Refreshing Kombucha Made Locally in Mystic

A light snap of local ginger combined with full and flavorful elderberry make 860Kombucha’s pleasantly effervescent beverage truly unique. 860Kombucha, located in Mystic, is Southeastern Connecticut’s first kombucha brewery. This Asian and Veteran-owned small business is a family affair and is owned and operated by Dave, Mike, Ashley, and Tammy Brannan.

Mike and his sister Ashley are both UConn graduates who grew up locally in Ledyard. Mike first tried kombucha 3-4 years ago at a café in San Diego, California. He had never tried it before and was skeptical. It was a hot day, and he was in the mood to try something new, so he gave kombucha a go. To his surprise, “it was actually really great.” To Mike, the refreshing beverage seemed somewhat foreign with familiar flavors – was it a juice? A tea? A soda?

Soon, Mike found himself brewing kombucha in his apartment. Home brewing is common amongst kombucha enthusiasts, and Mike experimented with different flavors. On a visit back to the East Coast, Mike took his whole family to visit Connecticut’s first kombucha brewery: Cross Culture Kombucha in Danbury. Mike’s father Dave became intrigued with Cross Culture Kombucha’s story. As the Brannan family experimented more with kombucha brewing, they realized that what started as a hobby had the potential to become a real business.

The Brannan family is passionate about sharing their love of kombucha and how it can provide a healthy alternative to soda or alcohol. Compared to a serving of soda which can have 30-40 grams of sugar, kombucha has only around 12 grams or less. Dave is seeing more and more families serve kombucha to their children rather than sugary sodas. He was impressed when a young boy at a local event identified the different ingredients in one of 860Kombucha’s flavors with a simple taste test.

Kombucha is non-alcoholic, despite the natural fermentation process it undergoes. Kombucha must be below 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), and 860Kombucha’s levels are kept even lower at 0.35% ABV or less. For comparison, commonly consumed kefir milk has around the same levels due to its natural fermentation process, as well. This makes kombucha a great alternative to alcoholic beverages.

Kombucha also provides beneficial probiotics. According to the Mayo Clinic, probiotics commonly found in fermented foods such as kombucha, yogurt, kefir, pickles, and sauerkraut can “support the body in establishing optimal digestion and aid immune function.”

(top) El Ginger, Morning Dew, Light & Sunny, and Be Hoppy all feature local Connecticut farm ingredients; (bottom right) Tammy, Ashley, Dave, and Mike Brannan

The family is committed to sourcing local, sustainably grown ingredients for their delicious flavors. Morning Dew, El Ginger, and Light and Sunny all feature ingredients from USDA Certified Organic Fat Stone Farm located in Lyme, Connecticut while Be Hoppy includes locally grown hops from Smoke down Farm in Sharon, Connecticut. The list of flavors will expand this summer as more local ingredients come into season.

Each family member brings different expertise: Dave serves as the brew master, while Mike’s forte includes building connections between local ingredient suppliers and interesting places to distribute their products. Ashley is a local marketing expert, and her mother Tammy has been playing a larger role at the farmer’s markets spending time speaking to customers about their products. Dave and Ashley playfully commented about Tammy, “She’s also our HR person.” They noted that she makes sure each family member’s voice is heard and serves as a necessary sounding board. Dave has enjoyed spending time with his family and shared that it is great to see his children in a new light as they build the business.

Mike emphasized, “The thing that I enjoy the most about the company is the connection that we make with people in the community.” He is grateful for the support 860Kombucha has received from places like Fiddle heads, Food- Works, and cafes as well as the opportunity to see the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at these local establishments. “The connection between suppliers, businesses, and all our actual customers who follow us to the farmers markets or buy from Healthy Plan Eat is really exciting to us. We’be met a lot of people and have introduced them to kombucha. It’s exciting to see them have similar experiences as I had: from kind of skeptical, to turning into frequent kombucha drinkers. It’s cool to see.”

More at www.860kombucha.com
@860kombucha