'Booch News

This is the last in a series about possible futures, published in Booch News each week, starting with a Preview on October 3rd. Episode 11 appeared last week. Overview By 2100, the Earth hums with quiet vitality. Cities are green, breathable, and alive—literally. After the Climate Reckoning of the 2050s and the Fermentation Reformation that followed, humanity abandoned synthetic consumerism and rediscovered the wisdom of the microbial world. Artificial beverages—cola, beer, wine—became relics of the Carbon Age. People sought drinks that delivered tangible benefits: nourishing the microbiome, stabilizing mood, and sharpening cognition. Enter kombucha—the “living beverage,” a cornerstone of living systems. The Reformation’s legacy isn’t merely biological transformation—it’s cultural maturation: learning to work cooperatively with living systems, valuing local knowledge, building community infrastructure, maintaining honest assessment of capabilities, and recognizing that sustainable human thriving requires biological partnership rather than attempted domination. Humanity still faces continuing challenges: climate adaptation, resource management, social equity, political conflict, and planetary boundaries. Fermentation provides useful tools but not complete solutions. Humanity’s Partnership with Living Systems By 2100, humanity had learned crucial lessons about partnership with living systems. Fermentation taught that: Working with biology is often more effective than fighting it:Local diversity produces resilience:Traditional knowledge contains valuable insights:Community infrastructure matters:Multiple approaches are necessary: Fermentation delivered measurable benefits: There are remaining challenges: As the century closed, kombucha stood as both metaphor and method: proof that small, symbiotic systems could heal a planet pushed to the brink. Humanity had moved from extraction to participation, from ego-systems to ecosystems. The last generation of leaders—those raised during the chaos of the early 2000s—reflected on a hard-won truth: sustainability was not a policy but a practice of humility. The Great Rebalancing (2090–2100) The final decade before 2100 brought a reckoning—a rebalancing between people, planet, and profit. The kombucha industry, now deeply intertwined with global food, health, and climate systems, found itself both humbled and empowered. What began as a niche craft drink half a century earlier had become a symbol of regenerative commerce, microbial stewardship, and planetary renewal. The Century’s End By the 2090s, humanity had learned to live within limits. The population stabilized below nine billion. Carbon neutrality—once an abstract goal—was enforced globally through trade-linked carbon credits. Artificial intelligence governed not only production and logistics but also ecological thresholds: AI-run “planetary dashboards” warned when resources neared the threshold of overshooting. Kombucha—once merely a beverage—was now part of a symbiotic food network. Its microbial base served as a living substrate for nutritional pastes, medicinal tonics, and even biodegradable materials. SCOBY farms, floating on the world’s rewilded seas, generated both food and oxygen while sequestering carbon. The Kombucha Konfederation The seeds that were planted in 2025 with KBI’s Verified Seal Program had by 2095, evolved into the Global Kombucha Konfederation. What was once a struggling network of small brewers had grown into a transnational cooperative representing over a billion daily consumers. Its “Code of Fermentation Ethics” guided microbial stewardship and regenerative practices across all continents. Economics of Regeneration By 2100, the measure of “growth” had changed. GDP had been replaced by the Regenerative Index—a metric that tracked ecosystem recovery, microbial diversity, and human well-being. Kombucha companies were central players: their microbial exports replenished soils, stabilized local...

