Category: Companies

Meet Our Members – Batchwell (New Zealand)

Richard Old, Batchwell, Auckland, New Zealand   Q: When did you first discover kombucha? When I moved to Los Angeles in 2014. Like so many people, Whole Foods introduced me. Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company? Firstly because we all love kombucha! Low sugar, probiotic soda alternative – what’s not to love? […]

Wednesday, 25th July 2018

Richard Old, Batchwell, Auckland, New Zealand

 

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

When I moved to Los Angeles in 2014. Like so many people, Whole Foods introduced me.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

Firstly because we all love kombucha! Low sugar, probiotic soda alternative – what’s not to love? I had visa ‘issues’ in the US and so needed to move back to my homeland of New Zealand. We had watched the market grow in California, and could see the market in New Zealand going a similar way, only a few years behind, so we decided to jump on. In a way we could see the future, and everything we expected to happen is now happening down here.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

When last in LA I had GT’s Trilogy on tap, which I yearn for.

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

I have gone back and forth between food and entertainment. I have a Masters degree in Sound Recording design and perform music whenever I can. I started a popular free-range chicken restaurant in New Zealand called Bird on a Wire, and worked for tech startup Kombie, a mixed media entertainment app, in the US.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Go for gold!

 

 

 

 

Meet Our Members – Noli South (FL)

    Summer and Stephen Kole, Noli South, Panama City Beach, FL, USA   Q: When did you first discover kombucha? Summer, my wife, first discovered Kombucha in 2012 when she was at a local health food store. She introduced it to me in 2014. Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company? After […]

Monday, 23rd July 2018

 

 

Summer and Stephen Kole, Noli South, Panama City Beach, FL, USA

 

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

Summer, my wife, first discovered Kombucha in 2012 when she was at a local health food store. She introduced it to me in 2014.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

After giving our home brewed booch to our breastfed daughter, Magnolia, and seeing her food sensitives deplete. She opened up our eyes to the raw power of Kombucha and our love for it skyrocketed.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

We have both found that we favor booch to have a nice zing to it. Buddha’s brew ginger is awesome and well balanced.

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

We run a small coffee shop.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

With your mind, heart, and gut connected you can and will conquer anything!

 

 

 

Meet Our Members – SUM Bucha (NC)

  Alex and Sarah North, SUM BUCHA, Charlotte, NC, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? We first discovered kombucha while living in Austin, TX. The year was 2010 and the brand was G.T.’s Synergy. We found the drink refreshing and revitalizing. Our favorite brew in Austin was Buddha’s Brew. Q: Why did you […]

Monday, 23rd July 2018

 

Alex and Sarah North, SUM BUCHA, Charlotte, NC, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

We first discovered kombucha while living in Austin, TX. The year was 2010 and the brand was G.T.’s Synergy. We found the drink refreshing and revitalizing. Our favorite brew in Austin was Buddha’s Brew.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

After moving to Charlotte, NC, in 2012 we began drinking kombucha more regularly, and began reading and learning more about the art of fermentation. As our curiosity and fascination with the biological process grew, we began brewing our own bucha. It wasn’t long before friends, family and co-workers began asking for more of our special brews. Together, we developed a following for our uniquely full-bodied kombucha around the Charlotte region. Right now, we are in the process of moving into a commercial kitchen space and launching our business.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

Alex’s favorite is Buddha’s Brew Pineapple. Sarah’s favorite is Buchi’s Earth.

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

We both currently work in restaurants in Charlotte.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

“Be a go-giver as well as a go-getter.” We have this in our living room, and it is incorporated into our lives and the way we do business. We believe hard work and discipline are important in business, but we also believe that giving – of yourself, your time, your resources, your knowledge, your energy, your love – is the number one priority in life.

 

 

 

Meet Our Members – Agri-Cultured Foods (IA)

Sarah Underberg, Agri-Cultured Foods, Waukee, IA, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? My husband was the first of us to discover kombucha. He began brewing it over 6 years ago. He played with flavor profiles and found one that I loved. I was hooked ever since then! Q: Why did you start your […]

Wednesday, 18th July 2018

Sarah Underberg, Agri-Cultured Foods, Waukee, IA, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

My husband was the first of us to discover kombucha. He began brewing it over 6 years ago. He played with flavor profiles and found one that I loved. I was hooked ever since then!

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

We actually started with fermented foods, but we quickly discovered how important kombucha is to overall health and knew immediately we needed to add this to our product line.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

My personal favorite is Reeds…I love, love, love Cabernet!

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

I spent 13 years as a preschool teacher and then I was a stay at home mom. My husband was a Master Carpenter before we started Agri-Cultured Foods.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Be on guard. Stand firm in faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything in love.

