eat healthy or they figured out that fermented food was the way to go. The other one is people who are seeking low sugar, natural beverages, etc, in general, because let’s say if you want to have a beer, like you want something to drink in the evening every day and you think, okay, instead of beer, if I can have a kombucha, maybe it’s better because there’s no alcohol involved. So that’s the second category. The third one is the trending category, where people are drinking it just because kombucha is in. So I want to be cool and hence I drink kombucha every day. These are the three major categories. Then there are other people who want to try, who just want to just keep exploring and seeing what works for them, what doesn’t work for them and everything. But eventually they settle down in the first or the third category. Product range Beet kvass: tastes like kanji, the savory North-Indian fermented drink made with dark red carrots in winter. However, kanji is wild fermentation done by wild yeast in the air. MAVI’s beet kvass is made with the culture obtained from sauerkraut which has fermented for over 6-8 weeks and hence it is more potent than the traditional kanji. Ginger Ale is a a handcrafted, preservative-free, non-alcoholic beverage available in both Original and also Hibiscus flavors. Water kefir is a refreshing, bubbly elixir, fermented with organic cane sugar or jaggery, and available in Blue Pea Flower and Watermelon flavors. Kimchi is available in Vegan Cabbage and Vegan Radish versions, made without any animal products such as fish sauce found in other kimchis. Sauerkraut is available in a range of flavors: Original; Jain-friendly Classic Sauerkraut with aromatic ajwain seeds; Golden Sauerkraut infused with turmeric; and Beetroot-Carrot Kraut. Fermented veggies a tangy, probiotic-rich pickle mix fee of vinegar and preservatives. Honey-fermented garlic handcrafted in small batches to retain natural enzymes, probiotics, and the unique flavor of wild honey and garlic. Kombucha Their tea comes from Korakundah in the Nilgiri mountains of southern India which boasts of being the highest organic tea estate in the world at 8,000 feet above sea level. The estate, founded in the early 1900s, is a pioneer in sustainable and organic tea cultivation, holding Organic, Fair Trade, and Rainforest Alliance certifications, and produces distinctively flavored black and green teas known for their

An attendee at the Stanford Fermented Food Conference I wanted to meet was Aga Pokrywka the host of Ferment Radio, a fascinating and informative podcast series that began back in 2020 and has posted almost 50 episodes. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. It’s a podcast with a noble mission: Ferment Radio is a podcast series that takes you deep into the fascinating world of microbes. Through fermentation and transformation, we develop new recipes for living on a broken planet. Together with people from the most diverse backgrounds, including science, gastronomy, and arts, we reflect, discuss, and bubble along with microbes in order to give legacy to plural perspectives. By letting our thoughts and beliefs ferment in the brine of shared discourse, we look for transformative paths to multispecies justice and well-being. Like fermentation itself, a slow process that can turn the invisible into visible, the dialogues on Ferment Radio help us re-imagine societal transformations and rebuild relationships between species, people, disciplines and other notions we live by. Aga has hosted a wide range of guests. A random sample includes: Episode #49: Stanford Conference presenter Joshua Evans who leads the research group on Sustainable Food Innovation at the Danish Technical University’s Center for Biosustainability. Joshua was part of the team responsible for sending miso into outer space. Episode #38: Paulina Gretkierewicz, a forager, a fermenter, and a witch. She transforms seasons and landscapes around Copenhagen, Denmark into edible and drinkable experiences. She calls this “Applied Poetry”, which is also the name of her business, focused on handpicked, fermented, and oxidized teas. Episode #22: César Enrique Giraldo Herrera, author of Microbes and Other Shamanic Beings. He proposes that there is a much closer relationship between shamanic practices and microbiology than we could think. His work lays the foundations of an ethnomicrobiology. Episode #20: Fungi music with Tosca Teránof of the duo Nanotopia. She takes biodata from non-human organisms as mushroom’s mycelium and translates it into music. Episode #14: Stanford Conference presenter Aviaja Hauptmann, a microbiologist and Greenlandic Inuit who researches microbiomes of the fermented foods native to Greenland. She discusses the dietary and social prejudices around traditional Inuit meat consumption and its preservation.  