Meet Our Members – Kobo Tea (Japan)

Misako Kashima, Kobo Tea, Japan Q: When did you first discover kombucha? When I was working at farmer’s market in Oakland, CA. My friend was selling her “Tamascal Kombucha” so I tried it and I’m hooked. Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company? First, I wanted to try making with Japanese tea, and […]

Tuesday, 1st November 2016

Misako Kashima, Kobo Tea, Japan

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

When I was working at farmer’s market in Oakland, CA. My friend was selling her “Tamascal Kombucha” so I tried it and I’m hooked.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

First, I wanted to try making with Japanese tea, and now I moved back to Japan because I want to make Japanese Kombucha made with best tea in Japan. Wazuka town where I live is known as the origin of Japanese tea, also famous for Uji matcha. I love tea and I love Kombucha, so I feel like I better start introducing kombucha to Japan. (kombucha is so unknown here, one reason we have traditional kelp tea named Kombucha in Japan, so people misunderstand.)

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)?

I like Oregon Kombucha’s (ginger pear), I like Brew Dr., and I like GT’s multi green.

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

I’ve been a massage therapist and Yoga teacher in CA for years. Originally I didn’t know about kombucha until I saw my yoga friend drinking everyday, and I’m still teaching yoga in Japan.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Don’t worry, Be happy.

Breathe in , Breathe out,

(maybe) quoted by Thich Nhat Hanh

Meet Our Members – VitaliTea Kombucha (HI)

William Davis, VitaliTea Kombucha, Maui, HI, USA Q: When did you first discover Kombucha? About 4-5 years ago Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company? As a serious (beer) home brewer, living in very health-conscious Maui, I would keep kombucha on tap for “balance”. I liked to share my kombucha and beer […]

Saturday, 22nd October 2016

William Davis, VitaliTea Kombucha, Maui, HI, USA

Q: When did you first discover Kombucha?

About 4-5 years ago

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

As a serious (beer) home brewer, living in very health-conscious Maui, I would keep kombucha on tap for “balance”. I liked to share my kombucha and beer with local brewers and a popular tap house. The tap house really wanted to serve it, so I made a deal initially to use their commercial kitchen and quickly moved into a bigger facility as the demand grew!

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)?

Although I always like trying all the creative flavors hitting the marketplace, GT’s “Gingerade” is my “”Old Faithful”

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

I’m a commercial airline pilot, but kombucha is my “fun” job!

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

It may sound cliché, but if you believe in something, you keep your motor running day and night, gaining a foothold on your future. I lay awake sometimes thinking about how to engineer a process more efficiently. (Don’t worry, I turn it off to rest before flying!) I try to learn from successful people, feeding off of positive energy and always moving “onward and upward”!

Meet Our Members – Harvest Roots Ferments (AL)

Pete Halupka and Lindsay Whiteaker, Harvest Roots Ferments, Mentone, AL, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? Pete discovered Kombucha at some random Brooklyn bodega when he was hungover. Lindsay discovered kombucha pretty much the same way. Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company? We didn’t. We started a fermentation company together […]

Monday, 19th September 2016

Pete Halupka and Lindsay Whiteaker, Harvest Roots Ferments, Mentone, AL, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

Pete discovered Kombucha at some random Brooklyn bodega when he was hungover. Lindsay discovered kombucha pretty much the same way.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

We didn’t. We started a fermentation company together and kombucha fell under that umbrella. We love to make our kombucha very dry and with bioregional, abundant herbs like Elderberry or Lemongrass or Red Clover and etc. We prefer to lessen the amount of sugar in our kombucha as much as humanly possible. We pride ourselves on that and natural effervescence.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)?

We both love Lenny Boy’s Beet and Ginger when its just hit the shelf.

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

Lindsay and I were farmers that always sold fermented products at our table. But then the customers wanted those products more than Kale.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Right on.

Meet Our Members – Kombucha Life (Bulgaria)

Ivaylo Panayotov, Kombucha Life, Sofia, Bulgaria Q: When did you first discover kombucha? In the year 2010 Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company? We started first as a homemade kombucha, 2 years later we decided to introduce this drink to Bulgarian market. Q: What is your former/current other life or career? I […]

Saturday, 18th June 2016

Ivaylo Panayotov, Kombucha Life, Sofia, Bulgaria

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

In the year 2010

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

We started first as a homemade kombucha, 2 years later we decided to introduce this drink to Bulgarian market.

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

I am Business development manager in Herbamedica

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

“The best day is always the one you’re in “

Meet Our Members – Zama Tea (CA)

Leanne Herrera, Zama Tea, Tustin, California Q: When did you first discover kombucha? Just about two years ago after being diagnosed with a very rare disease and did not want to do chemotherapy so I set out on my own to find answers through tea, herbs, and Kombucha. Q: When did you start your own […]

Friday, 13th May 2016

Leanne Herrera, Zama Tea, Tustin, California

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

Just about two years ago after being diagnosed with a very rare disease and did not want to do chemotherapy so I set out on my own to find answers through tea, herbs, and Kombucha.

