Kombucha Mama announced yesterday that it has entered a distribution agreement with beverage distributor Bigfoot. Andy Moore, co-president of Bigfoot Beverage Distributors, commented on the partnership, “The trends across the beverage industry are clearly moving towards healthy natural products. Kombucha Mama’s product is without question the best kombucha we’ve ever tasted and their enthusiasm for their business makes them a perfect partner for Bigfoot.”
For Kombucha Mama, partnering with a distributor was an important shift away from self-distribution. As their popularity grew, they sought a partner that could continue to increase the accessibility of their brew but without compromising on service. To find the right partner, Kombucha Mama got recommendations from the street, “Our existing retail customers rave about the service they receive from Bigfoot. We need to focus on what we do best, making amazing kombucha and let them provide amazing service and support to retailers,” said Jamie Danek, a founding Mama.
The partnership and increased distribution comes at the perfect time as Kombucha Mama just expanded their brewing operations and capacity. Because kombucha still has a relatively low trial rate, the distribution expansion gives their team more accessible outlets to share their brewed tea. “The amazing response from our loyal drinkers in Bend has fueled our passion to make this product available to everyone. People feel amazing when they drink our tea and we have the most fun ever making it,” said Michelle Plantenberg, the other founding Mama.
What is kombucha? Kombucha is a lightly effervescent drink made from green and black sweet tea and fermented using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or “SCOBY,” as it’s known among kombucha brewers. Drinkers of the tea report health benefits including a naturalsource of B-vitamins and minerals, probiotics for digestive health, and boosts to one’s immune system.
Why are they moving their brewery? Kombucha Mama began in Plantenberg’s kitchen, where she and Danek brewed kombucha for friends and soon, local businesses. Quickly however, the demand exceeded their capacity, and they moved to a small facility on Bend’s east side. Demand for their kombucha continues to grow, which has prompted another move to a still larger space just down the street from their current address. The new space increases their brewing capacity, with 42 new fermenters.
Why was Kombucha Mama founded? While Danek and Plantenberg were brewing kombucha at home, they noticed that most kombucha on the market was either unappealing or unaffordable to most consumers. So they started Kombucha Mama in 2009 with the goals of making the healthy beverage more accessible—with better flavors, and a lower price point. “By nature, kombucha is meant to be shared,” said Danek, referring to a common practice among kombucha home brewers, where the live culture “starter” is passed along to friends (a practice familiar to anyone who bakes sourdough bread). “Our mission has always been to make the goodness of kombucha more accessible,” Danek added. First available only on draft in Bend, Kombucha Mama began bottling their kombucha in 2010. And in 2013, they expanded distribution across the state of Oregon. They do not plan to further expand their distribution until they can ensure that the quality of the kombucha inside the bottle will remain uncompromised.
MORE ABOUT KOMBUCHA MAMA:Kombucha Mama exists to brew the tastiest kombucha on the planet. If you’re in Bend, come say hello at our new brewery at 1125 2nd Street. You can also find our kombucha at a growing number of groceries, bars, restaurants, growler fill stations and farmers markets. For a complete list of locations, visit us at KombuchaMama.com.
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