Episode #1: Tara Whitsitt, a nomadic artist and educator whose passion for growing food and teaching fermentation inspired the grassroots educational project “Fermentation on Wheels”. Tara has been driving across the USA for over seven years, sharing starter cultures, the history and science of fermentation. The David Zilber Interview David Zilber is the acclaimed author of The Noma Guide to Fermentation and Stanford Conference host. He was Aga’s guest on Episode #36, June 2023. There are not that many people in the world who can say they have extensive hands-on experience working in different areas of that vast system. @david_zilber is definitely one of them. From a butcher shop in Toronto to the Fermentation Lab of the acclaimed restaurant @nomacph, and to the labs of @chr.hansen, a giant bioscience company in Hørsholm, Denmark, David Zilber has garnered multiple and fascinating perspectives on food and the system around it. Ferment Radio had the pleasure to talk with David in his own lab, where we reflected more about this incredible journey and his ever-evolving views on the food system that we are all part of. I’ve added a three-minute extract from that episode to give you a taste of Fermentation Radio. Podcast Tune into the Booch News podcast for my conversation with Aga at the Fermented Food Conference and the Zilber episode sample, The post Profile: Ferment Radio, with Aga Pokrywka appeared first on 'Booch News.

The two-day conference wrapped up Friday afternoon with a Fermentation Festival where attendees gathered in the courtyard of the Clark Center to sample food and beverages from a variety of vendors. Attendee Impressions I asked some of the attendees to share their impressions of the conference. The best thing about this conference is… it’s the most interesting conference I’ve ever been to, and that says enough. – Alain, Denmark The best thing about this conference so far has definitely just been the interchange of ideas between everyone. It’s good to see a whole bunch of people from the culinary side versus the academic side versus the industrial side of things all getting together and discussing how we can make fermented foods better and more accessible to everyone. – Matt, Fermented Food Holdings, Madison, WI My big takeaway from the conference is that we really learn and integrate information best with a group of really diverse people from different backgrounds and different experiences. – Lauren, Brooklyn, NY This conference has been incredibly refreshing to me. It’s one of the best conferences that I’ve actually ever been to. Really, that human storytelling element and the interface of the science, I think, is a key thing. – Jeremy, Western Ontario, Canada I’m a cancer epidemiologist, and my big takeaway from the conference is that fermented foods can potentially be beneficial for cancer outcomes, so I’m excited to follow that up in my research. – Armen, Tampa, FL. The most surprising thing I’ve heard about at the conference is that there’s no plant diet in the Arctic. – Elizabeth, Cork, Ireland I’m really inspired by this whole conference. I just learned so much about the interaction between insects and microbes, and that was really inspiring and made me think about what other kind of interactions like that there are around the world and throughout history. – Luke, Wild West Ferments, Marin County, CA  The most surprising thing I’ve heard at the conference is that miso was made in space. – Tim, Santa Cruz, CA I was super excited to hear people talking about the fact that fermented foods have such potential for health, but they also have to be delicious. – Maria, Oakland, CA The most surprising thing I’ve heard at the conference is the use of ants to produce yogurt. Very excited about that. – Nate, Palo Alto, CA The best thing about the conference is community. – Andrea, Monterrey, Mexico Podcast Hear what the attendees found of interest — from Arctic foods to ant yogurt there was something for everyone! The post Stanford Fermented Food Conference: Attendee Impressions appeared first on 'Booch News.

