Good for You, Your Community and the Planet: Kombucha Town Launches Live Seltzer and Community-Owned Business Model – whatcomtalk.com

So, what exactly is kombucha? Its a fermented, refreshing, fizzy, invigorating tea beverage created by millions of microorganisms that come together to form a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, otherwise known as a SCOBY. And if all that sounds a little complicated, let me assure you: all you need to know about kombucha is that its seriously delicious. And if youre drinking Kombucha Town kombucha, its also seriously good for you.

Kombucha Townkombucha is full of probiotics, also known as living culture that keeps your body energized and ready to take on whatever adventures the day might deliver. However, that spirit of living culture extends into the core values of the business itself, as well as several of its new, exciting ventures.

Kombucha Town has a triple bottom line, which means they focus on social and environmental aspects of company practices, not just profits. They pride themselves on being good for you, good for your community, and good for the planet. And thats so much more than just a tagline.

Trent Banks, the marketing manager for Kombucha Town, describes how Kombucha Town has grown throughout the years and the ways that theyre adapting to the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris McCoy, our founder and CEO, was looking to provide a healthy beverage for people, Banks says. Kombucha Town started locally in mom-and-pop stores, the Co-Op, and the farmers market. In 2015, it became the first kombucha in a can, which is great because cans have the lowest carbon footprint of any shippable beverage container and are infinitely recyclable.

Of course, Kombucha Town is adapting to the times along with many other small and medium-sized businesses. Theyre launching a new product in accordance with their triple bottom line values: live seltzer.

Live seltzer is exactly what it sounds like, says Banks. Its sparkling water infused with kombucha culture and probiotics and some hero ingredients. Weve got three new flavors coming out. Kombucha fans and newbies alike can look forward to cracking open a cold one of Cucumber, Grapefruit, or Ginger Live Seltzer. Its low calorie, low sugar, and still high in flavor and health benefits. Sounds like the perfect thing to take along on your next adventure.

Thats part of what Banks loves so much about Kombucha Towns drinks. As somebody whos active and loves to get after it in the mountains, you know you have to stay hydrated, Banks says with a laugh. Having a really deliciousandhealthy way to do that is great. This past weekend I was loving and crushing the Cascadian Hops flavor. I ran up Ruby Mountain in the North Cascades and had one, and it totally changed my day. It was definitely what I needed.

When it comes to Kombucha Town, the good for you aspect is only one piece of the puzzle. Their team recognizes that what is good for the individual must also be good for both local and global communities. Back in April we teamed up withOne Tree Planted, an organization that does just that: they plant trees across the world and team up with companies like ours that are interested in launching initiatives that help support that goal, Banks says. Were working with them on their orca project here in the Pacific Northwest, planting trees along creeks in salmon habitats to help regenerate habitats with the end goal of increasing orcas main food source. For every case we sell online, we plant a tree.

With such an eye for thoughtful growth and development, its no surprise that Kombucha Town has adapted to this unique time with a new business model that incorporates the community. Were opening up our business model to be community-funded and -owned, says Banks. This community-owned business model is accompanied by an equity crowd-funding campaign, which will launch on August 4, 2020. People are allowed to invest and receive shares of the business, and along with that, there will be some pretty rad additional incentiveskombucha, swag, etc.

Pretty rad, indeed. Also pretty rad? Kombucha Towns commitment to stepping up to support their community and make healthy beveragesand a healthy lifestyleaccessible for all.

Were increasingly working to prioritize the democratization of health. Historically speaking, the natural and health food world has been associated with affluence. Wed really like to break that down and disrupt that thought pattern, making healthy beverages available to everyone, Banks says. Its our intention to have healthy drinks like kombucha available in food desertsplaces where the only food opportunities are convenience stores. Tying in social and food justice is an important part of addressing the systemic issues were dealing with as a country.

If you want to be part of a business thats good for you, your community, and the planet, keep an eye out for a chance to join a community-owned Kombucha Town this August.