Welcome to another Beach news podcast
with Ian Griffin.
So I'm here with Jerry,
who's the owner founder of Life Kombucha share
in our Cater to California,
and we've come into your
production facility. Right? Yes. On older Cater Road.
Mh. Just outside of town. And so you're
about to tell me, you know, what happened
in 20 12. And well, in 20 12,
we opened the first Kombucha bar in Northern
California.
We found this building in about 2010
and,
had been
drinking Kombucha. I had been brewing kombucha since
about 19 92,
where I got my first
mushroom even though it's not technically a mushroom,
but that's what I already called it. Yeah.
And
sort of brewing in big sur
way back then and then kinda took a
break, and then
moving to,
you know, 2010,
my husband was a musician.
We were going out a lot. He was
playing a lot,
we were drinking too much. Mh. And,
really wanting
to have a healthier
option at bars
in restaurants,
and also a way to, collaborate
with all our farmers and all the amazing
crafts people here, and we thought wouldn't it
be amazing to have Kombucha tap.
And start a
a bar where people could come in and
take apple cider vinegar shots.
And make it this really, really fun atmosphere
and
educate people about how important it is to
incorporate
live living,
foods,
drinks and ancient fermentation
into your life.
And
the more that we started doing that, we
started to fill this ripple effect of
our life just changing, us becoming healthier as
becoming feeling better,
and then the communities we were starting to
be a part of.
And so that inspired us to do this,
And so we decided to open a kombucha
bar here right across from our kids school.
Okay. And
we fermented here. We did everything ourselves.
We had 7 different flavors on top at
a time.
And
there was no kombucha on top. Anything around
our county.
And when we opened up our doors in
2012,
we got to educate people and let people
feel safe about what Kombucha is because it
was still a big mystery to a lot
of people.
So we had a lot of fun doing
that. We had a packed bar,
moms with babies on the bar, people from
all over
how how was that? Because if did people
know about Come kombucha or were they just
curious that you'd opened a bar that wasn't
serving beer and whiskey you why? Exactly. They
were, like, what is going on over there.
And we had it very open like this.
So people could see what we were doing
because we we knew there was some feelings
about well, what's Kombucha or it's kinda scary
or that... It's weird,
So it was a few people trickling in
at a time,
and then,
it basically
exploding
into
all kinds of people wanting to come in
and talk to us
and have, you know, flights and
taking the time to educate them about this
ancient fermentation,
and
it was really neat. We would have g
fill here,
had
rotating flavors 7 different kinds. Those beginning days,
people were really spoiled. I mean, people are
spoiled now with our flavors, but
it was just
ever rotating,
flavors that we were bringing in and things
that we were doing. And we still do
a lot of that, but, obviously, we're now
to a a point where we have a
flagship bottle flavor and things that we have
to keep up with, and
and the bar is has been gone for
a few years. No. What caused it to
close down? Was it just
better that you registered... Because I've seen around
since I've been up in Arc arcadia, you're
on tap at the main c ops.
Health food store, and you're also in any
number of the cafes and restaurants around here
in bottles. Yeah. So what goes the biotic
loads?
Production, and,
keeping up with that, and we are in
a lot of bars and restaurants here on
tap.
Our breweries,
wine,
everybody is so supportive of us, because the
community,
felt that need as well to have that
in addition to the bars and restaurants, and
you know, wherever they were going out,
it
people were requesting it, and it helped a
lot of people who weren't going out because
they weren't drinking alcohol and, you know, kinda
stress them out to sit down at the
bar. Well now they felt like I can
sit down at the bar my friends. I
can have a pint
I don't feel like I'm missing out,
and, it was just real magical that way.
And so
when we got out every out and about
everywhere,
we just started getting getting really busy with
production. And
And so we closed our doors, but we
still do
pre order grow fill. So people leave their
grow here and we fill them up with
all the specialties that we have. Mh. And
during Covid,
when everything shut down and at that time,
we... I've gotten all the way to Seattle
down to monte,
we were all over, and and it was
just like a wildfire. It was totally amazing.
Everything shut down. So during that time,
our community came together,
and
we had these things called Scott days. And
I would play Stop music. Mh. And everybody
kept us going and they would pre order,
and I would have this entire porch
filled with safe pickup for everybody. So the
bar wasn't going, but it it was going
in that way where I gave them different
flavors to pick
and they kept us going during Covid. It
was amazing. Yeah. It was just this community
amazing affair,
and
yeah. Since then, now,
Kombucha and our town, everybody knows what Kombucha.
Oh, yes. Yeah. But they did not know
what Kombucha was or... It's been your... The
you've been the the catalyst to educate them.
It's been
wonderful. And I have been honored to educate
people on Kombucha And when we open the
bar, actually, you could get beat C boss
Kombucha,
water keeper. Mh. John,
Bread C,
kimchi, Mh.
