Meet Our Members – Health-Ade (CA)

Daina Trout, Health-Ade, Torrance, CA, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? While I was in graduate school at Tufts for nutrition (2004-ish), I discovered my love for fermented foods and learned how to make kombucha. Real, holistic, fermented foods just made me feel good, so I was hooked and making my own kombucha […]

Friday, 18th January 2019

Daina Trout, Health-Ade, Torrance, CA, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

While I was in graduate school at Tufts for nutrition (2004-ish), I discovered my love for fermented foods and learned how to make kombucha. Real, holistic, fermented foods just made me feel good, so I was hooked and making my own kombucha since then.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

Well, we didn’t set out to start a kombucha company per say. After working in corporate America for five years, I felt the “itch” to do something bigger and more meaningful. I formed an entrepreneur club with my now-husband, Justin Trout, and best friend, Vanessa Dew, who were both feeling unfulfilled too. We met weekly to talk about what our big idea could be, and sipped on my homemade kombucha while we brainstormed. One day a coveted spot at the Brentwood Farmers’ market opened up and we jumped on it, not knowing what we were going to sell! It didn’t take us long to realize that we had the answer right in front of us, and the rest is history. And a whole lot of hard work…

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

I recently went to Mexico City and tried Nopa Kombucha. Their “Jamaica” flavor is seriously delicious, and they ferment in 2.5 gallon glass jars, just like Health-Ade!

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

In addition to being the CEO of Health-Ade, I am a wife to my wonderful husband, Justin and a mom to a very active 3 year old, Hendriks. Being a mom is definitely a job in itself, and it can be a struggle to balance it all and still take time for myself. I love spending time with my family and friends, cooking, playing in the back yard, and just being together. If I can squeeze in time to work out, I really feel like I have it all.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Everything that you need you already have inside of you!

Meet Our Members – GT’s Living Foods (CA)

GT Dave, GT’s Living Foods, Beverly Hills, CA, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? A: I discovered it in 1993 when my parents started making it at our Los Angeles home. Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company? A: I started bottling my organic, raw kombucha because I wanted to make […]

Thursday, 10th January 2019

GT Dave, GT’s Living Foods, Beverly Hills, CA, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

A: I discovered it in 1993 when my parents started making it at our Los Angeles home.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

A: I started bottling my organic, raw kombucha because I wanted to make an authentic kombucha available to those who could not make it on their own.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

A: I like all the “elements” flavors from BUCHI from NC.

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

A: I started making Kombucha when I was 15 so I guess the best answer is “high school student.”

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

A: There’s no time like now.

Meet Our Members – Dean’s Zesty Booch (MT)

Joe Sheehan, John “Griff” Griffith, and Henri Pellerin, Dean’s Zesty Booch, Bozeman, MT, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? J: My hippie roommates in college turned me on to Wonder Drink in 2009-2010 and at the time I was willing to tolerate the somewhat strange taste for the purported benefits. I grew […]

Thursday, 20th December 2018

Joe Sheehan, John “Griff” Griffith, and Henri Pellerin, Dean’s Zesty Booch, Bozeman, MT, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

J: My hippie roommates in college turned me on to Wonder Drink in 2009-2010 and at the time I was willing to tolerate the somewhat strange taste for the purported benefits. I grew to like it’s flavors rather quickly, especially once I met Dean, the founder of our company, who forever changed the way I perceived the potential of what Kombucha can taste like.

G: I remember someone crashing at my house in college who was collecting what appeared to be a jellyfish in a jar on my kitchen counter. I promptly threw the miscreant’s offending item in the trash. Ten years later and I’m still taking pellicles out to the compost pile every week. They just weigh a lot more now.

H: I started drinking Kombucha in college. So, around 2007-2008.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

J: After meeting Dean, I found myself really interested by the cult following his Booch had acquired. I started by designing him a brand, but it quickly spiraled into spending late nights together, dialing in a business plan in preparation for our opening in 2016.

G: Making booch allows me to apply my background in Microbiology while also serving as an outlet for creative expression.

H: I am not one of the founders of DZB but I have been friends with Dean since the days when he was just making booch for his friends and neighbors in recycled bottles with Joe’s stickers on them. I knew DZB was something I wanted to be a part of because the people involved are some of the smartest and most talented people I know, the brand has positive impact on our community, and the product speaks for itself.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

J: I like a lot of Brew Dr. flavors. I also really enjoyed the Health-Ade Reishi Chocolate flavor that Griff turned me on to. I’ve also been really enamored with some of the flavors the eight Montana Kombucha breweries have been putting out. There are eight of us in the state now and that’s awesome to see!