Q: When did you start your own Kombucha company?

February 2015.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)

Humm’s Coconut Mint.

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

I worked from home as a medical transcriber for 25 years and also had a breast pump rental company so I could be the coach of my kiddos’ sports teams, room mom, shuttle driver, late night run to get supplies for a crazy school project, and mostly to be the one who encouraged them to get back up when life knocked them down and to set an example of what working hard and honest means.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Life is an evolution. I pray for a lot for wisdom and strength to venture down paths less traveled. You might be going one direction, but if you are open, you might find yourself down a different path that was meant for you all along.

Meet Our Members – Bucha Brew (Canada)

Kara Sam, Bucha Brew, Surrey, BC, Canada Q: When did you first discover Kombucha? I first discovered Kombucha 3 years ago in Maui at a local farmers market, they were selling in mason jars with chunks of pineapple in it. Back then I thought a real mushroom created this mysterious tonic. Q: Why did […]

Tuesday, 3rd May 2016

Kara Sam, Bucha Brew, Surrey, BC, Canada

Q: When did you first discover Kombucha?

I first discovered Kombucha 3 years ago in Maui at a local farmers market, they were selling in mason jars with chunks of pineapple in it. Back then I thought a real mushroom created this mysterious tonic.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

My last visit to Maui I saw that Kombucha had blown up, it was on tap everywhere and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen anything like that in Vancouver. Vancouverites love healthy, local, fresh, and handcrafted so I jumped on the opportunity.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)?

I loved Buddha’s Brew Pineapple Greens… all of Buddha’s Brew is spot on.

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

I did all of my schooling to be a chef, I got my red seal, worked in restaurants for 4 years and decided it wasn’t conducive to my lifestyle. I like to eat healthy, wake up early and exercise everyday, none of those things work very well into a chefs’ life. I decided to become a personal trainer, I trained for 6 years full time before I started Bucha Brew. In my mind Kombucha is a symbiotic relationship of the 2.

Q: What is a saying you live by?

If you want something you have never had you have to do something you have never done.

Meet Our Members – Bloom Ferments (MI)

Emily Helmus, Bloom Ferments, Grand Rapids, MI, USA Q: When did you first discover Kombucha? I first discovered kombucha during my sophomore year in college. A friend’s family made it at home in 2-3 gallon jars and I was both repulsed and intrigued by it. After building up the confidence a few months later to […]

Tuesday, 26th April 2016

Emily Helmus, Bloom Ferments, Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Q: When did you first discover Kombucha?

I first discovered kombucha during my sophomore year in college. A friend’s family made it at home in 2-3 gallon jars and I was both repulsed and intrigued by it. After building up the confidence a few months later to try it, I was hooked by the end of my first bottle! A few months later, a friend obtained a mother and shared one of hers with me. The rest is history!

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

It was my naturopath who convinced me to start selling! I was making kombucha at home for a while and quickly fell head over heels in love with the craft of fermenting. I made booch for myself and my friends as well as my naturopath, Micah. Insurance doesn’t cover holistic care so he let me barter with him for our visits. About a year after first seeing him, he sat me down at the beginning of an appointment and said “Look, you’re really good at this and need to sell it.” I had just dropped out of college and wasn’t sure what I was doing with life, but always knew that I wanted a career centered around food. So I went all in and decided to make it a licensed business. I wanted other people to heal from digestive ailments knowing first hand how miserable they can be, and kombucha was a fun and creative way to help!

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)?

Buchi’s “Sovereign,” their peach, ginger, molasses flavor, is hands down the best kombucha ever. I first tried it at KombuchaKon 2015 and became entranced by it. “Sovereign” is my spirit kombucha. I would wear a bottle on a string around my neck every day if I could in the same way people wear healing crystals! I get excited about “Sovereign” just thinking about it.

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

I’m in my mid 20’s so kombucha is my first career. I trained to be a birth doula for a while before deciding to start Bloom Ferments and would like to be involved with birth and labor later in life if possible.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

It’s not so much a saying as it is a philosophy. The idea is from Brene Brown’s book Rising Strong. In the book her husband says, “All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best. It keeps me out of judgment and lets me focus on what is, and not what could or should be.” When I encounter a difficult situation with a customer, colleague, or employee, instead of thinking that they could be acting selfishly, lazily, or angrily, I believe they are doing the best they can in whatever situation they are in. It helps me feel empathy for them and puts things into perspective. I picture their point of view, imagine the feelings they have, and then negotiate the situation from there. It brings me a sense of peace and helps me not to feel attacked or victimized. Running my business this way is very important to me.