Mikaela Kasperek is a registered dietician with a PhD in nutritional sciences. Her research focuses on the health benefits of fermented foods, focusing on the role of microbial metabolites, particularly aryl-lactates. While existing evidence suggests fermented foods are beneficial (e.g., reduced inflammation, lower type 2 diabetes risk), the mechanisms remain unclear. Her presentation at the Stanford Fermented Food Conference was titled ‘Harnessing Microbial Metabolites in Fermented Foods to Improve Health‘. It addressed ways to increase the health benefits of fermented foods by adding specific compounds. Kasperek’s work highlights lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as key producers of immunomodulatory aryl-lactates (phenyllactic acid (PLA), 4-hydroxyphenylactic acid (4-HPLA), and indole-3-lactic acid (ILA)) from aromatic amino acids. While these metabolites are present in commercially available fermented foods, aryl-lactate concentrations vary significantly depending on food type and brand. These benefit our health in a number of ways. ILA increases monocyte chemotaxis and binds to the HCAR3 receptor, similar to PLA. Uniquely, ILA has also been found to bind the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). AHR is an evolutionarily conserved environmental sensor known to be highly implicated in the immune system response. The AHR is known to be impaired in chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and obesity. Reduced microbial activation of AHR has been identified as a feature of both syndromes. Thus, given the evidence that aryl-lactates are immunomodulatory, thy could be key to fermented food health benefits. Additions to benefit health Kasperek’s showed that adding citrate and/or alpha-ketoglutarate (which feeds into the citric acid cycle and accepts amine groups from aromatic amino acids) resulted in a “modest enhancement of our aryl-lactates, anywhere from 50 to 100 percent.” More impressive results were achieved: We took this one step further, and we wanted to see if adding the upstream aryl-pyruvates themselves can enhance the production of aryl-lactates. And we were excited to see that adding these aryl-pyruvates made the downstream aryl lactate robustly enhanced in the monocultures. For example, we can see that when we added indole pyruvate to an L. plantarum monoculture, we had about 11,000 percent increase in the production of ILA. These enhancement strategies were successfully applied to fermented foods including yogurt and sauerkraut. They showed robust increases in aryl-lactate production. In other words these additives significantly enhanced health benefits through specific interventions during fermentation. In summary: Fermented foods contain bioactive microbe-derived aromatic amino acid metabolites. Aromatic amino acid metabolism can be manipulated to increase aryl-lactates. Optimized food ferments increase human aryl-hydrocarbon receptor activity. Improving the health benefits of kombucha Having heard the presentation, I was curious to learn if these benefits could be applied to kombucha. Unfortunately, the research has not yet focused on this beverage. However, Mikaela speculates: There’s a lot more to learn about kombucha, which is known to be a beverage where more acetic acid bacteria predominant, and those bacteria aren’t known to have the enzymes to produce the metabolites we’re interested in, but the metabolites are still there. So even though kombucha is known to be more acetic acid bacteria predominant, and those bacteria aren’t known to have the enzymes to produce the metabolites we’re interested in, the metabolites are still there. Perhaps we can make a kombucha that has more lactic acid bacteria, so we can make more of these beneficial metabolites. And that could help with the overall health benefits of the drink itself. To learn more contact Mikaela at [email protected]. Disclaimer The information in this post is provided for informational purposes only, and readers should verify the accuracy by checking the source literature. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of this publication. Podcast Listen to the podcast for my interview with Mikaela where she addresses the opportunity to improve the health benefits of kombucha. The post Improving the Health Benefits of Fermented Foods appeared first on 'Booch News.

