Kombucha, the fizzy probiotic drink made from tea, has exploded out of the health food scene and is making its way to becoming a well-known beverage across the country.
Two Connecticut-based kombucha breweries are hoping their products will help bring in new drinkers across the state, developing loyal customers who prefer fresh, local brews over the national brands that are showing up at grocery and convenience stores.
Cross Culture Kombucha — which sells at farmers markets, operates a year-old taproom out of Danbury and distributes to about 115 locations — is being joined by East Coast Kombucha Co. as it opens up a taproom in South Norwalk this month and looks to grow its distribution.
Both said they believe their small business approaches will encourage skeptics to give the drink a try or even a second chance.
“It’s all about just getting it into their mouths, just giving them a taste,” East Coast Kombucha co-founder Steve Gaskin said.
The factory-turned-taproom that East Coast Kombucha will soon open is built largely around offering a relaxed environment where people can discover more about kombucha. Large tasting room windows allow patrons to see into the brewing area so they can view what goes into the process while sipping on flavors like hibiscus or classic tea.
Kombucha is made by fermenting sweet tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or SCOBY, and then sometimes flavoring with fruits, herbs or juices. Some people drink it for the purported digestive and other health benefits, but many see it as a healthier alternative to sugary drinks or alcohol.
The fermentation process takes out most of the sugar and caffeine. That same process can add trace amounts of alcohol, but most brews are kept under the 0.5 percent limit and are safe for children and non-drinkers.
A longer fermentation can develop a vinegary taste that turns some people away from kombucha the first time they try it — another reason local brewers boast about the freshness of their products.
“We want to create kombucha that you drink because you want to drink it and not because you feel that you have to drink it,” Gaskin said.
A growing industry
Depending on the store and the brand, a 16-ounce bottle of kombucha can cost anywhere from $3 to $5.
In the United States, the kombucha industry is worth about $800 million, a number expected to grow to $1.2 billion by 2020, according to the industry trade association Kombucha Brewers International.
Association president Hannah Crum said kombucha has been growing steadily in the past few decades, with its most recent popularity bump starting around 2016.
“It’s definitely something we’re continuing to see trending, and I don’t think it’s going to stop anytime soon,” Crum said. “I don’t think we’re at the tipping point yet.”
The drink may have originated as long ago as 221 B.C. in China. Crum said GT Dave, founder of the company now known as GT’s Living Foods, is largely credited with starting the U.S. trend in 1995 when he began selling his kombucha in Los Angeles.
Still, a majority of people don’t know what kombucha is, which is where Crum said local brewers come in, especially on the East Coast where the drink isn’t as big.
Community coffee shops and beer taprooms are adding kombucha to their menus, turning to local kombucha brewers to provide an option for people who don’t want to drink caffeine or alcohol.
Hog River Brewing Co. in Hartford offers Cross Culture Kombucha at its taproom as one of their alternative options to beer.
Server Henry Hooper said the taproom is focused on the social atmosphere rather than getting drunk, so offering kombucha is a way for those who aren’t drinking to still feel included.
“I like to call it an equally attractive nonalcoholic beverage,” Hooper said. “It has the same kind of artisanal vibe that the craft beer does.”
A substitute for alcohol
Cross Culture co-founder Ian Ceppos began brewing kombucha as an alternative to alcohol after going sober about a decade ago.
What began as a personal project quickly expanded for Ceppos and his wife. They began offering kombucha to friends and family when they ran out of fridge space, eventually realizing people liked it enough that they could start selling it.
“We have built a solid brand, and we have very loyal customers,” Ceppos said.
Although the Cross Culture taproom is open Thursday through Saturday in Danbury, the Cepposes can still be found selling bottles and filling growlers at farmers markets — at least until their kegs run out for the day.
On July 28 at the Fairfield Farmers Market, Ceppos brought two core flavors, jasmine and Earl Grey, along with limited-batch grapefruit and jalapeno watermelon flavors.
Ceppos said Cross Culture sources local ingredients for fruit or herb flavors, but it sticks to teas for its core five.
“We built the company on the concept that good kombucha stands on its own,” Ceppos said.
Colette LeBrun, a Cross Culture loyalist and self-described “health fanatic” from Norwalk, said she drinks kombucha every day.
She said it seems to help her bounce back quicker when she’s feeling sick.
“I think it energizes you. I really do feel that, because you just feel good when you drink it and yet there’s no negative effects,” LeBrun said.
Kevin Richardson, LeBrun’s partner, sipped on Cross Culture next to her after they picked up their growler. He said he originally didn’t like kombucha, but eventually became a convert.
“Now it’s kombucha, it’s all I drink,” Richardson said.
Despite friendly regular customers lining up around Cross Culture for most of the market, some people eye the stand hesitantly as they pass.
“It’s a huge part of our life, and you expect people to know what it is,” Ceppos said.
For the most part, Ceppos treats the looks as a chance to gain new customers.
He smiles, asks if they’ve ever tried kombucha before and gets ready to pour some samples.
Lydia Gerike can be reached at lgerike@courant.com.