Meet Our Members – Banjo Brews (New Zealand)

Heather McAlpine and Sandie Judge, Banjo Brews, Seddon, New Zealand Q: When did you first discover Kombucha? I (Heather) worked in Minnesota in the ’80s and tried it way back then. Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company? I owned a café in our local town and hated buying in lots […]

Saturday, 16th April 2016

Heather McAlpine and Sandie Judge, Banjo Brews, Seddon, New Zealand

Q: When did you first discover Kombucha?

I (Heather) worked in Minnesota in the ’80s and tried it way back then.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

I owned a café in our local town and hated buying in lots of sugary (or fake sugar…low sugar stuff)… had a distant memory of kombucha and the rest is history. Café sold and lovely friend Sandie and I were into it. She’s the master brewer.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)?

Wow favourite flavour..hmmm well we’ve just tried Dr Brew’s white rose… delicious!

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

Café owner for me, and strawberry grower and rafting company co-owner for Sandie.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Kindness and compassion are a daily goal.

Meet Our Members – Seattle Custom Beverage (WA)

Wayne Greenfield, Seattle Custom Beverage, Seattle, WA, USA Q: When did you first discover kombucha? I discovered kombucha about 3 years ago when I was having lunch with a client. He bought a kombucha with his meal. I tried a little and was intrigued by the sharp, sour taste. I remarked how it was kind […]

Friday, 1st April 2016

Wayne Greenfield, Seattle Custom Beverage, Seattle, WA, USA

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

I discovered kombucha about 3 years ago when I was having lunch with a client. He bought a kombucha with his meal. I tried a little and was intrigued by the sharp, sour taste. I remarked how it was kind of a cross between a soda, apple cider vinegar and wine. The winemaker and foodie in me was interested in learning more. Over the next several weeks, references to kombucha kept showing up all over the place. Then a friend gave me a growler to try. So I guess you could say that kombucha discovered me.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

Several reasons: I want to be part of the kombucha (living foods) revolution to create amazing, great tasting kombucha for the world. I am committed to people’s health and well being, and I am committed to people enjoying what they eat and drink. Brewing a living-food like kombucha is an artistic, craft brewing adventure that satisfies my artistic and business desires.

I also wanted to create a business that my son was interested in, that he could see himself being involved with during vacations and after school ends. Sam is becoming as interested and capable as I am in creating quality kombucha.

Lastly, I see the kombucha category evolving into something similar to what wine or beer has become – a culinary adventure of many styles and flavors. Kombucha is relatively new commercially. It has a lot of potential for artistic expression, a lot of financial opportunity, and a lot of room for improvement in terms of consistency and quality. In 20 years, I believe that you will see several styles and flavors of kombucha that define the beverage – similar to the way wine has pinot gris, chardonnay and merlot; or beer has IPA, pilsner and stout. I believe there will also be several “grades” of kombucha similar to $3, $15 and $50+ bottles of wine.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?

I have many favorites; including ginger, rose, apple, citrus hops, grapefruit, lavender and original!

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

I am a serial entrepreneur. Previously I created an Internet startup where I built and ran an Internet service provider business for 15 years. Currently I am a Change Management Consultant, helping executives and companies manage important organizational transitions with power, freedom and ease.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

“Try it. You might like it.”

Meet Our Members – NessAlla (WI)

Alla Shapiro and Vanessa Tortolano, NessAlla Kombucha, Madison, WI, USA Q: When did you first discover Kombucha? Alla-I began brewing kombucha in the late ’90s after being introduced to it by my herbal teacher. I was instantly hooked. Vanessa-I was working at the local coop in 2007 and started noticing a lot of Gt’s […]

Friday, 18th March 2016

Alla Shapiro and Vanessa Tortolano, NessAlla Kombucha, Madison, WI, USA

Q: When did you first discover Kombucha?

Alla-I began brewing kombucha in the late ’90s after being introduced to it by my herbal teacher. I was instantly hooked.

Vanessa-I was working at the local coop in 2007 and started noticing a lot of Gt’s kombucha going through the check out lines and I was intrigued. After I tried it, I loved it and learned that I could brew my own.

Q: Why did you start your own Kombucha company?

We are both herbalists and wanted to have a product that we were both passionate about and is also something that would benefit the people in our community. Kombucha was a natural choice for us.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha? (a brand that is not your own)?

One Breath Beverage out of Hood River, OR. We like their Be Love flavor, it’s delish!

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

We are both Mothers and Vanessa is super into doing stand up comedy these days. Alla is getting back into her herbal roots and doing private consultations on the side and for people that stay at the Camp Cabarita Eco Lodge in Jamaica.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Live.Laugh.Love.
Or… Cash rules everything around me, dolla, dolla bills y’all….. just kidding!