I recently talked with Marianne O’Donnell, the founder of Kombucha Na Dálaigh, based in Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. I began by wishing her a Happy Christmas in her native tongue, which is the limit of my Irish language skills. This was an appropriate greeting since Kombucha Na Dálaigh is located in a Gaeltacht region of the Republic, where Irish is the everyday language and a cornerstone of local culture, traditions, and identity. Origins Having taught Food and Nutrition and Communications for 24 years, and also being a Certified Nutrition Coach, Marianne has always had a curiosity for learning, wellness, and cooking. “I never set out to start a kombucha business, but sometimes the best things in life happen by accident.” “It all started during COVID, when I was struggling with gut health issues. A friend gave me a SCOBY—this strange, alien-looking thing—and I started brewing kombucha in my kitchen in Gortahork.” She felt immediate benefits, and friends encouraged her to sell commercially. Marianne attended the International Kombucha summit in Berlin in November 2023, which reinforced her to look at flavor trends. Production After starting in her kitchen and moving to the home garage, Marianne has now outsourced production, bottling, and canning to another facility under her supervision. She concentrates on marketing and growing the business. Her kombucha uses 60% organic Sencha green tea and 40% Assam black tea. Irish Identity The brand uses Irish on its labels and website. This isn’t just a matter of translation; it’s a statement of identity. Marianne believes Irish belongs in the everyday, in our food culture, and in our future. She benefits from government support through Údarás na Gaeltachta, the regional state agency responsible for the economic, social, and cultural development of Ireland’s Irish-speaking regions. Her company is listed in their directory, along with Ireland’s largest brand, Synerchi, also in Donegal, and Claregalway’s All About Kombucha. Glacadh lenár ndúchas áitiúla Gaeltachta Táimid lonnaithe i nGort a’Choirce agus táimid brodúil as a bheith ag déanamh beorach go háitiúil, ag cinntiú caighdeán d’ardcháiliócht. Mar sin de, cén fáth go mbeifeá sásta le deochanna boga atá déanta go saorga nuair a thig leat sásamh fionnuar a fháil as kombucha? Agus nuair nach bhfuil fonn ort beor, leann úll nó fíon a ól, is kombucha an deoch malartach is fearr. Embracing Our Local Gaeltacht Roots Based in Gortahork, we take pride in brewing locally, ensuring high-quality standards.So, why settle for artificially produced soft drinks when you can indulge in the refreshing satisfaction of kombucha? And for those times when you’re not in the mood for beer, cider, or wine, kombucha makes for the perfect alternative. Awards The company has been recognized multiple times at the annual Blas na hEireann (Taste of Ireland) awards, and this year was honored as the ‘Best Wellness Drink’ at the EVOKE Awards. Growing awareness Marianne is witnessing an increasing acceptance and awareness of kombucha in Ireland. The popularity of kombucha in Ireland is catching up with places like California. There are some strong kombucha companies in Ireland. Sixty percent of shops will have kombucha now. And it’s growing. It is really, really growing. And the whole no and low alcohol movement, it’s really increasing. You know, kombucha is perfect for that. People who want that adult complex flavor without the booze. There’s a real mixture of customers. Younger people have nearly all sampled kombucha before. Maybe older generations haven’t. But then once they taste it, they’re hooked. They love it. So lots of my local customers would be people in their 70s and 80s because they understand the health benefits. So, it’s a mixture of people that drink it in Ireland, but people are definitely more aware of kombucha and the benefits of fermented drinks. Distribution Kombucha Na Dálaigh is mainly sold through retail...

