Ally Yancey, Dave McGee, and Amy Zeigenfuse, Oregonic Tonic, Portland, OR, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

2001, I was handed a free sample of Wonder Drink’s Asian Pear & Ginger in a bottle and I was hooked.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

I was teaching classes for a few years at a home-brew shop on how to make your own kombucha. The feedback I got during these classes was that my kombucha (I liked sharing my brews to demonstrate the different stages of flavor) was different than other kombucha they purchased in stores. It got me thinking that I might have something to offer.

Eventually, my daughter, Ally, was good-naturedly bugging me about when I was finally going to open my dream kombuchery, and we realized that we could go in on it together, as a father-daughter project. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

This is a tough question. I really like so many styles of kombucha. Humm’s Pomegranate Lemonade is one of my go-tos. I also loved some of the flavors I tried at Fermensch and Dean’s Zesty Booch. We try to find a local kombucha brewery everywhere we travel.

Q: What is your former/current other life or career?

15 years in high-tech. Then 15-years (and still going) as a general contractor.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

“All that spirits desire, spirits attain” -Kahlil Gibrand