SE Minnesota’s First Kombucha Brewery is Open

“Kombucha” is a fermented sweet tea that is good for gut health and your digestive system. The drink has become really popular across the United States in the last couple of years and now Southeast Minnesota has it's own Kombucha brewery. The brewery is located in Wabasha and open on Fridays and Saturdays.

Jessica and Matt Remington opened Big River Kombucha last month after a hiking trip out west. Jessica explained how the business came to be: "We’ve always talked about owning our own business but it was actually on a trip hiking out west that sparked the idea of opening our own kombucha brewery. Matt has his master’s degree in food science, and a background in beer brewing and food safety. We had some kombucha out west, but when returning to the Midwest we couldn’t find something we loved. I had asked Matt to “make me a kombucha that doesn’t have too much of a vinegar flavor, isn’t too acidic, and doesn’t have any particles floating in it.” This is his take on kombucha. It is just very light and approachable."

Remington says response has been great, "We’ve had the opportunity to surprise a lot of people who have otherwise said they don’t like kombucha or tea. We started our small shop conservatively, not knowing the reception in this Midwest market. All we knew is that we have a product we love and are really proud of. After opening June 8th, we sold all our first product in three business days. Matt left his “full-time traditional“ job two weeks later." 

She says their version is a little different, "We do a couple things different than what is standard in the market, first using honey to ferment our kombucha instead of cane sugar, that we get from a local organic farm out of Rushford, MN. We also don’t add a juice blend back into our kombucha, so all of the flavor in our kombucha comes from the fermentation, honey, and tea and botanicals we use. It is important to us to keep the sugar content low in our beverage."

The couple's intention "was to make a flavorful beverage that is low in sugars and calories that may be a good alternative to sugar sweetened beverages, or an option to someone who wants to have a social beverage without having alcohol."

They currently have four regular and two rotating flavors on their menu. Follow them on Facebook to learn more.