As with all foods, kombucha brewers are legally required to include nutritional information on their bottles and cans. The labels allow us to see the amount of calories and sugar in each brand. Fermented beverages like kefir and kombucha will often mention “gut health” or probiotic content. At the recent Stanford University Fermented Food Conference I spoke with two scientists about the accuracy, and even legality, of these claims. When “Added Sugar” disclosures don’t add up Breanna Metras has studied the nutrient quality and microbial contents of commercially fermented beverages in the United States. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the leading source of added sugar in the American diet, contributing to health problems such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Fermented beverages such as kombucha, kefir, and probiotic sodas are marketed as healthier alternatives. However, despite the increasing populatory of these fermented drinks, it’s not known how many of these fermented beverages contain significant amount of added sugar, potentially aligning them with the traditional cola’s and other sugar (or high fructose corn syrup) sweetened beverages. Breanna is currently conducting a comprehensive analysis of 735 commercially available fermented beverages available across the USA, including 423 brands of kombucha, 157 kefir, 120 probiotic sodas, 22 water kefir, and 13 tepache. These beverages were assessed for the amount of sodium, total carbohydrates, total sugars, and added sugars on a per serving basis. Products were also assessed for health claims and stated microbial ingredients. We found that most products were generally healthy in terms of amount of sodium compared to the recommended, the dietary recommendations for Americans, but that the total amount of carbohydrates and added sugars was not consistent, both in the kombucha category, as well as the fermented beverages as a whole. So it begs the question, are these products being analyzed accurately in terms of added sugar content, and do we need to give more attention to them in terms of labeling them as a healthy beverage or a sugar-sweetened beverage. Source: Breanna Metras Stanford Conference Poster. Used with permission. Truth in advertising Breanna’s research had previously focused on kefir. Her doctoral dissertation compared the microbial content of commercially available and home-made kefirs. She highlighted the misleading information and health claims on some brands of kefir. rRNA sequencing revealed significant microbial labeling inaccuracies and culturing techniques demonstrated there were fewer live microorganisms present at the time of opening than what the labels claimed. She co-authored a 2021 paper that assessed the label accuracy commercial of kefir products in terms of microbial composition and density. Our results demonstrate a moderate level of labeling accuracy for commercial kefir products intended for human consumption. Regulatory agencies and consumers must continue to scrutinize these products and demand a higher level of accuracy and quality. When her current research is published, it will be interesting to see what her findings are in terms of claims made by the 423 brands of kombucha. In her opinion, more conservative regulatory oversight is needed on claims that products may improve health and on the accuracy of added sugar disclosures. To find out more, I sought out one of the world’s leading experts on this topic. Government standards Professor Paul Cotter is the Head of Food Biosciences at Teagasc (the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority). He is a microbiologist with a focus on fermented foods. He co-authored a 2021 paper on fermented foods that outlines the scientific requirements that must be met for a beverage to be legitimately able to claim it is ‘probiotic’ or ‘gut friendly’ on the label. The paper makes clear that the science, and legal requirements, are often at odds with marketing claims. Fermented foods and beverages are sometimes characterized or labelled as “probiotic foods” or “contains probiotics”. These declarations might reflect efforts by manufacturers to communicate to consumers that living, health-promoting microorganisms are present in the product. However, as noted in a previous consensus statement, the term ‘probiotic’ should only be used when there is a demonstrated health benefit conferred by well-defined and characterized live microorganisms. The health benefit must, at least in part, be due to the live microorganisms and must extend beyond any nutritional benefit of the food matrix. For these reasons, the terms ‘fermented food’ and ‘probiotics’ cannot be used interchangeably To label a product as a probiotic fermented food with an additional stipulated health benefit, evidence of a strain-specific benefit from a well-controlled intervention study is required together with proven safety and confirmation of suffic

At the end of Day One of the Conference, after listening to more than a dozen experts offer insights into everything from the ways red ants are used as a traditional yogurt starter in rural Turkey, to why gastrophagy was an essential element in the Indigenous Greenlandic diet, and everything in between, it isn’t easy to report fully on all I’ve learned. However, a chance meeting over lunch, followed by a fascinating conceptual poster explanation, focused on kombucha. So, here’s a quick sample of the eclectic variety of topics addressed by attendees at the event. Meet Brooklyn-based Fayee Wong, tea connoisseur, certified water sommelier, kombucha fermentation AI enthusiast. I developed the interest from premium tea leaves with a focus on premium tea leaves to brew kombucha. I look into different teas, for example, green tea, yellow tea, pour, oolong tea, black tea, how they are different. Enabling AI Kombucha Fermentation Her poster proposed a potential use of AI to help monitor kombucha fermentation. Prototype Faye has created a working prototype of the AI system that you can play with. The four steps allow you to select type of water, tea, SCOBY health, and fermentation time then presents a flavor profile and name for the resulting kombucha. Podcast Listen to my conversation with Fayee about her wide-ranging interests. The post Stanford Fermented Food Conference: Fayee Wong appeared first on 'Booch News.

