Boocharama!

Kombucha is a fermented beverage based on four simple ingredients: water, tea, sugar and SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast).

The tea serves as both a flavoring agent and a nutrient source for the SCOBY during fermentation as it metabolizes the majority of the sugars. The general result is a mostly dry, tea-flavored beverage with a bit of acidity and carbonation. The opportunities within this basic formula are as great as the range of beer or wine styles, as the Madison-area producers clearly demonstrate.

“Only 4% of the population has tried kombucha,” according to Alla Tsypin of NessAlla Kombucha, so odds are not great that you have had it yet. But with the ready supply and the flavor range among local kombucha, there is likely one to thrill your palette.

One of the common features of kombucha is a noticeable acidity or sourness. It can range from barely noticeable to obviously tart. The acid from kombuchas provides a refreshing cut to fatty or sweet foods and compliment salty foods. Whether you choose to pair your kombucha with food or drink it all on its own, the resounding message from all three producers is: Give it a try! There’s a local kombucha out there for you.

NessAlla Kombucha, launched in 2008 by friends Alla Tsypin and Vanessa Tortolano to provide live culture beverages to the community, was among the first commercial craft kombucha operations in the world. “We’re passionate about what we do. We brew kombucha with traditional methods, innovating with flavors that are complex yet inviting,” says Tsypin, who remains at the center of the operation. Their kombucha tends to be off-dry with a gentle cider-like acidity and an endlessly complex blend of tea, botanicals and fermentation character. When sipping their Traditional Oolong, one finds notes of peach candy, cantaloupe, navel orange and strawberry, all from the intersection of the black tea and live cultures. They are complex enough to contemplate like a barley wine, cognac, or Bordeaux, yet they are easy to sip anytime. Expect medium low carbonation, an off-dry finish and bright yet complex flavors from NessAlla. NessAlla is certified organic and available in glass bottles, growlers, and kegs.

Forage Kombucha, launched circa 2017 on the menu at Forage Kitchen, that then took off on its own trajectory, highlights the Rishi tea blend of each flavor in a bubbly format. “We are a local company with Madison roots, trying to create a nice, fun beverage to make kombucha more accessible for people,” according to cofounder Henry Aschauer. Their Raspberry Kombucha is clearly raspberry throughout, even boasting a lovely blush hue, with added complexity of dried apricot and vanilla notes coming from hibiscus included in the tea blend. Expect a beverage as carbonated, dry and refreshing as your favorite sparkling water, but with flavor from real produce and botanicals; available in cans.

Rude Brew Kombucha, launched in 2017 by Lacy Rude as a tribute to her father who taught her to make kombucha in the mid-90s, and a showcase for local botanicals and produce, operates on a small scale out of the Northside FEED Kitchen. Her kombucha pushes fresh fruit and herbs to the foreground, all sourced from local farms like Future Fruit Farm in Ridgeway or Rude’s own garden. The Ginger Pear bursts with herbal pear skin notes and creamy baked pear richness with obvious warmth from the ginger, plus low green tea, a balanced touch of lactic and acetic acid before finishing dry. All that, along with the medium, naturally occurring carbonation, and it seems like a champagne bottle of sparkling pear juice if those were actually delicious. “It’s a fresh and light kombucha. I’m using locally grown fruits and herbs—every flavor has Wisconsin-grown fruits or herbs,” Rude says. Expect a dry, fruit-forward sparkling beverage with a gentle tea and acid note; crisp and easy like lemonade. Rude Brew is available in glass bottles, growlers, and kegs.