kombucha tea

About Kombucha Tea

If you want to know about Kombucha tea, you will find his article of interest. For the most part, Kombucha has been brewed at home for literally thousands of years.

The first documents about Kombucha date back to 250 BC in Chinese documents. Now, this in itself does not make Kombucha unique, except for the fact that the Kombucha Culture or Kombucha Mushroom that is required to brew Kombucha is actually a living organism.

If you take a moment and think about that point itself, Kombucha is an amazing thing. This living organisim has been cared for, shared and brewed for thousands of years I think this is one of the most interesting things about Kombucha Tea. It was carried on foot, horseback, or whatever means it took to share this special Kombucha Tea with others.

So why would people go to so much trouble to continue the brewing of Kombucha and share it with others? Well, history tells us that the Chinese revered this tea as the elixir of youth, and it was said to heal most of what ails you from the inside. There are no studies or clinical trials that have taken place to support Kombucha teas healing abilities, but those who drink the tea daily swear by it. Increased energy, curing disease, easing pain, and over all well being are reported by thousands of people.

This point amazes me too, because the first time I tried Kombucha, I could actually feel my whole body tingle, like the tea as surging through me

This prized beverage is now brewed commercially by a few brewers in North America and can be found on the shelves of specialty stores as well organic grocers. Many people drink Kombucha tea purchased in stores and are not aware of it’s history, or home brewing ability.

So next time you think about buying some Kombucha, you will have a greater respect that this living organism has followed us and healed us all through time.

Kombucha Tea

Kombucha has just been pulled off the shelves by most of the major distributors in the United States, because of some concerns over the minuscule amount of alcohol that is in kombucha due to the fermentation process from which it is produced. I have always been aware that kombucha had a little alcohol in it, but have never heard of anyone getting drunk or even a small buzz from drinking it, nor have I ever seen kids or teenagers buying kombucha.

I personally am not a big kombucha drinker, but I know many people that drink it everyday and are going to be very upset over this situation. the government wants to control the supplement industry so the Food and Drug Administration have put pressure on wholesale distributors and large retailers.

This is the notice that is currently on the shelves where kombucha used to be in a whole Foods market by my house, Key suppliers and whole Foods Market have elected to voluntarily withdraw Kombucha products in bottles and on tap from our stores at this time due to labeling concerns related to slightly elevated alcohol levels in some products. This is not a quality issue. sorry for any inconvenience.

The following is a letter that is paraphrased from a major health food distributor to the retail stores that they service:

Effective immediately and until further notice all sales of unpasteurized ready to drink kombucha products, regardless of brand, have been suspended from distribution. In order for distribution to commence on a supplier by supplier basis each supplier must accomplish the following two requirements:

1. Certify in writing by an authorized company officer that the supplier’s unpasteurized ready to drink kombucha has been taken from an applicable distribution center and been subjected to alcohol content testing within the past 30 days and all such tested samples show less than.5% alcohol content by volume.

2. an authorized company officer must execute a specific indemnification agreement related to this issue.

At this time we will not be picking up affected product and we advise our customers to remove from sale until such time as the above requirements are met. Please understand these measures taken are designed to protect you and your customers and we appreciate your support while we all work through this issue.

The manufactures of kombucha need to be able to prove and document that the drinks do not exceed.5% alcohol. I would assume that the major companies like GTS would have the resources to get this handled quickly. I hope this is just minor inconvenience for those of you who love kombucha.

Kombucha: Tea for Two

Robert Lopez: the founder/brewer of Kickin Kombucha bottled energy teas, sold in Whole Foods and other stores, wants to spread the word on the health benefits of his six flavors of fermented tea. Trinidad native Keisha Bocace has served "Carib-Asian"

Robert Lopez: the founder/brewer of Kickin Kombucha bottled energy teas, sold in Whole Foods and other stores, wants to spread the word on the health benefits of his six flavors of fermented tea. Trinidad native Keisha Bocace has served "Carib-Asian"

Kombucha is a natural, organic, fermented tea that originated in Russia during the early 19th century. it is said to be a magical elixir that, when ingested, produces amazing benefits for all people, especially athletes. Source of Energy: according to

Kombucha Harvest. FEEDING MY KOMBUCHA TEA HABIT. per my "crazy hippie" status, I harvested my kombucha tea the other night. Thought I'd share the.

