What started in the kitchen of high school sweethearts and husband-and-wife team Danielle and Corey Wood, is now an award-winning (and delicious) beverage company, Elixir Kombucha — which now produces over 1,200 gallons of booch a month.

Brewed and canned in Derby City, this gut healthy fermented tea bevvy comes in six refreshing, fruity flavors — lavender lemonade, pineapple ginger, grapefruit, black raz, blueberry pomegranate + their new summer flavor watermelon crush.

Read on to learn a little booch history + the process and science behind the drink from Corey.

History

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage with over 2000 years of history traced back to eastern traditions. It was long known as the "Tea of Immortality" and the "Immortal Health Elixir" because of its healing properties, a result of the probiotics and organic acids found in the beverage.

Process

The process of kombucha fermentation starts with four ingredients: water, tea leaves, sugar and a live culture known as a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). The microbes in the culture work together to utilize the sugar and caffeine in the sweet tea. As the kombucha ferments, the sugar is converted into organic acids, which is what gives kombucha its tang. By the end of fermentation, the once-sugary sweet tea is transformed into a low calorie, gut friendly beverage.

Science

There is a growing body of research that shines a light on the impact of gut health — specifically the gut microbiome — on digestion, immune system, and even mental health (See: brain-gut connection and the impact of gut health on serotonin levels). Consumers continue to gravitate toward better-for-you beverages that impact health and well being, and gut health beverages like kombucha provide a tasty and fun way to nourish the body.