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Our Members – Tantric Tea (CA)

Davo Fish, Tantric Tea, Arrowbear Lake, CA, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? I discovered Kombucha in the blazing heat of Lightening in a Bottle Festival 2016. It was my first festival since the millennium and my first taste of booch. The whole weekend my body and mind were powered alcohol free (almost) by […]

Wednesday, 18th July 2018

Davo Fish, Tantric Tea, Arrowbear Lake, CA, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

I discovered Kombucha in the blazing heat of Lightening in a Bottle Festival 2016. It was my first festival since the millennium and my first taste of booch. The whole weekend my body and mind were powered alcohol free (almost) by GT’s on tap. I ended up not consuming any craft beer or other elixirs, and felt awesome! While there, I took a brew class hosted by GT’s, and quickly knew this madland science was for me. Concurrently by coincidence, perhaps, I also was introduced to yoga. The two seem to be excellent partners to accompany me on my next life phases.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

I was ripe for a change. I continually experiment with food and brew creations, and after discovering the young science of booch, and realizing the positive benefits of booch, I knew I wanted to participate in building the industry. I am having so much fun, and am amazed by the folks I am meeting who share a passion for Booch Life.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

I will always have place in my heart for GT’s for helping me get it. I do like to push the edge of sour to help reduce residual sugar. Currently my favorite brand is CommuniTEA from Seattle. It has a drink local model, and a strong smooth flavor profile. Likewise, its attention to quality aligns well with the unfolding model of TantricTEA.

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

I am 25 years into my environmental science career and am working on a transition to the beyond. Science is my background, and Kombucha and Yoga Science are my new passion.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Shared Lives, Woven Destiny!

 

 

 

Meet Our Members – Tofino Kombucha (Canada)

  Kelsey Hendricks, Tofino Kombucha, Tofino, BC, Canada Q: When did you first discover kombucha? In 2013, while making a deposit at a bank, I asked the teller (who was a friend of mine) what she was drinking that day. The kombucha bottle was empty, but she let me smell the strong vinegary fumes still […]

Monday, 16th July 2018

 

Kelsey Hendricks, Tofino Kombucha, Tofino, BC, Canada

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

In 2013, while making a deposit at a bank, I asked the teller (who was a friend of mine) what she was drinking that day. The kombucha bottle was empty, but she let me smell the strong vinegary fumes still emitting from the bottle. Wow! I believed her when she said it was a health drink and that I should go to the store and buy a bottle. I tried it and I loved it! Soon, I had tried every brand and flavour sold in my small town, but I wanted more. Now it was time to try making it myself.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

Kombucha brewing really is an art form and when you love creating something you end up wanting to share your creation. Starting a kombucha company was a small idea that began to snowball and before you know my research into whether I should start a kombucha business turned into me ACTUALLY starting a kombucha business. It was a long process to get the business from an idea to a real thing living and growing in my basement. As exciting as it is to put a label on my bottle and see it leave for the grocery store and then see someone drinking and enjoying it, it’s even more exciting knowing that I am sharing something healthy that I love to make and hopefully it will help inspire more people to make healthier eating choices, including more fermented foods.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

Ferrytale Rose by Raincoast Kombucha from Powell River, BC (made with dried cherries, green rooibos and rose petals).

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

Former career: I have a background in accounting, administration, business, hospitality, and food service – all of which have been very useful in starting a beverage company. Other life: I am a mom, a wife, a gardener, a sourdough bread maker, an okay cook, a runner, a surfer, a hiker, a camper and lover of the outdoors.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Always be open to learning because sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Our Members – Circle City Kombucha (IN)

  Skylar Williams, Circle City Kombucha, Indianapolis, IN, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? My mother turned me onto Kombucha in 2006, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had read about GT Dave’s mother and her usage of Kombucha while battling the disease. Q: Why did you start your own kombucha […]

Monday, 16th July 2018

 

Skylar Williams, Circle City Kombucha, Indianapolis, IN, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

My mother turned me onto Kombucha in 2006, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had read about GT Dave’s mother and her usage of Kombucha while battling the disease.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

Years ago I was trying out various forms of creativity, and Kombucha turned out to be something I enjoyed making. Eventually friends, including one of our co-founders, noticed I was making some good booch, and asked if I ever thought I might do something with it. The answer was, “YES,” and the rest is history

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

GT’s Trilogy and Divine Grape flavors were my early mainstays. Locally, Primal Delights’ Habanero Pineapple is lovely.

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

Out of college I worked for MICROS Systems, Inc, and then Oracle Hospitality, in the IT sector. Happy to say I’m full time Kombucha Swiss Army Knife as of September.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

I’m going to cheat on this one a bit and share something I posted ages ago on the ol’ Facebook that continues to echo for me:
With our humanity comes a responsibility to do more than just consume that which is tangible and that which is not.

