BOISE, Idaho — Kombucha has been gaining popularity across the US in recent years, although the unique beverage is believed to date back to around 200 B.C.
You'll now find Idaho Kombucha cans on store shelves all across the state and see their specialty beverages served in local restaurants and coffee shops in a variety of flavors.
Husband and wife team Mike and Terri Landa run the operation. Mike handles the logistics of the scientific brewing process, while Terri takes on the taste.
"It's very complex if you will," Terri explained. "I really like to use herbs, flowers, and roots. So all of those will be found in a lot of our kombuchas because I think it gives it that depth and nuance that you'd think of in a craft beer or cocktail."
The couple started out brewing one gallon at a time at home, but Mike made the business a priority in 2015. Terri joined her husband full-time during the pandemic in 2020 and business has been booming since.
Some flavors are year-round staples like Ginger Peach and Cardamom and Honeycrisp Apple. Others a savored seasonally like Watermelon Jalapeno in the summer. All options are certified organic.
"Our most popular flavor is huckleberry," Terri explained. "I always say it's because it's such an Idaho tradition to have everything huckleberry!"
The huckleberries themselves, of course, are harvested in Idaho. Other fruits and flavorings are collected from across the Pacific Northwest, partnering with orchards and farms in Washington and Oregon for fresh produce including apples, pears, and blackberries.
Similar to a sourdough starter, the staple of any kombucha comes down to the SCOBY, the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.
"It's a living functional beverage," Terri explained. "It's really good for your gut."
We caught up with the couple in their Boise brewing space to watch the process unfold. They brew about 300 gallons at a time, starting with sweet tea broken down into 50-gallon batches.
"Once we have this full of 50 gallons of sweet tea, then we'll put in like 10 gallons of starter, the SCOBY, then it sits for like two weeks," Mike explained.
"That kind of fermentation actually transforms the simple ingredients of tea and sugar into probiotics, healthy bacteria, organic acids, and enzymes that really help with your health," Terri added.
Although some say it's an acquired taste, even taste testers who thought they didn't like kombucha have happily converted.
You can find their flavors for sale at Treasure Valley Albertsons stores, local Co-Ops, coffee shops, and restaurants, and the couple ships their cans nationwide.
You can learn more about their products on their website, here.
