SEATTLE — Kombucha, a fermented beverage made from tea and sugar, can be mystifying to some - but Seeking Kombucha is changing that.
Seeking Kombucha started with couple Jeanette and Lyz. Jeanette was living with health issues related to her gut, and Lyz suggested making their own kombucha.
"We started giving it to family and friends," says Jeanette. "And before we knew it, they started sharing it with their friends. And then it kind of just took off on its own from there."
They stared at the South Lake Union farmers market, and now they have their very own taproom in South Lake Union, complete with Space Needle views and plenty of party games to play as their customers sip 'booch. At their taproom, they serve kombucha on tap and mocktails like the This is Us, which features a Chamoy rim, prickly pear syrup, and calamansi.
"I wanted to make something fun for people to enjoy drinking, and I wanted to infuse our cultural backgrounds," Lyz says.
Their mocktails are a great introduction to kombucha if you've never tried it before. You can also add champagne or hard seltzer to any of their mocktails to make it a cocktail. And if you can't stop by their taproom, you can order kombucha online.
The colors of their kombucha are derived from fresh fruits, herbs and flowers. Their blue kombucha is made with spirulina. Their most popular flavor, Purple Rain, is made with pea flower, lavender and hibiscus.
"We like to experiment with different fruits and flavors and herbs," says Jeanette.
Besides kombucha, they serve beverages like turmeric soda, switchel (fermented apple cider vinegar), jun (fermented green tea) and tepache, which is made with fermented pineapple.
"I usually have people drive hours away just to come grab the tapache when we have it," Jeanette says. "We got the recipe from my grandmother in Mexico."
Sharing their cultures is important for Jeanette and Lyz, as is building a safe, welcoming community in their space - and they're doing that with one beautiful bottle of booch at a time.
There are several ways to try Seeking Kombucha. You can visit their South Lake Union taproom, check them out at farmers markets around Western Washington, and they do free deliveries in King County.
Seeking Kombucha | 1091 Thomas St Suite A | Open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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