'Booch News

I first met Chris Olsen at the April 2023 KKON conference in Long Beach, California when he ran the bulk supply tea division of Teatulia Organic Teas, supplying kombucha brewers, craft beer brewers and other tea companies.

As Teatulia’s longtime in-house tea expert and formulator, Chris developed deep, garden-level knowledge of tea cultivation, blending, and extraction while working across various formats, including fresh-brewed tea, craft beer, kombucha, and ready-to-drink beverages.

In April last year, Chris bought out the bulk supply division of Teatulia’s business and launched his own venture to continue that work independently. Chri...

Ao final da CONAKOM, perguntei aos participantes sobre os desafios que seus negócios enfrentam, o futuro da kombucha no Brasil e o que acharam da conferência.

O podcast está em português; uma tradução para o inglês encontra-se logo abaixo.

>>>

At the conclusion of CONAKOM I asked attendees about the challenges their businesses face, the future of kombucha in Brazil, and what they thought of the conference.

The audio podcast is in Portuguese, an English translation is printed below.

My name is Sereno Carvalho of Kombuch...

No início da 5ª edição anual da CONAKOM (Conferência Nacional de Produtores de Kombucha), circulei entre o público e perguntei o que esperavam obter com o evento.

Ouça o podcast abaixo para saber quais são as expectativas deles.

O podcast está em português; uma tradução para o inglês encontra-se logo abaixo.

>>>

At the start of the 5th annual CONAKOM (Brazilian National Kombucha Producers Conference) I circulated among the audience and asked them what they hoped to get out of the event.

Listen to the...

The day before CONAKOM, I visited the fermented food and beverage bar in Sao Paulo, which is the showroom for the products produced by Companhia dos Fermentados in their factory located in Barueri, in the northwestern part of the Metropolitan Region. I met company co-founder Leonardo Andrade, who started the company 10 years ago with his husband, Fernando Carvalhaes.

Their company creates innovative fermented products rooted in Brazilian biodiversity. In addition to producing over 80 original foods and beverages, they provide training, publish books, and develop products and projects for brands, industries, restaurants, schools, and businesses. Products...

The day before CONAKOM, I visited Raphael Hennies, founder of Puro Verde Kombucha, at his factory in one of São Paulo’s last industrial areas. Raphael founded the company in 2013, after experimenting with cold-pressed juices. He now manages multiple product lines under the WeBev umbrella. In addition to kombucha, which accounts for 70% of sales, they also produce a shelf-stable carbonated tea, High hard kombucha (6.2% ABV), and a range of Amaz energy drinks.

He started the company at home, then opened a small factory in 2015, moved to larger premises in 2018, and last year moved into the current loc...

Continuing the deep dive into companies on the list of 27 Premium Kombucha brands published on August 11, 2026. We invited any on that list to contact us with more details. I interviewed Noushin Norouzian, the founder of Noush|Cha Kombucha, hand-crafted in Maastricht, Limburg, in the far south of the Netherlands, close to Belgium and Germany.

The brand Noush|Cha is derived from Noushin’s name, meaning ‘delightful’ in her ancestral Persian. It combines her name and ‘Cha’, the word for tea in Asia, to create the meaning ‘sipping on a delightful beverage’. Rather than pursuing broad retail distribution, Noush|Cha inte...

Continuing the deep dive into companies on the list of 20 Premium Kombucha brands published on August 11, 2026. We invited any on that list to contact us with more details. Bouche is one of Germany’s largest kombucha breweries, based in Berlin. I interviewed co-founder and CEO Walker Brengel. The podcast of our conversation is at the end of this post.

Walker heads up a team of nine producing 350,000 liters of kombucha annually–over a million bottles in three distinct categories: Core Kombucha, Pet Nats, and Proxys. Core Kombucha is the foundation — fermented tea in a range of flavor profil...

This is a follow-up about one of the companies on the list of 20 Premium Kombucha brands published on August 11, 2026. We invited any on that list to contact us with more details. I interviewed Francesco Vedovato, the owner of Funky Fermenteria, launched in October 2025, with a focus on artisanal, premium kombucha. The podcast of our conversation is at the bottom of this post.

Why ‘Funky’?

In the culinary world, the adjective “funky” describes flavors that are eccentric—unconventional and not necessarily immediately appealing to the average palate. Think of a slightly pungent natural wine or the distinctiv...

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.

We’ve created a unique formula that blends traditional kombucha with essential electrolytes, probiotics, and performance-enhancing nutrients. Unlike traditional kombuchas, which solely focus on gut health, Kombuchade is designed specifically for active individuals. It supports not only digestive health but also aids in hydration and recovery, which are crucial for those who demand more from their bodies.

I found that...

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), where he teaches courses, gives lectures, and provides consulting services. He is also the organizer of Conakom (Conferência Nacional de Produtores de Kombucha).

His central role in promoting kombucha in Brazil is evidenced by his social media presence: 277,000 follow him on Instagram, 55,000 on Facebook, and 153,000 on his YouTube channel, which has 279 instructional videos.

