Kombucha: It’s been called a defense against cancer, a natural Viagra and a catalyst for the body’s immune functions. The fermented beverage has achieved near mythic status, with a plethora of attributes including the ability to purge toxins and improve eyesight, hearing, brain function and digestion.
Not everyone believes the humble drink is capable of all these feats. But one thing is sure — what is old is new, and the popularity of kombucha is mushrooming.
The Big Island’s artisan-style producers of the tonic are brewing hard to keep up with demand. The drink, made from culturing a fungus-like symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast in a bath of tea and sugar, has long been called the “tea of immortality” in Chinese medicine and has a place in the ancient healing traditions of Japan, the Himalayas, Russia and Ukraine.
In the Hawaii Kombucha brewery in Kealakekua, artisan kombucha maker Michael McCagh purveys his fermented beverage by the keg. He believes his creation is part of a trend toward healthier beverages, and said kombucha is poised to be a $500 million industry globally next year.
“People are embracing a functional drink rather than soda pop,” said McCagh, who was a beer brewer at Everybody’s Brewing in White Salmon, Washington, before moving to Hawaii to partner with Hawaii Kombucha’s founder Quinn Yeamans.
Because he was buying a lot of kombucha and was in the brewing industry, it was a natural progression to begin fermenting his own, he said.
Since Hawaii Kombucha launched in the fall of 2012, it’s been tough to keep stride with pent-up appetite.
“The demand is such that, as soon as we keg it, they need it,” McCagh said of the dozen establishments that carry his brand, including Kaya’s Store, Island Naturals and Under the Bodhi Tree Restaurant.
The company tries to discourage the use of single glass bottles and instead asks customers to bring their own containers. The kombucha is blended with island fruits, including Ka‘u orange, mango, ginger and hibiscus, and sells for 25 to 30 cents an ounce.
McCagh juiced 150 pounds of white pineapple and 10 pounds of lilikoi for a recent batch. All the fruits for two dozen flavors come from the island. The blend available at a particular time depends on the season.
“We’re working with the freshness factor,” McCagh said. “We have a great connection with the local farm network.”
The popularity of kombucha has soared recently on the Big Island but the drink’s presence has been growing nationally for decades. The controversy surrounding its effectiveness has been around for a while as well.
The American Cancer Society holds the position that none of the health claims surrounding kombucha have been substantiated in studies, and that use of the beverage has even been linked to some deaths. Nevertheless, any search about the beverage turns up far more positive reviews than bad, with many people swearing by the benefits of the rush of enzymes, organic acids and other nutrients.
“I would say, trust your gut,” said McCagh. “It’s a clean, ancient energy drink.”
McCagh and Yeamans say there’s little doubt it is time to expand, but they haven’t decided where just yet. The brewers are adding an additional fermenter that will increase production capacity in their current facility.
In Hilo, kombucha brewery Big Island Booch started in a kitchen two years ago, with one of the business’s co-owners Kela Cosgrave culturing 15-gallon batches and selling most of it at farmers markets. Now, Big Island Booch brews 900 gallons at a time.
“Business has been crazy,” said Cosgrave.
Big Island Booch expanded first into a kombucha bar in downtown Hilo, but ran out of space within a year. Cosgrave then opened Conscious Culture Cafe, a 2,000-square-foot restaurant with organic food and 12 flavors of kombucha on tap. Her brand appears in 30 establishments around the island.
“I drink a quart to a half-gallon a day,” Cosgrave said. “I’m healthier than I’ve ever been in my life. Kombucha does wonders for digestion. It balances your pH and allows your body to have access to nutrients it wouldn’t get otherwise.”
“I see kombucha proliferating,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”