This is one in a series about possible futures, published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 10 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview In this episode, we examine the years after kombucha and fermented foods emerged into the mainstream, exploring how ordinary people experienced the transition to a fermented future. This did not happen without a backlash. Opposition to the Fermentation Reformation came from multiple sources: corporate interests protecting market share, religious communities navigating theological questions, workers facing economic displacement, and cultural conservatives wedded to familiar traditions. These culture wars revealed how commercial interests manipulate public opinion through manufactured controversy. Ultimately, the conflicts produced stronger frameworks by forcing fermentation advocates to address legitimate concerns while exposing cynical manipulation. The Corporate Disinformation Campaign: Following the Tobacco Playbook The “Pure Liquid Coalition” (PLC) emerged in 2047 as an apparently grassroots movement defending “traditional American beverages” against kombucha. Behind the patriotic rhetoric lay sophisticated corporate funding that traced directly to the tobacco industry’s playbook of manufactured doubt and astroturf activism. Internal documents leaked by whistleblower Jennifer Martinez, a former Mega-Cola strategic communications director, revealed the coalition’s true origins. The American Beverage Association had allocated $2.3 billion to create “citizen opposition” to fermentation, following tactics perfected during decades of fighting sugar taxation and nutrition labeling. The leaked “Operation Sterile Shield” documents showed how corporations manufactured controversy around living beverages using strategies tobacco companies had employed to deny cancer links. The Historical Playbook: Tobacco to Sugar to Anti-Fermentation Dr. Clara Oreskes, daughter of the famous science historian, documented the direct lineage of corporate disinformation campaigns in her landmark study, Merchants of Doubt: The Fermentation Edition. The same PR firms and lobbyists who had denied climate change and defended cigarettes shifted focus to attacking beneficial bacteria. The template was brutally effective: fund biased research, create scientific controversy where none existed, establish front groups with patriotic names, exploit religious messaging, and deploy emotional appeals about tradition and freedom. Hill+Knowlton Strategies, the firm that helped tobacco companies conceal evidence of lung cancer, orchestrated the anti-kombucha campaign through organizations such as “Americans for Beverage Safety” and “Families Against Fermentation.” These groups received millions in corporate funding while claiming to represent concerned parents. The playbook was familiar: fund sympathetic academics, support existing opposition voices, create research institutes with neutral-sounding names, and amplify concerns through media partnerships. They approached Pastor Billy Bob Hunt, head of the Southern Protestant Association. “We’d like to support your ministry’s community health initiatives with a $50,000 grant. No strings attached, though we’re naturally pleased that you share our concerns about fermentation safety.” Hunt was tempted—$50,000 could fund youth programs, building repairs, and community outreach. But he asked: “What do you want in return?” “Nothing explicit,” the strategist said carefully. “Though if you happen to speak publicly about fermentation concerns, we’d help amplify your message.” Hunt declined. He had theological concerns, but wouldn’t serve as a paid spokesperson. Other religious leaders accepted—some knowingly, others genuinely believing the corporate interests aligned with their spiritual mission. The Propaganda Streams: Exploiting Cultural Divisions The PLC deployed multiple messaging campaigns targeting different demographics: Religious...

WonderBrew Kombucha made history by clinching six prestigious titles at the World Kombucha Awards 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. The brand was founded in 2018 by Joseph Poh Wen Xian and Loke Boon Eng. Origins In 2018 Joseph began a journey to transform his gut health. He would walk the aisles of the supermarket, searching for the latest health foods and supplements to try. On one of these fateful trips, he discovered kombucha (which he had never tasted before). Going with his gut instinct, he took a bottle home and, in his words, “It was love at first sip.” He did not know it at the time, but his first purchase was Boon’s brand of kombucha. The drink calmed his indigestion and piqued his business senses. A Google search for local kombucha led him to a brewing class by Boon. Joseph signed up for the class. The two were still strangers at this point. After that, Joseph began home-brewing kombucha for personal use as his entrepreneurial spirit began to fizz. When he heard about the kombucha hype overseas, he knew he was sitting on a pot of fermented gold. After extensive study of the local market, Joseph approached Boon to join him as a partner, and WonderBrew was born. I had a sense that this could be a business opportunity in Malaysia. Because it was so rare and it was expensive with mostly the imported products from imported brands from overseas. And it was really not accessible as well. So, based on this market gap, we worked together to create a truly local brand called Wonderbrew in 2018. WonderBrew has grown to become Malaysia’s leading kombucha producer, with more than 2,000 retail touchpoints across supermarkets, convenience stores, cafes, hotels, and restaurants nationwide. They now employ more than a dozen people. They are on record as aiming to double production in 2026 and to expand their footprint across Southeast Asia, with a focus on the Singapore and Indonesian markets. Since its founding in 2018, it has sold more than 1.5 million bottles. Small batch production To ensure consistent quality and preserve the freshness of their product, they brew in small batches. Award Winning Joseph and Boon made history on the global stage by clinching six prestigious titles at the World Kombucha Awards 2025, held in Barcelona. In its first-ever international competition, WonderBrew emerged as one of the biggest winners at this year’s event, clinching one gold, four silvers and one bronze, across both taste and design categories, (see listings below). The feat marks the first time a Malaysian brand has won at the World Kombucha Awards and the first time an Asian brand has secured six titles in a single award year. Flavors Wonderbrew offers a dizzying range of both kombucha and jun flavors. Many use local sources of ingredients and are heavily oriented to fruity flavors: When we first launched our original flavors, we found that based on feedback, something fruity and something on a slightly sweeter side helps new users get used to kombucha. So from there on, we focused very much mostly on fruit-based infusion because for especially new consumers, they don’t really like the vinegary taste. Kombucha OriginalPassionfruit Mint Purple SeraiAcai & Black GojiBeetroot BasilNihon Green TeaTambun PomeloIpoh,Roselle CitrusOsmanthus MandarinApple CinnamonBarley RoseTangy KedondongSakura Lychee RoseMango MelurJuniper RosemaryPineapple LavenderBlackberry GuavaNutmegNihon Yuzu MintSnow ChrysanthemumKurma HoneyHoney Plum Jun OriginalRaspberry & LemonBentong Ginger & HoneyPink Guava To celebrate their achievement in Barcelona, they released a limited edition Winning Brew Collection featuring all their five award-winning flavors: Marketing In addition to heavily promoting its World Kombucha Awards, Wonderbrew effectively uses social media to promote its beverages. They have over 13,000 Followers on Instagram—the most of any Malaysian brand—and focus on young, sporty, even wealthy consumers. They also celebrate national holidays...