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, holds a master’s degree in biotechnology and a specialization in microbiology, and is currently a PhD candidate in chemistry at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). What began with support for a handful of kombucha brands in Minas Gerais evolved into a specialized consultancy focused on process consistency, quality control, shelf stability, and regulatory readiness. Today, LABKOM works with producers in Brazil and has als...

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 discovered that the 5th of December location had closed and, just three months ago, The Wellness Patio opened at 165 Francisca Rodríguez, a block away from the original Elixir Spot location.

This sister location is in a quieter, more relaxed place than by the busy pier where tourists congregate. Located in a pleasant c...

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 was supported by The Fermentation School, Wildbrine, and The Fermentation School en español.

Goodfellows Restaurant in Jo’s home town of Wells, Somerset, hosted two 15-person sold-out sittings of a ‘Cultured Lunch’ by chef Adam Fellows. Jo and her friend Caroline Gilmartin helped prepare the dishes.

The Cultured Lunch constituted two back to back...

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 to a larger space.

Twelve months later, I visited Gina at her larger space. She now produces twice the quantity in Puerto Vallarta and, together with her business partner, who operates a sister brewery in Zapotlanejo, near Guadalajara, sells Kova in five cities. Between the two facilities, they are selling 700 bottles a m...

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 substitute for animal leather, Meraj’s research, conducted over 11 months in 2025, treats it as a living, time-based medium that responds to its environment and the care it receives. This project balances technical material experimentation and mastery with a profound conceptual inquiry into grief, memory, and circularity.

Sustainability

Shajia was first inspired by a TED Talk by prominent Italian fashion designer Marina Spadafor...

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, breathable, and alive—literally. After the Climate Reckoning of the 2050s and the Fermentation Reformation that followed, humanity abandoned synthetic consumerism and rediscovered the wisdom of the microbial world. Artificial beverages—cola, beer, wine—became relics of the Carbon Age. People sought drinks that delivered tangible benefits: nourishing the microbiome, stabilizing mood, and sharpening cognition. Enter kombucha—the “liv...

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. This was an appropriate greeting since Kombucha Na Dálaigh is located in a Gaeltacht region of the Republic, where Irish is the everyday language and a cornerstone of local culture, traditions, and identity.

Origins

Having taught Food and Nutrition and Communications for 24 years, and also being a Certified Nutrition Coach, Marianne has...

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 emerged into the mainstream, exploring how ordinary people experienced the transition to a fermented future.

This did not happen without a backlash.

Opposition to the Fermentation Reformation came from multiple sources: corporate interests protecting market share, religious communities navigating theological questions, workers facing economic displacement, and cultural conservatives wedded to familiar traditions...

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 transform his gut health. He would walk the aisles of the supermarket, searching for the latest health foods and supplements to try. On one of these fateful trips, he discovered kombucha (which he had never tasted before). Going with his gut instinct, he took a bottle home and, in his words, “It was love at first sip.” He d...

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 medications via fermentation. Living probiotics became supportive therapy systems, enhancing the efficacy of conventional treatment. Mental health improved as gut-brain axis therapies reduced medication dependency for some patients. This episode follows Dr. Helena Marston’s development of probiotic kombucha strains that improved cancer treatment outcomes when used alongside chemotherapy. When fermented beverages became integrated into medical protocols, traditional pharmaceutical distribution ad...

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 opportunity

The decision to launch was heavily influenced by a clear market opportunity in Romania. A certain level of awareness of kombucha existed in the country, as it was a popular home brew in communist times, often perceived as a “miracle cure” kept in a jar by grandmothers. Although he is a physician by training, his exper...

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-fest.

He sat down with Booch News to discuss his film and explain why he chose to make a horror movie about everyone’s favorite drink. I then attended the screening and formed my own opinion of what some kombucha lovers see as a gross misrepresentation of the beverage.

Highly recommended

Let me say now...

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 organizing principle among many. In the future, kombucha cafes could replace bars and coffee shops as primary gathering spaces—not because the beverages possess magical properties, but because fermentation creates affordable spaces where people gather around shared productive work. This episode explores Mumbai’s “Fermentation District,” where bio-breweries have become community hubs, enabling stronger civic engagement. These spaces succeeded by combi...

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 to distribute taste profiles as digital files. Blockchain-verified SCOBY genetics allowed anyone to recreate award-winning kombucha flavors. Traditional beverage companies lost control as open-source fermentation recipes spread globally. This episode follows teenage hacker Luna Reyes as she reverse-engineers Heineken’s proprietary “A-yeast” strain and the century-old master strain used for Budweiser, releasing them under Creative Commons license, triggering a flavor...

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 William’s first time in Germany, if you count being in an airport transit lounge as being in a country. What follows is an edited transcript of our conversation. The full audio is available as a podcast at the end of this post.

The Confluence Kombucha Fermentory & Ping Pong Club is located at The Fox Den, 2501 S. Jefferson Avenue, Suit...