The 12 virtues of a healthy human as once told by a 24 year old man-child, in no particular order:

Honesty
Love
Forgiveness
Honor
Ambition
Humility
Creativity
Passion
Moderation
Curiosity
Spontaneity
Acceptance

Meet Our Members – Viva Kombuxa (Mexico)

  Karla Eugenia Aldape, Viva Kombuxa, San Pedro, NL, Mexico   Q: When did you first discover kombucha? I discovered kombucha when I moved to California the year 2015. Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company? I loved kombucha and how it made me feel especially how it helped my digestion, when I moved to […]

Friday, 15th June 2018

 

Karla Eugenia Aldape, Viva Kombuxa, San Pedro, NL, Mexico

 

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

I discovered kombucha when I moved to California the year 2015.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

I loved kombucha and how it made me feel especially how it helped my digestion, when I moved to Mexico I could not find a kombucha brand that I loved or would benefit my health so I decided to brew my own kombucha and help Mexican people feel as good as I do! Create a national brand that inspires and helps people.  

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

Ginger Lemon 

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

Founder an active-wear (athleisure) brand for Women sold in Mexico 

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

See the things that you want as already yours. Know that they will come to you at need. Then let them come. Don’t fret and worry about them. Don’t think about your lack of them. Think of them as yours, as belonging to you, as already in your possession. Believe in the law of attraction.

 

Meet Our Members – InJoyCHA (CO)

  Manda Pendleton, InJoyCHA, Denver, CO, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? I first discovered kombucha in 2008. A friend was brewing it and gave me a sip and my first reaction was ‘this tastes like vinegar’! I am partial to vinegar and also creating healing herbal products so she gave me my […]

Friday, 1st June 2018

 

Manda Pendleton, InJoyCHA, Denver, CO, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

I first discovered kombucha in 2008. A friend was brewing it and gave me a sip and my first reaction was ‘this tastes like vinegar’! I am partial to vinegar and also creating healing herbal products so she gave me my first scoby and an obsession was born!  When I tried my first herbal kombucha I thought ‘this doesn’t taste like those herbs’ so I decided to combine my skill of mixology and herbal formulation with fermenting probiotic beverages.  

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

After home-brewing for several years I got such a great response from friends and whomever I sampled to that I decided to start my company in 2011, however I did not have the proper funding to make it feasible at that point, so I closed my business and then launched it again April 22nd 2013. I market 12 unique herbal flavors of my product @InJoyCHA with the energetic aspects of gem/flower essences and reiki universal energy. 

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

Whenever I see a new product on the market I always give it a try. Hence I have quite a collection of bottles in my marketing research.  I am partial to small batch products not brewed in metal and love the energy of passiflora incarnata so I would have to say Rainbow Cloud kombucha passion fruit brewed in oak barrels out of Shelton, WA. I love their positive message and sacred geometry/hieroglyphics on their label.

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

I am a Clinical Herbalist and Nutritionist by trade with 20 years of herbal formulating under my belt. I also do private health consultations and consult businesses for herbal and nutritional formulating. I have been educating the community locally/internationally regarding  herbal medicine, natural health, Yoga and fermentation for over 15 years and this is a true Joy for me to share this important knowledge. I have a growing line of products besides InJoyCHA including Xun, Tibicos, herbal tonics, teas, topical balms and skincare as well as sauerkraut, pickles, and other probiotic foods. 

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

May you realize your innate power to heal and transform yourself! U R love U R light

 

 

Meet Our Members – Moss Beach Kombucha (CA)

Douglas Nelson, Moss Beach Kombucha, Moss Beach, CA, USA   Q: When did you first discover kombucha? ​ A friend in Oakland turned me on to making it in about 2009 and I’ve been making it ever since.​   Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?   ​I’ve been looking for my next […]

Tuesday, 29th May 2018

Douglas Nelson, Moss Beach Kombucha, Moss Beach, CA, USA

 

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

​ A friend in Oakland turned me on to making it in about 2009 and I’ve been making it ever since.​
 
Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?
 
​I’ve been looking for my next challenge. I knew my KT was good, but I hadn’t had any commercial KT for years. I tried what was out there and I figure mine is in league with what is being sold.​

 

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? 

​I like House Citrus Hibiscus and Marin Kombucha’s Pinot Sage.​

 

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

​I did some acting in NYC, I’ve produced a few CD’s (you can hear my stuff at ​goo.gl/5Z65gO)​, and I’ve been a data systems developer in several industries, including finance, energy efficiency, and CRM. My latest project was finishing culinary school in San Francisco last year. Time to put that to use.

 

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

​There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in​.

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