Rockets,
we were doing it all,
because we just wanted to educate people on
just all the amazing things that you could
do,
we were taking old bread from,
this woman, Rhonda,
and
when she couldn't sell the bread farmers market,
we would phrase it here, and we would
make
traditional bread Of us.
So we were just
really doing it all.
And
that was exciting. Yeah. A lot now. You
mentioned a few... A second to go. That
the local bars and restaurants carry. I'm curious
to know was that... Because I've heard from
other parts of the world that it's difficult
for Kombucha companies to get
an alcohol bar to put a tap in
for Kombucha because they think it's taken away
from another profitable line. Mh. What was your
experience there talking to to Bars restaurants to
get them to carry it. Was it was
it pushback or another education opportunity?
Definitely back. Yeah. And still back. We're always
fighting that fight.
It's a good fight.
And
eventually, there, you know, a lot of people
saw the worth in it.
And
you know, if they don't at the top,
they'll usually take
bottles, but it definitely
is...
It is battle, and I never realized how
political it was.
Getting a tab and a bar restaurant anywhere
is a political battle. Yeah. It is. And
there's always somebody trying to take you off
to have or this or that, and and
as we know even today, Kombucha
can be very cut throat.
But it's a good fight, and I feel
really good about about what we're doing. I
know it's our life work. I know it's
our life passion we're not just in it
for money or this or that, like, we
truly care. Yeah. About
this amazing living ancient fermentation.
And,
and educating people and helping people feel better.
And
and I love hearing all the stories that
happened with that. But it does it does
take some push.
We have our solid people here,
that probably would never take a off top.
It's just, you know, it's a wonderful addition,
and,
we're definitely on top at a bunch of
places in the city and stuff now. Yeah.
So bring me up to date. I've seen,
you've got on your website, which is... It's
live, kombucha dot com. Right? Yeah so people
can go there.
Yeah you've got a range of flavors. I've
tried the Lion's mane. I've tried the hop,
and they're both fantastic in bottles.
How far a afield you'd mentioned at 1
point was it Vancouver and Mont somewhere how
far a field are you distributing right now
and and What are your plans around that?
Right now, we have honed in our distribution
a bit, and we are basically...
Trinity County, next county up, down to the
San Francisco Bay Area,
Santa Cruz,
And so we've honed it in a bit,
and our plans are to
continue to expand in that way.
I think Sky's the limit. I don't think
that we...
Our most important thing is staying true to
our brew. Mh. We
are...
We like time honored ancient fermentation.
We
we our product is very high end and
very craft, and that's what we want to
continue to be.
In terms of our growth, and how we're
growing,
we're open to the world. You know. And
open to the magic that can happen with
collaboration, and in community communities and
working with local people there,
and just continuing in that way,
and
that's as far. As far were looking. We're
very passionate about... I really
I really love the Ke.
We don't use plastic ke.
We,
we're very environmental. If you look at our
our bottles, people...
When you look at the bottle, it's a
it's a twist off. It's a metal cap.
We don't wanna use plastic caps. So that's,
you know, where we're looking at in the
future is you know, the name of our
company is called it's alive, and it's not
just because of our product. It's because of
our planet. Right. And
and
and taking that into account and how important
that is to continue to keep it alive.
And,
I know that we're not separate from any
that. So as we continue to move forward,
with that as a driving force for us
is really important. And I think that keeping
that as a driving force, we'll open the
doors in the right places. Yeah. And
you're kind of, I mean, for people who
don't know it. You're in Arc catered Humboldt
County, which is kind of way up north
in a what we'd say a remote area.
It's got 6 hours drive to the Bay
area. Yeah. And but this has been a
good solid base for you to launch a
business like this. It sounds.
It is... It definitely has its challenges doing
business from Humble County.
I was born and raised in the Bay
Area.
My families down in the Bay area.
So, you know, luckily, I go down there.
I do a lot of business. I have
a lot of support,
it does have its challenges doing business from
here, but it has a lot of great
benefits as well.
I
part of,
big part of, our drive is to really
keep that connection between the Bay area and
Humboldt going.
Because when I grew up in the bay,
I was the same as I am here.
I rode my horses in the hills.
I was harvesting berries and plants
and making, you know, fun different little con.
I just grew up doing this. So
I'm really passionate about the bounty here in
Humboldt County. It's amazing, what we have, our
Flo,
our food,
and so does of area.
So does many places. I mean, everywhere you
go, I'm just...
That's usually what I'm drawn to. Are the
plants and the different things. So wherever I
go, I'm always thinking of a crazy Kombucha
or a ferment that I can make.