I met her in a club down in old SohoWhere you drink champagne and it tastes like Coca-ColaC-O-L-A, Cola — Lola, The Kinks Pascal Du Bois has been a fan of kombucha for many years, from the days when his French father made it when he was a boy. When his own daughter, Eloise was diagnosed with celiac disease he started making it at home. Now, 15 years later, he has launched ROBOT Kombucha, “The World’s Healthiest Cola”, sporting a name and branding designed to appeal to the youth market, but with multi-generational appeal:: We deduced that the fastest rising cases of gut health are around the 10-year-old age range. Common gut health problems are prevalent in 14-year-olds. And the group looking to actually actively do something about their gut health starts at about 18 years of age. So we know that the kombucha market therefore is stronger in the younger category. That doesn’t mean to say that the contents of the can should be any different . And the complexity of which we’ve made ROBOT, we know will appeal to all generations because it’s a remedy. It’s a genuine gut health fix. And so we know that the older generations are going to love it because it’s a great product. The A.I. Drink Pascal credits the origin of the brand name to the ‘robot’ he and friend used to reverse engineer the classic cola taste that they’ve created from natural, organic, ingredients. I called it robot because I had help from deep mind sophisticated artificial intelligence to help me decipher the flavors of Coca Cola. I was with a friend who’s very high up at a well known software company. We had flavor probes and the really interesting thing is that you can put flavor probes into products now and AI will give you the breakdown of the ingredients. Not just that, but they’ll give you the brand name of what you’re eating. So we had more than 40 different probes testing hundreds of different colas. I mean, all the brands, all the big brands and the small brands. We asked AI to then give us a breakdown of the types of ingredients we could use that would give us the same outcome, the same taste. [Of interest: The word ROBOT comes from the Czech word “robota”, meaning “forced labor” or “servitude”. It was introduced to the world by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his 1920 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots).] Shelf-stable ROBOT incorporates what is termed “postbiotic technology”, designed to last for the 18 month, un-refrigerated, shelf life of the product. Let me explain to you what postbiotics are. So postbiotics are the bioactive compounds produced during fermentation, including organic acids, enzymes, peptides, antioxidant molecules. In ROBOT kombucha, the 13 bacteria and four yeast strains create sophisticated network of postbiotic metabolites that remain active, even after the drink is consumed. I mean, these compounds, what do they do? They strengthen the gut barrier, reduce inflammation, they support immune function and protect against pathogens. They aid metabolic health by helping regulate blood sugar and lipid metabolization. What else they do? They promote a balanced gut pH, creating a healthier environment for native microbiota. They provide antioxidant protection, reducing oxidative stress in the body. So ROBOT’s postbiotic technology is groundbreaking. It leverages the synergy of multi-strain fermentation. They started with a range of different organic botanicals from which the flavor was extracted, then created a complex blend of more than a dozen types of bacteria and four strains of organic yeast. After fermenting for seven weeks they add a teaspoon of 100% organic honey, sourced from France, to each can. This mimics the familiar cola taste without added sugars or aspartame. The result is a healthy alternative designed to appeal to cola lovers. Online availability Currently offered online, at £24.00 for a 6-pack, ROBOT is available in Honey, Pineapple-Mango, and Cherry Cola flavors. Podcast Hear the full story about ROBOT Kombucha in this half-hour interview with founder Pascal Du Bois. The post Profile: ROBOT Kombucha, Chichester, UK appeared first on 'Booch News.

