SYNERGY

Kombucha is a fermented tea discovered in an ancient village in Manchuria, China 221 B.C.E. It is made with a probiotic culture, commonly referred to as a SCOBY, that is cultivated in a base of sweetened tea for a period of several days or even weeks depending on the batch size. During this time, the culture consumes the carbohydrates and other nutrients found in the tea to create a tangy, tart, and naturally effervescent health drink that is rich with enzymes, probiotics, and natural detoxifiers. Known as the "Drink of Immortality," Kombucha was historically found in households as a revered remedy for ailments and illnesses. Those that consumed Kombucha claimed to experience a longer life expectancy and overall improved health.

Kombucha migrated to the US in the early 1990s and was first bottled by GT Dave, Founder and CEO of GT's Living Foods, after he was inspired by how Kombucha helped his mother during her battle with breast cancer.

SCOBY is the name for the probiotic culture used to make Kombucha. The name is an acronym for "Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast," which describes the synergistic blend of beneficial microorganisms existing within the rubbery pancake-shaped culture. The SCOBY is an integral part of making Kombucha because it is the catalyst for the fermentation and the creator of all the beneficial nutrients present in the final ferment. Similar to the Mother in raw apple cider vinegar, the SCOBY is present in every ounce of the Kombucha and, over time, will appear as culture strands. This is a visual indication of Kombucha's raw and active properties.

Kombucha has a residual amount of caffeine that comes from the tea base. The caffeine content is mostly consumed during the fermentation and typically ranges from about 8-14 milligrams per 8 fluid ounces. (For comparison, a cup of coffee has 100 milligrams and decaf coffee has 5 milligrams). It's believed that due to the fermentation, the residual caffeine is modified and, therefore, does not create a energy spike and crash like other caffeinated products.

Real, authentic Kombucha requires an energy source to nourish the cultivation of the living probiotics. Like most living things, the cultures require food to sustain their growth and reproduction. For SYNERGY, we use kiwi juice as the source of nourishment to grow our cultures. During the fermentation, most of the fruit sugar is consumed or converted which is why the final fermentation is more tangy and tart than sweet.

Since 1995, we’ve handcrafted each batch of SYNERGY in 5-gallon glass jars – small enough to hug! We believe that small batches create a more pure, potent, and authentic Kombucha. In keeping with tradition, each batch of SYNERGY is fermented for 30 full days to produce 9 billion living, active, naturally occurring probiotics.

There really is no right or wrong time to consume Kombucha. Due to the naturally occurring active enzymes we find that people enjoy Kombucha at different times of the day to serve different purposes. Enjoy earlier in the day for a gentle energy boost, midday for aided digestion, and in the evenings to curb cravings or substitute for alcohol.

Kombucha has a rich history filled with different makers, traditions, and variations – consequently the Kombucha you see on the shelves is not all the same. SYNERGY has 18x more probiotics than the next leading competitor, which equates to about 9 billion living, active cultures in each bottle. Unlike others, we handcraft all our Kombucha in small batches to preserve the authenticity of traditional brewing. Keeping the Kombucha in its authentic state is the best way to ensure it keeps its benefits. This means Kombucha should never be pasteurized, diluted, or filtered. With over 25 years of experience brewing kombucha, GT Dave, Founder and CEO, has stayed true to his original craft and recipe – the only way to make authentic Kombucha.