G: KKON 2016 at the world’s largest kombucha bar, a company from Japan who’s name escapes me. It was delicate, balanced, and overall just straight up delightful.

H: Juneshine in San Diego is a company with great kombucha products in the high ABV space in my opinion. Their Blood Orange Mint is especially good. Big Easy Bucha in New Orleans also has a great satsuma flavor.

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

J: Prior to this, I was working in marketing and advertising with a local company, so those skills have certainly come in handy here. I am also the drummer in a band called The Dusty Pockets, which just put out an album that you can find on Spotify and iTunes.

G: Lab Rat. Mostly infectious disease research. I also play bass in The Dusty Pockets with Joe.

H: Prior to joining the DZB team, I was a registered investment adviser and I still love investing and economics.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

ALL: When everyone else zigs, we Zest.

Meet Our Members – Kombuchade (IL)

Matthew Lancor, Kombuchade, Plainfield, IL, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? I first discovered Kombucha in Seattle at the 2014 USA Rugby Championships. I drank 3 bottles over the weekend at my Rugby Tournament and I felt like a champion. We only finished 4th place, but I came out a winner. […]

Thursday, 20th December 2018

Matthew Lancor, Kombuchade, Plainfield, IL, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

I first discovered Kombucha in Seattle at the 2014 USA Rugby Championships. I drank 3 bottles over the weekend at my Rugby Tournament and I felt like a champion. We only finished 4th place, but I came out a winner.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

I couldn’t afford to drink as much Kombucha as I wanted! It also helped that I was passionate about the microbiome, and the positive effects I was feeling as an athlete. Pretty soon I had people from my Crossfit gym, Rugby Club, and Yoga studio wanting to buy growlers of my Kombucha.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

Celery Lavender – Moss Beach Kombucha

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

In my previous life I was a Field Sales Engineer for a German Automation company. It was my job to assist engineers in large scale manufacturing plants build automated solutions. I worked in all different types of plants from Microwavable Bacon, to Candy, Cars, and Steel plants.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Easy Choices, Hard Life
Hard Choices, Easy Life
-Jerzy Gregorek-

Meet Our Members – Happy Mountain Kombucha (OR)

Ben Calkins, Happy Mountain Kombucha, Portland, OR, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? Just like most, I had that one friend who introduced me to the funky brew they made in their garage in college. First try wasn’t great, but for some reason I wanted more. Q: Why did you start your […]

Monday, 10th December 2018

Ben Calkins, Happy Mountain Kombucha, Portland, OR, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

Just like most, I had that one friend who introduced me to the funky brew they made in their garage in college. First try wasn’t great, but for some reason I wanted more.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

In my case, the kombucha found me. Happy Mountain Kombucha was the in-house kombucha for Portland tea company, Tea Chai Té, which has been hand crafting loose leaf tea for over 15 years. Dominic and Angela Valdes were making kombucha for their tea shops. Originally, they brought me into the company to help sell their loose leaf tea. But after trying their kombucha, I knew we need to try and expand this part of the company. About a year later, Dominic and I had split Happy Mountain Kombucha off into its own company. We then brought on my good friends Kyle Moore and Andrew Gay to lead operations and brewing. Together we spent this time perfecting the formula and identifying what made our kombucha stand out–not too sweet and not too vinegary–a kombucha for everyone. We think we’ve done a fairly good job at finding that happy balance.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

We really love Lionheart Kombucha. We’re always exited to try their new seasonal flavors. Great kombucha, great brand, great people.

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

I have worked for a couple of food startups out of the San Francisco Bay Area. This is where I really explored how important it is to know where our food comes from and what we put into our bodies.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Our company mission is a little cheesy, but I think we all truly live by it: “To fuel and inspire the adventurous spirit.” I love this because no matter what your adventure is, whether it’s climbing a mountain, raising kids, or being an entrepreneur, we all just want to live healthy, adventurous, and exciting lives.