Holmdel entrepreneur Ruth Patras turned devotion to her daughter into a thriving business she hopes will help and inspire others, one sip of tea at a time. by Grace Modla Ciara and Ruth Patras. the story of Kombucha tea is the story of a mother's

Queens Tribune

By JASON PAFUNDI Spiro Theofilatos experiments, brews and bottles Kombucha in the basement of Theo and Theos clothing store on Steinway Street in Astoria.

Five years ago, Spiro Theofilatos was a musician and visited the West Coast, where he tried Kombucha for the first time. He said he liked the way it made him feel but did not necessarily like the taste.

now he is the proud owner of Beyond Kombucha, a company that makes and bottles a form of the ancient artesian drink.

Theofilatos, 39, founded the company in Astoria in January 2010 and does all the experimenting, brewing and bottling in the basement of Theo and Theos clothing store on Steinway Street in Astoria. his family owns the building, so not paying rent has surely helped the business side of things, he said.

After trying the drink for the first time on the West Coast, Theofilatos had an idea. He compared the taste of it to carbonated vinegar, and after finding out that the basis for all Kombucha is tea, he wondered what it would be like to make the drink using extremely high-quality teas.

“I was just doing it as a hobby, but it came out so good,” Theofilatos said. “My friends started loving it and told me that I should sell it.”

In January 2010, he bottled his first sample and took it to Café Bar on 34th Avenue in Astoria, which became the first place to have his Kombucha on the menu.

“They couldn’t stop selling it,” Theofilatos said. “Eventually I started making enough that I started selling to a health food store nearby and realized that I could make a company out of this.”

For the first year, Theofilatos said he had partners that helped offset the workload, but he bought them out in September 2011.

“We had different visions of where we wanted the company to go,” he said.

Theofilatos said that Kombucha has been around for more than 2,500 years and is very popular in Siberia and Russia. In June 2010, the government said that Kombucha had enough alcohol per bottle that they could collect excise taxes. some Kombucha makers began using a formula to produce the drink without any alcohol, while other brands shut down entirely.

“The tax is only seven cents per case, so it’s not going to break me,” said Theofilatos. “I didn’t want to remove the alcohol. it takes away the buzz and the fizz. I love my sparkles and love my bubbles.”

Theofilatos was born in Manhattan and comes from a Greek father and English-Canadian mother. He spent his early years in Astoria, moved to Long Island, and came back to Astoria in 2001. his business has the distinction of being the East Coast’s first alcohol-positive Kombucha brewery.

Beyond Kombucha is available in bars and cafes throughout the City, mostly in Queens, and if his plan comes to fruition, Theofilatos would love to see his drink in other major cities like Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“As soon as I started making labels and got serious about it, I said I’m going to sink my teeth into it,” he said. “Immediately, my vision was huge. I want to destroy the model of shipping everything out from a single location.”

Theofilatos is concerned about the environment and also with helping local businesses, and by having mini-breweries in different locations, the carbon footprint from the business would be lessened, while the local economies would receive a boost.

“What I want to see is the exact same model,” he said. “Own the building, use solar panels like we do here and be very green.”

He said that Kombucha, in a 16-ounce bottle, contains about 75 calories, making it a far healthier drink than a regular soda or beer. Theofilatos added that the drink contains 17 percent of the daily recommended amount of B-vitamins and is great for digestion.

“If you have a burger, the best thing to drink is a Kombucha,” he said. according to Theofilatos, the digestive enzymes in the drink will not leave you feeling full after chowing down a half-pound cheeseburger.

Theofilatos is producing a couple hundred bottles of Kombucha a week but is planning on ramping up production in order to accommodate a deal with a new distributor, Union Beer, who according to Theofilatos has a craft beer portfolio that is “second to none.”

“For them to not only consider but be excited about having my stuff, that’s pretty cool,” he said. “They are going to get it everywhere.”

The new agreement should find Beyond Kombucha in Whole Foods, Dean and Deluca and Fairway. Basically, Theofilatos said, it is “all up to us about how much we make.”

For more information on Beyond Kombucha, visit beyondkombucha.com or call (718) 274-2747.

Reach Reporter Jason Pafundi at or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.