The UK’s original kombucha label, GO Kombucha, is up for sale. I first came across the brand back in November 2018 when I visited Liverpool. In October 2023, I interviewed founder Gary Leigh . You can find more information about the company’s background and history on the GO Kombucha website. Founder, Gary Leigh, writes: After 22-plus years paving the way and setting the standard for authentic kombucha tea sold commercially throughout the UK, the time feels right for me to move on to new challenges and adventures. I am delighted to say that I will be departing the business in rude health and I expect to finalize the sale in early 2026. GO Kombucha, established 2003, is not just any old kombucha.It’s the UK’s most respected and revered UK booch brand made for the sophisticated adult palate; 100% authentic kombucha transited in glass bottles over 22 years to a discerning clientele. The buyer will inherit a business that is debt free and fulfilling the demand for natural, lower sugar drinks, gut health, and can be drunk as an alternative to alcohol. If you are a start-up, the sale will include our entire equipment and material stock; from brewing vessels, 300L stainless steel kettles and a 700L brewing tank to material stock including reinforced packing cases and dividers. As part of the sale the equipment can be transported anywhere in the UK and set up in your designated workspace fitted with required number of power points, drainage, etc. to go. My head brewer and I will teach you our closely-guarded, finely-tuned and finessed process and scientifically evaluated secrets over the course of several days, enabling you to continue our fine tradition seamlessly, with on-hand advice just a phone call away. The value in GO Kombucha includes: Our IP, which includes our scientifically evaluated production process and recipe that ensures authentic kombucha that remains stable, even in cool temperatures… Our incredible story – including how it all began on a boathouse moored by the Thames in Teddington – 22 years of unblemished goodwill and our ethos; our highly regarded set of ethics that set us apart from any other brand… Consistent A/B business credit rating over 22 years with zero CCJs, an impeccable banking history. Our unabridged accounts for your scrutiny show 6 successive years of growth since 2018/19, with a turnover of £143k in 2024/25 (in 2021/22 when we withdrew from retail, turnover was £208k). Near-perfect Trust Pilot rating and Great Taste awards for all seven of our delicious varieties… 3,500 newsletter subscribers and an exceptionally loyal customer base that has enabled GO Kombucha to become the world’s first entirely DTC (direct to consumer) kombucha label… A proven 15-year-long history in retail distribution (2007-2022), including in Whole Foods and Planet Organic, which can be resumed at any point to realize vaster potential and profits… Many unpaid celebrity endorsers including top UK female biohacker Davinia Taylor; top TV journalist and presenter Bev Turner; reality TV star Lauren Simon (Housewives of Cheshire); menopause expert and animal welfare advocate Meg Matthews… All shout out about GO Kombucha because they love the wholeness of the brand and its ethics. To discuss terms contact Gary Leigh [email protected]. Disclaimer The content of this article is accurate to the best of our knowledge and is presented for general informational purposes only. We have no business relationship with the seller. Podcast Listen to the podcast to hear Gary discuss the opportunity to buy GO Kombucha. The post For Sale: GO Kombucha (UK) appeared first on 'Booch News.

Kombucha connoisseur Susanna Danieli recently visited her native Italy and reported on the thriving kombucha scene there. She added a number of reviews of Italian brands to her excellent Instagram channel. The new brands that she discovered have been added to the Booch News Worldwide Directory. Now she’s back Stateside in Brooklyn she sat down with Booch News to share her impressions. Compared to the last time I was in Italy, before I moved here to New York, it was May 2024. And so this was the first time I came back to Italy after moving here. And in this whole year, I think that a lot happened. More and more people are making kombucha. It’s often people that do not strictly make kombucha, but they start from something else. Let’s take La Beeo Baita, one of the new producers I tried. They are primarily beekeepers. So they use their honey for Jun kombucha. Or, for example, Fattoria Bucolica, another one of the new producers I had the privilege to try. They mainly grow crops, cereals. And so they decided also to make kombucha with the same aromatic herbs that they grow. She also responded to the cover story on Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading food and beverage publisher, that kicked off 2024 by featuring kombucha on its cover with the headline “The year of kombucha – Are you ready for the invasion of fermented tea?”. Susy is convinced 2025 will see this prediction happen. Political challenges Susy is also concerned about the impact of political situation in Italy on low alcohol drinks, which she describes as “complicated.” Our minister of agriculture is like the hero for wine makers. He is always going to defend the alcohol lobby until it dies, I think. So yes, for our low alcohol products, it’s not so easy. Send her your ‘booch! Susy has posted over 350 kombucha reviews and is eager to try new brands. So, especially if you are a local producer of artisanal kombucha, she would love to receive shipments of samples and promises to write a detailed, bi-lingual, poetic review. Contact her at [email protected]. Interview Check out the podcast to hear Susy talk about her week-long trip to Italy and developments in the Italian kombucha scene. The post Susanna Danieli: Kombucha in Italy appeared first on 'Booch News.