This is one in a series about possible futures, published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 9 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Pharmaceutical companies partnered with kombucha producers to deliver medications via fermentation. Living probiotics became supportive therapy systems, enhancing the efficacy of conventional treatment. Mental health improved as gut-brain axis therapies reduced medication dependency for some patients. This episode follows Dr. Helena Marston’s development of probiotic kombucha strains that improved cancer treatment outcomes when used alongside chemotherapy. When fermented beverages became integrated into medical protocols, traditional pharmaceutical distribution adapted while neighborhood bio-brewers became complementary healthcare providers, expanding medical access through fermentation. Dr. Helena Marston: The Oncologist Who Sought Better Outcomes Dr. Helena Marston never intended to revolutionize supportive cancer care when she began brewing kombucha in the break room of her Stanford oncology lab in 2045. Exhausted by watching patients suffer through chemotherapy’s side effects, she researched whether probiotic supplements could improve treatment tolerance. Her crucial insight came when she realized that kombucha SCOBYs weren’t merely fermentation cultures—they were adaptable biological systems capable of producing compounds that could support conventional cancer therapy. Marston’s breakthrough research began with a challenging case: seven-year-old Christie Steinberg, daughter of her Palo Alto neighbor, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Traditional chemotherapy protocols offered 73% survival rates, but with significant side effects that devastated quality of life. She proposed an experimental adjunct treatment: genetically modified kombucha cultures engineered to produce compounds that could enhance chemotherapy’s effectiveness while reducing its toxicity—not replacing medical treatment, but making it more tolerable and potentially more effective. A Neighbor in Need Dr. Helena Marston encountered her neighbor Gloria Steinberg at a backyard barbecue three days after Christie’s diagnosis. “Helena, I’m so glad to see you,” Gloria exclaimed. “We got Christie’s diagnosis. It’s not good. We start chemo next month.” Marston stopped, put down her drink, and gave her friend full attention. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Gloria. I’ve watched hundreds of families face this. The treatment works, but… the journey is brutal.” Steinberg struggled to hold herself together. “She’s only seven. She should be worried about her spelling test, not about losing her hair. Is there… is there anything that makes this easier?” Helena paused, then spoke. “Actually… there might be. It’s experimental, but I’ve been researching something. Can you come to my office tomorrow?” The next day, Mrs. Steinberg sat across from her friend in the medical office. “Here’s what I’m proposing, Gloria. Three steps.” She counted on her fingers. “One: Christie gets her prescribed chemotherapy—exactly as her oncologist recommends. This is non-negotiable. The chemo is what fights cancer. Two: We sequence her tumor and microbiome. This tells us exactly which supportive compounds might help her specifically. Three: I brew a personalized kombucha that Christie drinks daily. It won’t cure cancer, but early research suggests it might reduce side effects by 15-20%.” Mrs. Steinberg sounded doubtful. “And the risks?” “She’ll be monitored weekly. If anything looks wrong, we stop immediately. But I believe this could help her feel more like Christie during treatment, instead of just ‘the sick kid.'” Later that week, the Steinberg’s met with Dr. Medway, their oncologist at the clinic. They were met with skepticism. “Experimental probiotics?” The doctor looked askance. “Mrs. Steinberg, your daughter has a serious cancer. Stick to proven protocols.” “But the side effects…” Gloria glanced at...

