The Science and Soul of Kombucha

A journey from fermentation to flavor with Cultured Kombucha

By Hanna Lee-Kleb | May 4, 2024

Amidst the bustling world of health-conscious beverages, Traverse City’s Cultured Kombucha has emerged as a rising star. This certified woman-owned business has not only captivated taste buds with its drinks in the last decade, but it has also captured hearts with its commitment to social good. (One percent of all Cultured Kombucha profits are donated to anti-human trafficking efforts.)

Now, with its recent distribution deal with SpartanNash, Cultured Kombucha is poised to share its bubbly goodness with an even wider audience. We sat down with founder Courtney Lorenz to talk about how the business has evolved…and how the gut-healthy bacteria that makes kombucha pop has evolved, too.

Homegrown Brews

Lorenz had her first sip of kombucha while volunteering on a farm some 11 years ago.

“I tried it for the first time on an organic farm,” she recalls. “It was a nourishing beverage that resonated with me, and I knew there was something special about it.” She began brewing her own batches at home, sharing them with friends and family. Her growing passion for kombucha and its potential health benefits fueled her determination to turn her hobby into a business.

Drawing from her background in culinary arts and nutrition, Lorenz launched Cultured in 2015. Her vision was to bridge the gap between people and their food choices, empowering them to make healthier decisions on a daily basis.

Lorenz says in the early days, a small space no bigger than a closet served as the birthplace of their brews. “We got our license from the Department of Agriculture and started with some five-gallon jars,” she explains. At the time, they were making Namaste Nectar, Genuine Ginger (both still around), and Original (available as a taproom exclusive). The finished products were sold at local farmers markets. 

Making the transition to retail stores was a pivotal step for the company’s growth, and it happened in late 2015 when Cultured Kombucha found its first retail partners in Edson Farms Market & Deli and Cuppa Joe. Lorenz recalls the excitement and anxious moments of those early meetings with retailers. “It was nerve-racking but also exciting to see my vision becoming a reality,” she says.

As Cultured Kombucha gained momentum, it quickly earned its reputation as the fastest-growing kombucha brand in the Midwest. Lorenz attributes this growth to a combination of factors, including meticulous product development, authentic branding, and a commitment to customer health.

“For smaller brands like us, I was pretty meticulous about taking a slow and steady growth approach, both because I don’t have any outside investment and because I serve the company with my heart and soul.” 

Lorenz also emphasizes the importance of customer trust and loyalty in sustaining this growth. “Customers will continue to come back to our brand because it’s an authentic product,” she says. Case in point, Cultured Kombucha continues to be the only certified organic brew in the Midwest. 

Happy Bacteria (and Yeast!)

Those organic ingredients largely come from Up North farmland, such as Providence Farms, Pleasant Hill Farms, Lakeview Hill Farms, Mayfield Organics, and more. The local touch is important to Lorenz, because better ingredients make better kombucha. 

Speaking of making, we asked Lorenz to give us some behind the scenes on how the sausage—or in this case, the kombucha—gets made.

“Kombucha is a tea that’s fermented for health instead of alcohol,” she explains. Unlike beer and wine, which are encapsulated fermentation processes, kombucha undergoes an open-air fermentation, allowing the culture to breathe and thrive. 

The magic happens thanks to the symbiotic relationship within the kombucha culture, known as Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY). The yeast and bacteria within the SCOBY collaborate to break down sugars, produce healthy acids and enzymes, and create the signature effervescence of kombucha. “Kombucha is an incredible example of things in nature working together for our health benefit,” Lorenz adds.

Depending on the time of year, the kombucha can ferment from 14-29 days. The entire process requires significant attention to detail, as kombucha can become overly vinegary, lack carbonation, or become off-flavored. There have been a few instances of trial and error as the team has tried out flavors that flopped—cacao, mint, and cucumber are a few experiments that didn’t make the cut—while others have become such fan favorites that they’ve joined the “always available” list.

Most folks who enjoy the beverage do so not just because of the flavor, but because kombucha is said to promote gut health and overall well-being.

“Kombucha facilitates achieving what’s referred to as homeostasis within your gut,” Lorenz explains. In a world filled with various stressors, both internal and external, our bodies often face disruptions in gut health. Kombucha acts as a natural remedy by providing the necessary “good bugs” to restore balance to the microbiome.

Lorenz compares the microbiome to a complex ecosystem comprising trillions of microbes. “Fermented foods, like kombucha, work to rebalance the microbiome, helping individuals thrive,” she says. The probiotics, amino acids, and antioxidants present in the beverage contribute to this restoration process, supporting the body’s natural ability to maintain equilibrium. 

Small Steps and Giant Leaps

Microbiome sounds tiny, right? Though we’re talking about itty-bitty bacteria, the kombucha culture itself can grow quite large during fermentation, upwards of 140 pounds! Lorenz likens it to a “sci-fi creature,” emphasizing the unique nature of the brewing process.

Working with that culture-creature in a closet-size space was never easy, and today Lorenz proudly showcases their recent upgrade to a larger bottling facility, capable of producing up to 5,000 of bottles of kombucha per day. While that’s a giant leap from their humble beginnings, it’s still just a small step in the scheme of large-scale production.

“Consumer perception often assumes a massive factory setting, but the reality is far from it,” Lorenz says.

Still, the new technology will allow Cultured to keep pace with their expanded offerings in SpartanNash stores. The company is also rolling out a brand refresh and product expansion, including the launch of a new flavor, Mango Tango. (For those counting, that brings Cultured’s offerings to seven cornerstone flavors: Namaste Nectar, Genuine Ginger, Local’s Lemonade, Yooper Berry, Lavender Bliss, Strawberry Rhubarb, and occasional seasonal drops.)

Looking ahead, Lorenz envisions Cultured Kombucha making a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of communities across the Midwest and beyond.

“Health should not be elitist or out of reach; it’s an innate human existence,” Lorenz emphasizes. “With Cultured Kombucha, I found a vessel to teach people about the connection between what they consume and their overall well-being.”

Find a bottle near you by visiting drinkcultured.com/find-us, visit the tasting room Mon.-Fri. from 10:00am - 2:00pm or the Grab and Go Cooler available 24/7 at 3842 Jupiter Crescent Drive in Traverse City.