And
Yeah. So that's. Yeah. And you also, I've
seen I think I'm correct in saying, you've
got the the radio kombucha. You're also ferment
hard kombucha.
We've started permitting hard kombucha again. We actually
had that here
in 2012 when, we opened it up as
a Pacific hop. We had a 1, you
know, hard option.
Low alcohol. It was just, like a 3
percent,
kind of, like, what they do in spin
Heard they have the green wine where it's
just like, AA3
percent, like, a very very low alcohol, which
is kinda nice So we're doing that.
And then we stopped doing that. And then
we decided to kick it back in, and
we went and act actually did a
competition,
battle of the Brewers in Sonoma County a
few months ago.
And we won.
With with the heart. With the hard kombucha
because it was it was a hard competition.
And they all were kinda laughing because it
is a beer competition, but we said, well,
it's okay We're just gonna enter anyways. And
we've been working with both dis still or
local to dill and sep Winery, who's a
local winery,
and we've used their barrels
and brew Har
in those,
while pairing with an organic farm down the
road, Redwood Roots farm,
some On organics. We use the rose petals,
and we brew
a
pomegranate rose in the sep trio barrel, a
peanut noir barrel, and then we brew in
the bulk bourbon barrel of fresh pressed apple
with all kinds of birch bark because our
sp gorilla,
and then we let it age for about
5 months.
And then we took it, and we entered
it in the competition, and we won best
barrel brew. Yeah.
And they were all laughing
because
we entered anyways. They said the beer competition,
but you win. Yeah. And so we were
kind of excited because we've showed up for
over 10 years
being the only Kombucha, and most of the
time non alcoholic at these huge alcohol events
and we're like, hi. Here we are.
And everybody's kinda like, what are you doing
here? And it's just like, there's a place
for all of us.
And now 10 years later, you know, sometimes
I thought I gonna get tires popped or
something. I'm like, oh, they're not super stoked
on the Kombucha people and then some people
really were. It was, you know, it was
always kind of all over the board, but
I love how now it feels very integrated.
Yeah. And there's a respect for it, and
it's been really, really fun paving the way.
And having fun with that. And those people
that were kinda stinky eyed and looking at
us, you know, I always went up to
them with a bunch of free bottles and,
you know, and and just talked it up,
and it's it's been a really cool journey
So in terms of the consumers,
people who go for your hard Kombucha, are
they like the beer and wine drinkers is
trying a a different variety? Or are there
sort of people who Like, I I don't
drink a alcohol. So I never do cup
hard Kombucha. Yeah. Other Kombucha drink because it
will then take that further step into the
freak first 3 percent isn't at much right?
Because a lot of it's 7 percent or
8 percent. 3 to 7, there's some that
are 12 these barrel brewers were 7 per
sense. Oh they want. And they were just
special bottles that you basically could only get
here,
and we do that every season.
I think that
the crowd is growing and vast. Mh.
Seems like
mostly Kombucha drinkers move into the hard Kombucha.
But
I I just... You know, it's a growing
category right now. And
so I think we'll continue to notice what
that is. And is that something you've been
able to put on app and in regular
bars or hard kombucha check. Yeah. Mh. Because
that fits right in with... Yeah. People going
together a we. Yeah. We have a blueberry
lion's mane and we work work our local
mushroom farmer who also does the Lion's mane
in the Golden Lion's mane. So that's really
fun, and we have some taps around here
as well as the city.
And growing.
And then
we have a prick pear 1 coming out,
and that's brew with fresh nepal cactus leaves,
on on the California coast.
So those are our 2 hard kombucha right
now.
And
we'll see if we're gonna end up putting
that in cans. We have a can, but
I just love...
I love working with the ke. But again,
we're open to many possibilities right now just
yeah. So being the product high end. So
last question I should have looked on your
website initially. Somebody who doesn't live in the
area. Do you have e commerce? Can people
order it like remotely? We are working on
our e commerce because I get those calls
all the time. Right. And so we're working
on e commerce right now,
so I'm hoping by
the end of the fall
before the holiday season comes in to have
some really fun stuff, have some, like,
subscriptions and stuff like that. So figuring out
what we're gonna do there.
And,
in terms of wide availability. We did just
get into whole foods
with our flagship bottles in Nor cal.
So you can get those
at Whole Foods all over Nor cal right
now. Okay So... And then we're updating our
Instagram
finder, so you can find where we're on
top
and where we're in bottles at other places
like Berkeley Bowl or yoga studios like funky
door in Berkeley and San Francisco. So we
have we have various accounts
in the bay from here down to the
bay. So
Well, it's been great to hear all this
story and good luck keeping humboldt
foot supplied with Kombucha. Thanks. Are honored to
do it. Thanks for coming by.
Thanks for listening to News.
For more about Kombucha, please visit news dot
com.