Source: NotebookLM Dr. Cătălin Tîlvescu is a general surgeon and the coordinator of the Department of Hyperbaric Medicine at Nova Vita Hospital in Romania. In 2020, he founded Kombucius in his hometown of Târgu Mureș, Transylvania. Market opportunity The decision to launch was heavily influenced by a clear market opportunity in Romania. A certain level of awareness of kombucha existed in the country, as it was a popular home brew in communist times, often perceived as a “miracle cure” kept in a jar by grandmothers. Although he is a physician by training, his experience as a home brewer provided the foundational knowledge for his new venture. He had a long history with fermentation, growing up learning how to make wine and moonshine (spirits) with his grandparents. He discovered that Romania didn’t have any breweries producing kombucha at the time. The imported store-bought kombucha he tasted was often “really bad” and bland. He noted that the varieties being sold locally were “very harsh, very sour, very acidic,” leading him to question why consumers would purchase them. This quality gap inspired his core business philosophy: to make a kombucha that people would actually enjoy drinking, resulting in a product that is sweeter and less carbonated, akin to the Asian style, rather than the more sour, highly carbonated North European/American types. Overcoming challenges He overcame multiple challenges in establishing the business, such as learning to produce kombucha at scale, securing a suitable factory location, and addressing public perceptions of kombucha. All this as a one-person operation while working full-time as a physician in three hospitals. However, he recognized that he needed to rebuild his life, and opening a brewery became a viable option, particularly since his ex-wife, who was “not a fan of me doing home brewing,” was no longer a factor. The business served as a positive trajectory for his life, preventing him from becoming a “bitter, resentful, old divorced dad” and allowing him to truly find happiness and personal growth. He remarked that starting a kombucha company was the “best decision that I have ever made in my life.” He previously held the “dream” of having a large beer brewery but lacked the necessary funds. Kombucha presented a similar opportunity that was more financially accessible. Inspiration The idea solidified after watching two key online videos: one showing a brewery tour that revealed the process was “not really hard to make,” and another featuring Sebastian Bureau at the 2019 Berlin Kombucha Summit explaining how to scale up production, which transformed the concept into a “possibility.” Based on insights gained from friends in the beer industry, he decided to bypass starting in his kitchen and immediately launch the company as a professional, legal brand, knowing that serious commercial operations require stability and consistency. Recognition The brand recently gained international recognition when its mint flavor won a World Kombucha Award, validating his approach of creating a less acidic, more palatable beverage. Videos Kombucius has published a library of over 60 YouTube videos (in Romanian) that cover everything from home-brewing tips to the scientific benefits of kombucha, and even the first episode of a humorous soap opera featuring Master Kombucius, who arrives on his motorcycle, swigging kombucha! Flavors Kombucius is available across Romania. Interview This lengthy conversation tells the story of the founding of Kombucius, including overcoming challenges of limited funds and doing much of the physical labor himself. Dr. Tîlvescu discusses his brewing process and the philosophy behind his products. Finally, he shares his long-term aspirations for scaling the business and offers entrepreneurial advice, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the process and maintaining one’s principles. The post Profile: Kombucius, Târgu Mureș, Romania appeared first on...

