Is This Northern Michigan's Next Big Drink?

First came artisan coffees, then world-class wines, followed by the craft beer craze. Is kombucha poised to become northern Michigan’s next popular beverage du jour? Retailers say sales are booming, one local producer is established a foothold, and another second player is opening soon.

Kombucha is a fermented tea made by adding a culture of bacteria and yeast to a solution of tea, sugar and sometimes fruit juice or other flavors. It contains sugar, vitamins and antioxidants, as well as a trace of alcohol, a result of the fermentation process.

Bottled kombucha is stocked everywhere from health food stores to supermarkets. It’s sometimes referred to as “mushroom tea” because during the brewing process the bacteria and yeast grow into a mass that resembles a mushroom cap. The drink has a slight effervescence flavor and often has tiny remnants of the bacteria mix floating in it. That might not sound appealing, but it’s not much different than finding sediment in your glass of wine. Kombucha is also purported to have certain health benefits.

Nationally the beverage is flying off the shelves. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation report, kombucha sales increased 41 percent last year alone.

One local producer – Cultured Ferments – has been operating since 2015, when Courtney Lorenz began brewing up three five-gallon batches.

Lorenz’s volume has mushroomed to 23 50-gallon batches every week, with her varieties available at dozens of retail locations across the region and state, including Pleasanton Bakery, Tom’s Food Markets, Edson Farms, Yen Yoga and Fitness, The Peninsula Market, Cuppa Joe, Spanglish, and Burritt’s Market.

Lorenz’s kombucha proved so popular at Oryana that the co-op installed three taps so customers could draw their own choice of three flavors. “It’s been incredibly popular,” says Stephanie Mathewson, Oryana’s marketing and communications manager. “People come in all the time and fill up a glass, a howler or a growler. It’s a nice alternative to a soft drink or fizzy water.”

Edson Farms also has kombucha on tap, offering two choices. “It’s a hot thing,” says manager Melanie Earl. “We go through a lot of it, both on tap and in cases.”

And the slightly zingy tea beverage is packed with health benefits, according to Debin Moore, Oryana’s education and outreach coordinator. “It’s great for detoxifying because it binds with toxins and they are released,” she explains. “It’s also an anti-oxidant and packed with vitamin C and vitamin E. For diabetics, it can help reduce blood sugar and also aid with hypertension. It has a lot of really awesome benefits.” 

A second kombucha company is poised to open soon, pending state approval. Polyculture Kombucha owners Kelly Kieft and Scott Mills seek a state license as a micro brewer, which the state requires since the product contains a small amount of alcohol. The Garfield Township board approved their request in June (Kieft and Mills declined to be interviewed).

Kombucha lovers can also brew their own at home by either buying a culture starter or getting one from a friend who has a culture that has produced offshoots, and fermenting it in a clean jar for 7 to 14 days. As with any home brewing, it’s important to research the proper technique and do it under highly sanitary conditions.