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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2014 n GOURMET NEWS N H 2 6 Try Something New with Kombucha An interview with Hannah Crum & Alex LaGory, Founders, Kombucha Brewers International. NH: Tell our readers why you two founded KBI. HC: Alex and I have been Kombucha brewers, bloggers and consultants for over a decade, so we have a lot of experience working to raise the profile of the Kom- bucha beverage industry through educa- tion and marketing. It's not surprising that we were always hearing about similar problems and concerns from these compa- nies, but it became clear that they were not speaking to each other. We thought that was crazy! Every industry has to work to- gether, but for a variety of reasons, that was not happening with Kombucha. What we learned was that these companies needed a safe space to come together and discuss these issues, to build some trust. We're in a unique position in that we've already built relationships with so many of them; we've toured their brewing oper- ations, helped craft their processes and had dinner with their families. If we could just get them in the room together, we had a feeling it could be transformative for a lot of people, and hopefully that's what's happened. KBI gives us the opportunity to speak with one voice to consumers, retail- ers, regulators and anyone else who wants to do business with our flourishing industry. NH: How many Kombucha compa- nies joined/attended KombuchaKon 2014? AL: We were really honored that more than 40 Kombucha companies joined as founding members of KBI, and almost all of them were in atten- dance for our inaugural annual meet- ing, including búcha live Kombucha. KBI membership proudly represents over 90 percent of all Kombucha sales at retail. Even so, there are so many small companies out there just starting now – the Kombucha boom is still coming. A major function of the Association is help- ing connect these newer companies with resources and infor- mation that will help them be more suc- cessful, avoid mis- takes and represent our industry well as we continue to grow. We hope and antici- pate we will be adding many new members both this year and in the fu- ture. NH: What is your relationship to the Kom- bucha industry? HC: I've been teaching people how to make Kombucha since 2003, and started the class called Kombucha Kamp out of our little guest house in Culver City, Calif. A blog led to a mail order request, a proper website, magazine articles and in- structional web videos that ended up with a lot of hits. One article tabbed me 'Kom- bucha Mamma,' and we took it from there. Back when I was acting as brewmaster for several restaurants in Los Angeles, Alex and I put out a small vanity brand called Hannah's Homebrew Kombucha, and that experience helped us understand the needs of small and large companies, and it made sense to offer consulting since Kombucha Kamp really is an education company first. In 2010, we wrote in detail about the voluntary withdrawal at KombuchaKamp.com and then Alex and I started covering the industry in detail for BevNet.com. From there, our connection to all these wonderful new companies coming onto the market was unavoidable. Kombucha Kamp is unique in that we're intimately connected to the homebrewers and the commercial world. NH: How do you envision the future of Kombucha? HC: The tipping point for Kombucha going completely mainstream is nearly here. Kombucha has enjoyed terrific ve- locity in the natural channel in combina- tion with tremendous growth in the traditional outlets such as mainstream gro- cery. As more consumers are ditching their sugar and chemical laden sodas in favor of functional beverages that deliver on more than just a flavor experience, the future for Kombucha is extremely bright. The current challenge is refining our mes- sage to prevent consumer confusion and educating both retailers and consumers on the benefit of trying something new. Kom- bucha Brewers International is here to har- ness the collective power of our members and ensure that bright future is realized. NH: How can our readers find out more about your organization? AL: Learn more about the Kombucha Brew- ers International non-profit trade association by visiting www.kombuchabrewers.org. Contact us by email at kombuchabrewers international@gmail.com. For more information, visit www .kombuchabrewers.org, call 424-245-5867, emailkombuchabrewersinternational@gmail .com or stop by booth #5236.

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