Jake Myers, the director of the new comedy-horror movie, Kombucha, visited San Francisco this weekend. He had flown in from Chicago (where the film was shot) to host a screening at the Balboa Theater’s ‘Another Hole in the Head‘ horror-fest. He sat down with Booch News to discuss his film and explain why he chose to make a horror movie about everyone’s favorite drink. I then attended the screening and formed my own opinion of what some kombucha lovers see as a gross misrepresentation of the beverage. Highly recommended Let me say now: this is a GREAT MOVIE, and anyone offended by this tongue-in-cheek satirical portrayal of kombucha should lighten up. After all, the dairy industry wasn’t offended when Wallace and Gromit picnicked on a moon made of cheese. No one took that seriously. Likewise, the movie portrays kombucha in an extreme, but humorous, manner, maybe not quite as unbelievably as a cartoon character and his dog slicing off a bit of cheese on the moon, but not that different in terms of kombucha in reality compared to its role as a plot device in this fantasy. The film has been described in reviews re-posted to Booch News in October, so check there if you want the details. Briefly, kombucha alters the behavior of hapless office workers forced to drink it with cult-like intensity by a corporation that wrings every ounce of energy, and eventually the life, out of their employees. Office screen savers read “Serve the job and the job serves you.” There’s no work-life balance. Sexually predatory female managers seduce their direct reports (“I want to have your baby! Give me your sperm!”). Cringe-worthy platitudes (“I’ll circle back to you on that”) are spouted in clinically spotless meeting rooms. This environment will be familiar to anyone who has worked in tech. It’s the world described by Dave Eggers in his 2013 novel, The Circle. Wide of the mark Those of us familiar with kombucha will spot the ways in which the ‘booch onscreen is not true to life. personal refrigerator is stockedslightly ‘woke’ reputation On target There are, however, a number of places in the movie where the director totally nails the appeal of kombucha. Movie magic I’m no fan of horror movies. Indeed, I was uncomfortable with one of the short films shown before Kombucha. It was a ‘slasher’ flick, and I had to look away when the ax split open the girl’s head. The Kombucha movie is nothing like that. There is some of what fans apparently refer to as ‘body horror’ – bacteria and yeast infestations in previously healthy people. Lesser versions of the infected zombies in The Last of Us. The main message is the dystopian exaggeration of the Silicon Valley office start-up culture where the office is a ‘family,’ and you are encouraged to burn the midnight oil to deliver the PowerPoint presentation next day. Think McKinsey consultants on steroids, or designer ‘booch. (Incidentally, and an absolute coincidence, are the parallels between the use of ‘personally customized’ kombucha in the film and a possible future described in Episode 2 of my ‘Fermented Future’ Sci-Fi series. Great minds, eh, Jake?) The film chose the brand name “Mother’s Secret” for the company brand of kombucha, which makes absolute sense given the ‘secret’ revealed at the end of the film. However, any brands with ‘Mother’ in their name should expect to become famous by association. Here’s looking at you: Mother KombuchaMother KombuchaMother Love Kombucha,Mother Lode KombuchaMothership Hard KombuchaBack to the MotherStrong Mother Kombucha The sequel Jake is planning a sequel focused on kombucha’s potential to be misused as a ‘woo-woo alternative health cure all’. Filming starts next summer. Online availability Kombucha the movie won’t be shown in theaters. The SF screening was the final time on the big screen. However, it’s now available for rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Google Play, and other on-demand services. It’s also available on Blu-ray and DVD. I highly...

