 Last night Monica and I expanded to 5 new barrels. We were out of bottles, out of kegs, and have future orders lining up. So we took advantage of the situation and took our 3 current barrels to use as starters for 5 more.This is an exciting moment...when we were running full capacity last summer we were running 8 barrels. When we got word from the TTB that our kombucha tea had alcohol in September, all of a sudden we were done...we needed further licensing, and more importantly in Minnesota, we needed help from the grocers to be able to stay on their shelves. The grocers in Minnesota, to this point, have decided not to get the licensing they need to carry full strength kombucha. And understandbly so...they can still sell watered down and/or pasteurized kombucha, so why bother? So in the next few weeks we'll find out if there is a market for traditional kombucha in Minnesota. Several wine and beer stores are now stocking Deane's, and our neighboors in Wisconsin, the Co-Ops that do currently sell beer in their stores, are lining up with orders. What a difference 6 months makes! In October, Deane's Kombucha was done. No stores, no distribution, and sadly, no brewing of kombucha. My mom passed away, winter was setting in, and I didn't have a plan. But we stuck to our guns. We went after the licensing we needed to begin producing. And lucky for us, we had a landlord at the commercial kitchen space that gave us some leeway while we figured everything out. But this particular Minnesota winter was long. And cold. And very snowy (to my kids delight!) Spring has been hesitant, but just like the kombucha market, it finally came. The lakes have melted, the vegitation is brimming with life, and Deane's Kombucha is back! I was delighted to leave the kitchen tonight. For the first time since September, all my oak barrels were filled with bacteria, yeast, and the sweet nourishment of organic green tea and sugar. While they feast for the next seven days in the dark, warm confines of their oak barrel home, I will be busy making sure I have bottles, labels, and cardboard to bring them from their cosy confines to your belly, where they can fill you with their joy, while helping you be the best you can be. Is that cheesy or what? Maybe. But it's what I believe. And what has been motivating me for this long, cold winter. |
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Categories30 day challenge30 day challenge, kombucha kamp, kombucha kamp 30 day challenge, new year's resolution, kombucha angel investors GTs classic formula, GTs kombucha, Synergy classic, Synergy kombucha, traditional kombucha, kombucha, story, starting a business, secondary ferment kombucha, story, tao oak barrel kombucha |
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