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The Ancient Art of Kombucha Brewing
We often get asked if kombucha is a drink we invented ourselves. We like to take people on a little journey. Our brew began on a counter top in West London in 2016, but there are stories that go back a very long time before that.
Where does kombucha come from? Where the story begins (we think!)
Nobody can say for sure where or when the first jar was brewed. The most popular story takes us to Northeast China over 2,000 years ago, around the time of the Qin dynasty, where it was supposedly known as the “Tea of Immortality”. Some tellings even have soldiers heading into battle with a hip flask of it.
Another story says that in 414 CE a Korean physician called Dr Kombu brought the fermented tea to Japan to help an emperor, and that’s where the name comes from. History or folklore, we love the idea of kombucha being prized for its magical powers.
A drink that travelled
What we do know is that kombucha got around. It made its way along trade routes and across borders into Russia and Eastern Europe, where families brewed it at home and passed their SCOBYs on like heirlooms. By the 20th century it had reached Germany and beyond.
It picked up plenty of names along the way. In Russia it was known as “tea kvass” and “tea fungus”, and in parts of Europe it was the “Manchurian mushroom”.
Kombucha wasn’t our invention, and it wasn’t born in a factory either. It was made in kitchens, by people who gave a SCOBY to a neighbour, a friend or a grandchild and showed them how to look after it. The way of doing it varied from home to home, but the tradition was passed on and on.
Why it’s lasted
We’re so glad kombucha found us, and we’re not surprised it has lasted all these years.
For a start, the taste is incredibly unique! Tangy, fizzy and a little different with every batch, which is all part of the thrill. With a bit of tweaking and testing, every brew can become your own, and there are endless opportunities for creativity.
It’s also something anyone can do. There’s a deep, quiet joy in making something with your own hands, especially in a world that’s so instant and built for convenience.
And the love of the liquid itself has only grown. Some sip it first thing on an empty stomach as part of their gut-health routine, others reach for it in the 3pm slump, and plenty pour it in place of alcohol, raising a glass without missing a moment of the celebration.
Because of all these reasons, it keeps being shared, and shared again. Something a bit weird, wacky and woo woo when we started brewing back in 2016 is now more and more desired.
Carrying it on
That first counter top batch became batch 2, then batch 10, then batch 101 and beyond, and we were mad enough to go all in and do it full time.
Through all of it, we’ve stuck to how kombucha has always been made. We ferment the real way, the way it has been done for centuries: unpasteurised, made with real ingredients and living, which is why you’ll always find ours in the fridge. It took time to perfect and we’re still learning, but we wouldn’t do it any other way.
For us, the Brew Kit is a return to our beginnings, and a reminder of why we stayed. Why going forward sometimes means a return to basics. Why we say no to ingredients that don’t belong. Why we keep our social mission at the heart of what we do, even when it would be easier not to.
That’s why every Brew Kit is packed through our paid placement programme, creating meaningful employment for survivors of exploitation and trauma. Holos is brewed for good.
Making kombucha at home
Brewing at home is the best way to feel part of all this. It’s a little living thing to look after, and it asks you to slow down, put your phone down for a bit and do something with your hands. There will be fails and sweet successes, and it’s the best feeling. Get started with our new organic Brew Kit.
Tag @holoskombucha on instagram and show us your first batch, wonky SCOBYs very much welcome. We’d love to see where your story begins.