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 8 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Fermentation cooperatives represent one effective social organizing principle among many. In the future, kombucha cafes could replace bars and coffee shops as primary gathering spaces—not because the beverages possess magical properties, but because fermentation creates affordable spaces where people gather around shared productive work. This episode explores Mumbai’s “Fermentation District,” where bio-breweries have become community hubs, enabling stronger civic engagement. These spaces succeeded by combining smart urban design, economic cooperation, and cultural preservation into environments that made authentic connection easier than virtual isolation. The Inheritance of Empty Buildings By 2052, colonial-era buildings in Mumbai’s abandoned Ballard Estate business district stood empty after the Great Flood of July 26, 2047, drove businesses to higher ground. Climate refugee and fermentation consultant Khushi Sengupta—one of the Darjeeling tea plantation refugees who had fled to the Thames Valley Mega-tower together with the Tamang family—traveled back to India to visit family and help rebuild the shattered city. Her relatives had made the grueling 1,300-mile journey west from the Darjeeling foothills to Mumbai after their once-thriving tea plantations were devastated by climate change. It is early October. The monsoon rains have ended. Khushi stands in a gutted office building, water stains still visible three meters up the marble walls. She’s meeting municipal planner Rajesh Krishnan, who spreads architectural drawing across a ruined reception desk while Khushi’s eight-year-old daughter Priya explores the echoing space. “The flood created a crisis,” Rajesh explains. “The government wants temporary housing—stack refugees in minimal square footage, provide basic services, move on. But I’ve seen that approach fail in Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai. Dense housing without social infrastructure creates slums, not communities.” Khushi watches her daughter discover an old fermentation crock in what was once the building’s cafeteria—remnants of someone’s office kombucha hobby. “What if we built around production instead of consumption?” she asks. “In the Thames Valley tower, the tea gardens and fermentation floors weren’t just amenities; they were integral to the process. They gave people something to do together. They created economic relationships.” Rajesh considers this. The 440 lakh rupees allocated to this district could fund either 1,000 housing units with no common spaces or 700 units with shared productive facilities. The conventional approach prioritizes maximum density. However, traditional methods have produced Mumbai’s sprawling slums, where civic engagement is nearly impossible—no gathering spaces, no economic cooperation, everyone struggling individually. “Show me what you’re imagining,” he says. “Back in the UK,” she explains, “we discovered that when people brew together, they talk. When they talk, they coordinate. When they coordinate, they govern themselves. Fermentation doesn’t create democracy—it creates the conditions where democracy can happen. Regular rhythms, shared investment, economic interdependence.” Six Months Later Khushi’s visit has lasted longer than intended, but no matter. Rajesh Krishnan has secured preliminary approval from city authorities for an experimental fermentation space. He’s looking to Khushi to replicate the Thames Valley tower’s success in Mumbai. If only things were that simple. The space is chaotic—babies crying, elders arguing about fermentation technique in four languages, someone’s SCOBY is contaminated and they need to start over. This is not the harmonious vision Rajesh sold to the municipal government. Narayan, a skeptical elder from a traditional Brahmin family, insists proper...

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 7 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. This is one in a series about possible futures, published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 7 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Peer-to-peer flavor-sharing platforms enabled home brewers to distribute taste profiles as digital files. Blockchain-verified SCOBY genetics allowed anyone to recreate award-winning kombucha flavors. Traditional beverage companies lost control as open-source fermentation recipes spread globally. This episode follows teenage hacker Luna Reyes as she reverse-engineers Heineken’s proprietary “A-yeast” strain and the century-old master strain used for Budweiser, releasing them under Creative Commons license, triggering a flavor renaissance that made corporate beverages taste like cardboard by comparison. Luna Reyes: The Seventeen-Year-Old Who Liberated Flavor Luna Reyes was brewing kombucha in her Oakland garage when she changed the course of human history. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she had learned fermentation from her grandmother while teaching herself bioinformatics through YouTube tutorials and volunteering at the Counter Culture Labs Maker Space on Shattuck Avenue. By fifteen, she was running the Bay Area’s most sophisticated home laboratory, utilizing jury-rigged DNA sequencers and microscopes constructed from smartphone cameras. Her breakthrough came in February 2043 while investigating why her kombucha never tasted quite like expensive craft varieties and was different again from her grandmother’s home brew. Using Crispr techniques learned from online forums, Luna began reverse-engineering the microbial genetics of premium alcoholic beverages. Her target wasn’t kombucha—it was the closely guarded yeast strains that gave corporate beers their distinctive flavors. Luna hunched over her microscope, examining bacterial cultures from her latest kombucha batch. Around her, salvaged DNA sequencers hummed, fermentation vessels bubbled, and computer screens displayed multi-hued patterns of genetic sequences. Her grandmother, Rosa, entered carrying a tray with three glasses of homemade kombucha. “Mija, you’ve been working for six hours straight. Drink something.” Luna accepted the glass without looking up. “Abuela, your kombucha tastes better than anything I can buy in stores and the ones I’ve experimented with. Why? I’m using the same base ingredients—tea, sugar, water—but mine never has this complexity.” Her grandmother laughed. “Because I’ve been feeding this SCOBY for forty years. It knows what to do. You can’t rush relationships.” Luna’s sister Maya, lounging against a workbench, waved her phone. “Luna, people have noticed your forum post about Health-Ade’s fermentation process. Someone says you’re wasting your time trying to replicate commercial kombuchas.” “I’m not trying to replicate them,” Luna said, finally looking up. “I’m trying to understand why their kombucha tastes different than that I make at home. It’s not the ingredients. It’s not the process. It’s the microbial genetics.” Rosa sat down beside her granddaughter. “When I was young in Oaxaca, every family had their own kombucha culture, passed down generation to generation. Each tasted different because the bacteria adapted to their environment, their ingredients, their care. We had a saying, Hay tantas fermentaciones en el mundo como estrellas en el cielo nocturno – there are as many ferments in the world as stars in the night sky. The big companies want every bottle to be identical. That kills what makes fermentation special.” “Exactly!” Luna pulled up genetic sequences on her screen. “I’ve been reverse-engineering samples from different commercial kombuchas. Health-Ade, GT’s, Brew Dr—they all have consistent microbial profiles.” The Great Heist: Cracking Corporate DNA Luna’s first major hack targeted...

