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- Profile: Kombuchade, Chicago, Illinois
Matt Lancor launched Kombuchade out of his parents’ home in 2015. In the dozen years since then, it has grown into a strong regional brand marketed as a performance-focused kombucha crafted specifically for athletes and active individuals.…
- Profile: Lucas Montanari, Fermenta Com Ciência, Brazil
I first interviewed Lucas in 2021, when he shared his opinion on why kombucha has become so popular in Brazil and the rapid growth of the industry from 2019 to 2021. He is the founder of Fermenta Com Ciência (Fermenting with Science), wher…
- Profile: LABKOM, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Thiago Cunha founded LABKOM in 2020, together with Ruan Gregório, after a technical support initiative during the COVID period helped regional beverage producers navigate process and regulatory challenges. Cunha is a chemical engineer, hol…
- The Wellness Patio, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
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 dis…
- World Ferment Day – Debrief with Jo Webster
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 w…
- Update: Kova Kombucha, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
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 t…
- Grief and Growth: Exploring the Alchemy of Kombucha Leather
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…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 12: The World of 2100
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, breathab…
- Profile: Kombucha Na Dálaigh, Gortahork, Co. Donegal, Ireland
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. T…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 11: The Culture Wars—Battles Over Living Beverages
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…
- Profile: WonderBrew Kombucha, Malaysia
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 t…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 10: Liquid Medicine—When Drinks Became Pharmaceuticals
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 med…
- Profile: Kombucius, Târgu Mureș, Romania
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…
- Review: Kombucha, a 5-Star Movie
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-…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 9: The Urban Sociology of Fermentation
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 or…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 8: Flavor Networks – The Democratization of Taste
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…
- Confluence Kombucha, St. Louis, Missouri
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 Wil…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 7: Corporate Death Spiral—How Cola Became Compost
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 takeove…
- Profile: Bioma Kombucha, Barcelona, Spain
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, depr…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 6: Vertical Gardens – Climate Adaptation through Fermentation
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 weathe…
- Profile: Mūn Kombucha, Mataró, Spain
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 exper…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 5: The Spoilage Rights Movement
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 pa…
- Profile: KaBé Kombucha, Casablanca, Morocco
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 i…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 4: The Global Fermentation Renaissance – Beyond Kombucha
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 f…
- Profile: Wild Kombucha, Kiev, Ukraine
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 st…
- World Kombucha Awards: Open House
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…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 3: SCOBY 2.0 – When Fungi Meets Quantum Computing
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 20…
- Profile: Syang’s Kombucha, West Bengal, India
“From Darjeeling to the world.” Rooted in the ancient wisdom of the Himalayas, Syang’s Kombucha crafts wellness-focused drinks like s parkling teas, kombucha, and functional infusions made from ancient grains, herbs, and Himalayan botanica…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 2: Microbiome Mapping – The Personal Revolution
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 researc…
- For Sale: Stargazer Kombucha, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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…
- Our Fermented Future, Episode 1: The Collapse of Corn Syrup
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…
- Our Fermented Future: Preview
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…
- Profile: MOMO Kombucha, London, England
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,…
- Modeling Fermentation Through Open Science, with Curro Polo
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…
- Profile: AMA Brewery, Irun, Spain
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…
- Profile: SBOOCH, Mumbai, India
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,…
- Profile: Peepal Farm, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India
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…
- Profile: Heaven’s Elix, Chennai, India
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 go…
- Profile: Mountain Bee Kombucha, Bangalore, India
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…
- Profile: Dramila Kombucha, Chennai, India
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 Instagra…
- Profile: MAVI’s Pantry, Mumbai, India
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 starte…
- Profile: Ferment Radio, with Aga Pokrywka
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 whe…
- Stanford Fermented Food Conference: Attendee Impressions
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…
- Improving the Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
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 eviden…
- Nutrition Facts or Fiction: Should Consumers Trust Kombucha Labels?
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…
- Stanford Fermented Food Conference: Fayee Wong
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 elem…
- Profile: ROBOT Kombucha, Chichester, UK
I met her in a club down in old Soho Where you drink champagne and it tastes like Coca-Cola C-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…
- For Sale: GO Kombucha (UK)
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. I n October 2023 , I interviewed founder Gary Leigh . You can find more information about the com…
- Susanna Danieli: Kombucha in Italy
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 discover…
- Profile: Keg Outlet, scaling up from home brewing
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 t…