Meet Our Members – Fermensch Kombucha (CA)

Chad Huniu, Fermensch Kombucha, Huntington Beach, CA, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? I first discovered kombucha in Eugene, Oregon where I went to college. My first taste of booch was actually some homemade jun a friend had brought to a house party. However, I don’t think I quite understood the concept of fermentation, let alone […]

Monday, 10th December 2018

Chad Huniu, Fermensch Kombucha, Huntington Beach, CA, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

I first discovered kombucha in Eugene, Oregon where I went to college. My first taste of booch was actually some homemade jun a friend had brought to a house party. However, I don’t think I quite understood the concept of fermentation, let alone booch, until I took a hands-on organic farming course where my teacher led us in a sauerkraut making workshop and someone brought to a class potluck the first (and spiciest) kimchi I ever had. After that, it was on. I’d caught the fermentation bug.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

To make a kombucha that tastes as good as it is for you. It KILLS me when someone dismisses kombucha as “too funky” or “too sour” or “too weird.” I like the funk, but I understand that this can often be a roadblock for people in making healthier or better decisions of what to eat or drink. I really want to help change the American diet and food system–even if just in my community–by doing my small part as a kombucha brewer.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

Oooo. I’ve got many! The Pickle Shop in Berkeley made an incredible celery booch, and Pilot Kombucha’s Celery Juniper is likewise delish. Soma’s Fennel Pear is amazing, as is Idaho Kombucha’s What The Huckleberry.

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

I used to be a line cook at a vegan restaurant called Seabirds Kitchen in Costa Mesa, which is also where I honed my fermentation skills. To be honest, I loved being a cook. I kind of miss being on my feet all day, the heat of the kitchen, the rush and adrenaline, using a knife like it was a part of my hand, the amazing people and personalities, the 90s hip hop bangers we’d put on during clean up. I do not miss the fryer. But I miss everything else. It’s a good thing Seabirds Kitchen is now one of Fermensch’s best customers!

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Be excellent to each other.

Inspirational Beverage Entrepreneur Tyler Gage to Deliver Keynote at KombuchaKon 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 6, 2018 Hannah Crum, President Kombucha Brewers International 424-245-5867 president@kombuchabrewers.org Inspirational Beverage Entrepreneur Tyler Gage to Deliver Keynote at KombuchaKon 2019 Los Angeles, CA: Kombucha Brewers International (KBI) is delighted to announce that Tyler Gage, co-founder of RUNA and Managing Director at Terrafertil, will […]

Wednesday, 5th December 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 6, 2018

Hannah Crum, President
Kombucha Brewers International
424-245-5867
president@kombuchabrewers.org

Inspirational Beverage Entrepreneur Tyler Gage to
Deliver Keynote at KombuchaKon 2019

Los Angeles, CA: Kombucha Brewers International (KBI) is delighted to announce that Tyler Gage, co-founder of RUNA and Managing Director at Terrafertil, will deliver the keynote at next year’s KombuchaKon.

Tyler is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker whose personal trajectory in the business world aptly reflects the conference theme “Growing Strong Culture.” Like many members of the kombucha brewing community, Tyler started small, with a passion for traditional healing. He is known for offering inspiration to growing organizations, and for helping others examine how to dig deeper, and bring greater meaning and purpose to their personal and professional pursuits.

Tyler is a Forbes “30 Under 30 Entrepreneur” and a winner of both the Big Apple “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award, and the Specialty Food Association “Citizen Leader of the Year” Award. Tyler also serves on the Advisory Council for Entrepreneurship at Brown University and advises, invests in, and supports other start-ups. We are delighted to welcome him to KombuchaKon to share with our delegates his business savvy and unique and powerful approach to building business, and creating social good.

What is KombuchaKon?

KombuchaKon is the only conference and trade show specifically targeting those in the kombucha industry. Every year we come together for two days to discuss topics unique to the kombucha brewing industry. We network and share ideas, learn new techniques, take an in-depth look at market trends, and bond over kombucha “kocktails.”

New for 2019

Every year we strive to elevate the conference to make it a valuable event for everyone involved. Here are some of the changes we have in store for this year:

Business Week Conference – as we mature from our humble roots into a fully fledged industry, the conference is now taking place during the week. Come early or stay for the weekend to enjoy all that Los Angeles and Long Beach have to offer: bring the family and make it a mini vacation
Online Registration – no more delays to complete the registration process, plus we have some new offerings with your conference ticket.
Member-Tiered Pricing – in order to continue to improve the offerings at KombuchaKon, we are moving to a tiered ticket pricing system. We also have a new member tier level – more details coming soon! Register at your current tier level.
Lunch Option – instead of heading off-site to track down a meal, we are now offering an onsite lunch option. Spend more time at our even-bigger trade show, or grab your meal and have a picnic on the lawn outside with new and old friends.
Childcare – we know that brewing kombucha is often a family affair! Bring the little ones along and drop in whenever you wish to see how they are doing.
Passport Program – new this year, we are inviting sponsors to offer awesome prizes to our attendees. Get your passport stamped to enter the raffles. Winners will be drawn before the keynote on Friday.
KombuchaKon 2019 will be held on April 18-19, 2019 at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California. It will feature a conference, trade show, pre-party, cocktail reception and, of course, the World’s Largest Kombucha Bar!