I sat down with William Esslinger of Confluence Kombucha in St. Louis, Missouri. We’d just left the three-day KBI conference in Barcelona and were having lunch at Munich Airport before catching our respective connecting flights. It was William’s first time... The post Confluence Kombucha, St. Louis, Missouri appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 6 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Introduction Legacy beverage corporations attempting hostile takeovers of kombucha startups... The post Episode 7: Corporate Death Spiral—How Cola Became Compost appeared first on 'Booch News.

I visited Bioma Kombucha on the final day of my trip to Barcelona for the World Kombucha Awards and KBI European Summit. Christopher Davite is the founder of Bioma Kombucha in Barcelona. His personal health struggles, including ADHD, depression, and... The post Profile: Bioma Kombucha, Barcelona, Spain appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 5 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Introduction In the mid-21st century, rising seas and extreme weather... The post Our Fermented Future, Episode 6: Vertical Gardens – Climate Adaptation through Fermentation appeared first on 'Booch News.

Origins Jordi Dalmau improved his health with kombucha and founded Mūn Kombucha. He is a multi-year World Kombucha Awards winner and sits on the KBI Board of Directors. Kombucha proved to be a solution to the health problems he had... The post Profile: Mūn Kombucha, Mataró, Spain appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 4 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview The fermentation revolution isn’t about returning to the past,... The post Our Fermented Future, Episode 5: The Spoilage Rights Movement appeared first on 'Booch News.

I met Khadija Benslimane at the recent KBI European Salon and World Kombucha Awards event in Barcelona. She founded KaBé Kombucha in Casablanca, Morocco, just 18 months ago. This is the first and so far the only commercial kombucha brand... The post Profile: KaBé Kombucha, Casablanca, Morocco appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 3 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. As we look back over the last 75 years, it’s... The post Our Fermented Future, Episode 4: The Global Fermentation Renaissance – Beyond Kombucha appeared first on 'Booch News.

Kombucha in a time of war Among the dozens of kombucha producers I spoke with from around the world gathered in Barcelona for the World Kombucha Awards, one stood out. Artem Manko the founder of Wild Kombucha, Kiev, Ukraine, shared... The post Profile: Wild Kombucha, Kiev, Ukraine appeared first on 'Booch News.

Sunday, October 26, was the ‘Open House’ day for the members of the public to come to the World Kombucha Awards venue in Barcelona and meet the winners from around the world. Over 70 people from across Europe gathered on... The post World Kombucha Awards: Open House appeared first on 'Booch News.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 2 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Building on Curro Polo’s pioneering research in the late... The post Our Fermented Future, Episode 3: SCOBY 2.0 – When Fungi Meets Quantum Computing appeared first on 'Booch News.