We first reported on Keg Outlet in our February 2020 post Growing Beyond Home Brewing where we referenced three informative videos they had produced: How to Make Kombucha in Large Batches to Serve on Draft How to Add Natural Fruit Flavor to Kombucha During Second Fermentation How to Keg Kombucha and Serve Kombucha on Draft These are among the 90+ informative videos that Keg Outlet have posted to their YouTube channel. This interview with company co-founder Brandon Hanson is an update on their business and observations on the kombucha industry in general. Keg Outlet is a small family-run business based in Ventura County, California. Brandon Hanson and his brother Cary initially started “Brew PS” (a play on UPS) supplying home-brew ingredients, but pivoted to selling equipment due to challenges stocking perishable goods. While beer and cold-brew coffee brewers are their primary focus, they have a steady market in kombucha supplies, largely catering to individuals looking to scale up their brewing, often with an eye towards commercial production. The core business provides equipment like kegs, fermenters, kettles, and kegerators. Scaling up Kegging kombucha is a convenient method for larger batches. Keg Outlet has seen a steady interest in home brewers and scaling up to commercial kombucha operations. They also note growing international interest in their kombucha equipment. Their website and YouTube channel serve as valuable resources for people interested in these processes. Customer focus Keg Outlet remains a small operation run by brothers Brendan and Cary Hanson emphasizing direct customer interaction. I know a lot of our customers like that they can call and talk to one of us on the phone or shoot us an email and it’s one of us who responds. In addition to their YouTube, Keg Outlet has published a ‘Drips & Draughts’ podcast series, including an interview with Ethan and Kate from Blue Ridge Bucha in Waynesboro, VA. They share their experience in scaling up from home-brewing. Brendan: As you build up the brewery side, can I ask what a typical batch size for this is when you’re brewing? Ethan: Yes. Absolutely. Kombucha, I would say most people in a home brew environment would probably have about a gallon jar. Some people step up to two gallon jars and there might be some people who are working at of five gallon crocks. That’s pretty much all the information you can find available on the internet, will be how to brew one gallon or two gallons. It’s really been a journey this scale up. We have other kombucha companies we’ve been in their facilities, checked out. Some were operating upwards of couple of hundred gallons. Some are still in two gallon glass jars or five gallon crocks. We have developed our process to where were in 250 gallon vessels. They work just great. The biggest jump actually was from our two-gallon glass jar to the first 25-gallon kettle and it was like, “All right. Can we make this leap?” And, then, from there we just scaled up. We did 25-gallons to 50-gallons then we jump from that to our 250’s. It feels like a really nice manageable size to really keep that artisanal feeling for us. One brewer can be standing up there with the paddle and just stirring this giant caldron. It’ feels great, it’s real great. From the quality craft side, we’ve actually at this scale we’ve been able to really hone in and have more controls on our grand science experiment, which is our beverage. We can really hone it in and have every batch just to be that much more consistent and we’ve locked in our flavor better than we ever have with our current system which is awesome. Podcast Listen to the podcast to hear Brendan tell the Keg Outlet story. The post Profile: Keg Outlet, scaling up from home brewing appeared first on 'Booch News.