KKon 2019 agenda: click here
Prospective attendees: click here
Interested in becoming a sponsor? click here
Press and media passes: click here
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Kombucha Brewers International is the non-profit trade association for the international kombucha brewing industry. To learn more about the kombucha industry, or for more information on membership, please contact KBI President Hannah Crum at info@kombuchabrewers.org, or visit www.kombuchabrewers.org

Meet Our Members – Fairment (Germany)

Paul Seelhorst and Leon Benedens, Fairment, Berlin, Germany Q: When did you first discover kombucha? 5 years ago, when we started our Health Journey. We found that an evolutionary perspective on health helped us both to regain our own health. We started out with a Paleo Blog and founded the Paleo Convention, Europe’s biggest Paleo […]

Monday, 26th November 2018

Paul Seelhorst and Leon Benedens, Fairment, Berlin, Germany

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

5 years ago, when we started our Health Journey. We found that an evolutionary perspective on health helped us both to regain our own health. We started out with a Paleo Blog and founded the Paleo Convention, Europe’s biggest Paleo Event. Through Paleo, we also got into contact with Kombucha and the importance of our microbiome.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

2016 officially, although we were already brewing for years at home and in a small kitchen in the north of Berlin. When we hosted the first Paleo Convention in 2015, we also hosted our own Kombucha stall. Here in Berlin, we are still producing cultures like Kombucha, Water Kefir, Milk Kefir, Ginger Bug, Sourdough and Equipment to ferment and work with people who have disabilities. We also sell Kombucha in stores, as well as Sauerkraut and other fermented foods and drinks.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

Buddha’s Brew Hopped (yeah, we are German and we like hops! 😉 and Urban Kombucha (Ginger) from Switzerland.

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

Leon used to be in sales, blogging and marketing while Paul used to be a professional poker player, event manager and studied business administration. Through health problems we both found our way to gut health and fermented foods.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Health is not everything. But everything without health is nothing.

Meet Our Members – Booch Organic Kombucha (Canada)

Shannon Kamins, Booch Organic Kombucha, London, ON, Canada Q: When did you first discover kombucha? I first discovered kombucha about 10 years ago, and it was love at first sip. Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company? I healed my own gut by consuming a variety of fermented foods, but it […]

Monday, 26th November 2018

Shannon Kamins, Booch Organic Kombucha, London, ON, Canada

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

I first discovered kombucha about 10 years ago, and it was love at first sip.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

I healed my own gut by consuming a variety of fermented foods, but it was kombucha that I fell in love with making. From connecting with the SCOBY, brewing the tea and sugar, watching the fermentation process, tasting the complexity of the brew, and flavouring with the most unique ingredients out there, I knew it was exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I was able to turn my passion into my business!

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

Flavour – Tropical Goth – VAMS

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

Before starting Booch I worked as a manager at a local organic delivery service called Eat Green Organics.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Our only obligation as humankind is to be true to ourselves.

Meet Our Members – Ninja Kombucha (VA)

Brett Nobile, Ninja Kombucha, Richmond, VA, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? We discovered kombucha in the late Quaternary period, I believe it was the Holocene epoch. Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company? I developed an interest in herbalism from working in the field with Outward Bound. We learned […]

Thursday, 8th November 2018

Brett Nobile, Ninja Kombucha, Richmond, VA, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

We discovered kombucha in the late Quaternary period, I believe it was the Holocene epoch.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

I developed an interest in herbalism from working in the field with Outward Bound. We learned about wild edible and medicinal plants and would collect them on the trail. I think the inspiration for the company grew from there, but I really got into kombucha when I took a break from drinking alcohol. It was just so restorative and healing feeling that I wanted to share.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

Mountain Culture – Mint
Blue Ridge Bucha – Bluegrass Bucha
Buffalo Mountain – Ginger Fizz
Brew Doctor – Clear Mind

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

Formerly an Outward Bound instructor and High School Science teacher. Currently interning at Summer School Ceramics Shop where I direct the floor maintenance program and experiment with glazes.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

“Experience, study and the slow passage of time polish the patina of a master, but the core and essence is internal like the heart of an uncut diamond.”
-Young Master, Rah 42