A fermented, carbonated tea known for containing probiotics and a hint of alcohol, kombucha is the latest natural health and wellness-oriented product to migrate from the periphery of homebrewers and hobbyists to mainstream retail shelves and foodservice display cases. Natural and wellness retail product tracker SPINS reports that the category has grown between 30% and 40% per year for the past five years.
Husband and wife team Austin Sherman and Alexis Korman, founders and owners of Big Easy Bucha in New Orleans, can personally testify to this mainstreaming trend. Sherman had been a homebrewer and recipe tinkerer himself until Korman recognized that his skills were ready for the big time. The pair launched Big Easy Bucha in 2014, established a brand identity, developed varieties distinct from the prolific West Coast kombucha scene, and rode the trend’s meteoric rise into the limelight.
