Kombucha has been around a lot longer than the health food aisle would have you believe.
The earliest records trace back to ancient China around 220 B.C., where it was known as the "tea of immortality." From there it spread through Asia, supposedly carried by samurai warriors in their flasks, before making its way west along the Silk Road into Russia and Eastern Europe, where people used it as a folk remedy for everything from digestive issues to hair loss.
It hit Europe in the early 20th century and became a popular home-brewed drink, until World War II rationing put a damper on things. Hard to ferment when sugar and tea are scarce.
The real turning point came in the 1990s when kombucha started showing up in U.S. health food stores. The combination of live cultures, natural fizz, and a growing interest in gut health turned it into something of a phenomenon. From there it exploded. New flavors, new brands, and eventually craft kombucha operations like ours popping up all over the country.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the name is a little murky. One popular story credits a Korean physician named Dr. Kombu who brought the drink to a Japanese emperor, combining "Kombu" and "cha" (Japanese for tea). But there are enough competing origin stories that nobody's entirely sure.
What's clear is that it's been around forever, people keep coming back to it, and there's a reason for that.