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 takeovers of kombucha startups failed to understand the living systems involved. Their sterile production methods eliminated beneficial microorganisms, while regulatory capture backfired as health authorities mandated probiotic content. Mega-Cola’s final CEO, James Morrison, desperately tried fermenting cola using SCOBYs, creating undrinkable disasters. This episode chronicles the corporation’s transformation from global giant to urban composting service, with former executives beco...

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, depression, and digestive issues, along with an unexpected allergic reaction to pollen after moving to Vancouver, led him to discover the healing benefits of kombucha. Inspired by his own transformative experience and his grandfather’s knowledge of medicinal plants, Davite shifted from a career in architecture and personal training to founding Bioma Kombucha in 2017, motivated by a mission to em...

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 weather rendered traditional agriculture impossible, but kombucha cultures thrived in controlled environments. Vertical fermentation towers became humanity’s primary food production method, with kombucha serving as a crucial source of nutrition. Climate refugees built resilient communities around shared SCOBY cultures that could withstand disasters. A critical challenge for kombucha production was tea availability, which became increasingly pr...

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 experienced since he was a child, which were due to Gilbert’s syndrome, which he was diagnosed with when he was only 13 years old. An engineer by profession, Jordi struggled with daily headaches, muscle pain, and fatigue caused by his difficulty eliminating toxins through the liver. The search for better health had been tireless. Aft...

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 past, but about recognizing that humanity’s oldest food may be its most sophisticated—algorithms encoded in bacteria, operating on time rather than electricity, generating complexity no factory can replicate. When the global cold chain collapsed during the Three-Week Blackout of 2047, humanity faced a choice: starve or remember. Ultra-processed food, dependent on continuous refrigeration and transcontinental supply...

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 in a country of almost 40 million — an outstanding example of a Blue Ocean Strategy.

Award Winning

KaBé Kombucha was honored as the *only* recipient of a medal in the Original, Black Tea category for their Earl Grey. Their Gold Medal stood alone. There was no Silver or Bronze awarded. An impressive accomplishment for a new brand!

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 fermentation renaissance is a story with many chapters. They wove together multiple legacies that enabled our collective survival and enjoyment of life in the year 2100. Here are nine of those chapters.

1. The Metchnikoff Prophecy: From Nobel Prize to Planetary Transformation

The foundations of the fermentations of 2100 can be traced to a...

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 story of his brand and the effect the conflict with Russia has had on his business. It’s not what you might expect:

Business in Ukraine are thriving, to be honest. The war brings some sadness and some possibilities. There is an increased demand for kombucha. It’s not only for kombucha, but for ever...

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 to hear from each brand and sample the kombucha on offer.

What an amazing event!

Where else could you be in one location and drink award-winning kombucha from around the world?

The producers displayed their bottles and cans.

The presentations gave a brief overview of production methods and flavors.

T...

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 2020s, bio-engineered SCOBYs interfaced with quantum processors created unprecedented flavor complexity and therapeutic precision. These living computers optimized fermentation in real-time, responding to environmental conditions and consumer biometrics. Kombucha cultures became self-modifying organisms that evolved custom probiotics on demand. This episode follows biotech researchers around the world as they developed SCOBYs that communicated through fungal ne...

“From Darjeeling to the world.”

Rooted in the ancient wisdom of the Himalayas, Syang’s Kombucha crafts wellness-focused drinks like sparkling teas, kombucha, and functional infusions made from ancient grains, herbs, and Himalayan botanicals. From the high slopes of Darjeeling, where clouds kiss tea leaves and spring water runs pure, we create raw, living drinks that are deeply rooted in nature, crafted with care, and bursting with purpose.

Origins

Syang’s is a tribal- and women-led company that partners directly with small farmers, foragers, and artisans from Darjeeling, Sikkim, and the Northeast Indian hills. M...

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 researchers transitioned from mouse models to human trials. Neural-linked biosensors provided real-time gut health data, revealing each person’s unique microbial ecosystem. This episode follows Dr. Lila Chen, whose groundbreaking research demonstrates that optimal cognitive performance requires individually tailored fermented beverages. Her work disrupts one-size-fits-all consumption patterns, compelling beverage companies to either personalize their offerings or perish in the ne...

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 and ferments them slowly in small batches, expressing the complex flavors of each tea without adding fruit juices, purees, or syrups. Every variety is made from just four simple ingredients: filtered water, organic raw cane sugar, live kombucha culture, and loose leaf tea.

Flavors include:

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 food industrial complex implodes when synthetic biology renders traditional agriculture obsolete. Corn subsidies vanish as vertical farms produce superior nutrition. High-fructose corn syrup becomes economically unviable compared with  living beverages that actively improve health metrics. Corporate executives desperately pivot into fermentation, but their sterile facilities can’t compete with distributed home-brewing networks. This episode follows Maria Vas...

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 makes home-brewed kombucha. This is a preview of a series about possible futures that will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. New episodes drop every Friday.

Introduction: The World of 2100

It’s 2100, and kombucha? It flows from a worldwide network of fermentation vats. The Great Health Awakening of 2047 shattered BigSoda’s duopoly when personalized medicine proved that individual gut...