WRITTEN BY JORDAN KOSSUTH
What do you get when you mix a global pandemic with a passion for brewing? For Brenna Kelley and Zackery Smith, a low sugar kombucha that is delicious and full of love. What began as home brewing for friends and family helped to bring us the flavorful kombuchas that can be found in over 100 stores throughout the state, including Bridge Street Market!
Their brewing journey began in 2014 to satisfy a craving for self-sufficiency and sustainability. This interest reached a fever pitch while traveling around the West Coast, as well as spending time in Hawaii, where they found themselves fascinated by the culture surrounding kombucha – dedicated kombucha bars, kombucha on tap, and an emphasis on mindfulness and inner vitality.
When it came time to return home, one thing was clear: they needed to find a way to bring this exciting energy back with them. The plan? Perfect the fermentation process and build on the flavor profiles they had created at home to promote health and wellbeing in their own community. In 2017, with the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan and the memories from their own healing journey to inspire, the pair got to work. Within a year, the idea outgrew the rental kitchen, and they moved into their current facility in Muskegon.
With all that built-up momentum, Zack and Brenna were grateful when 2020 provided an opportunity to spend more time with family and evaluate their intentions with the business. In fact, it was this repose that provided them the idea and time to open a retail front at their brewing facility, bringing the “booch crew” to West Michigan.
WHAT IS KOMBUCHA?
Kombucha is a fizzy, non-alcoholic fermented tea composed of water, tea, sugar, and a live culture known as SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria & Yeast). Through the fermentation process, kombucha uses sugar as energy, converting it into healthy organic acids, vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics.
Lively Up Kombucha is committed to using 100% organic ingredients and partnering with high-quality tea and sugar sources, making their flavors good – and good for you! While most kombuchas on the market have upwards of 20 grams of sugar in each bottle, the Lively Up pair have perfected a dry kombucha that only contains 6 grams of sugar.
INSPIRED BY YOUR CIRCADIAN CYCLE
Lively Up carefully curates the release of seasonal flavors in sync with the circadian rhythm of the planet, bringing us a new favorite with each moon cycle.
The first in this series, Wizard Berry was released in January 2021 in harmony with the Winter Solstice. This kombucha drives an intention of healing, drawing on the antioxidants and vitamins from elderberries to boost the immune system. The name is a nod to the magical powers of wizards, encouraging the drinker to envision the life they want to live and to harness the powers within to create that reality.
Strawberry Cardamom kombucha, to be released during the Spring Equinox this March, presents a fresh strawberry flavor to celebrate the upcoming summer and liberate us from a dark winter. (Let’s face it – us Michiganders always look forward to that!)
KOMBUCHA ON TAP
Lively Up Kombucha has been available in bottles at Bridge Street Market for several years now, and this partnership continues to evolve. This year they are excited to bring one of their favorite kombucha finds from their travels into the heart of the West Michigan community – kombucha on tap!
These rotating taps in Bridge Street Market promote sustainability and provide the freshest kombucha possible in 12 oz cups, 32 oz howlers, or 64 oz growlers.
In addition to their upcoming seasonal flavors, you can find classic favorites rotating on tap, such as Blueberry Harvest, Lavender Bliss, and Jammin Ginger. In fact, Jammin Ginger has become a deeply rooted mainstay, with a recipe that has not changed since they began brewing! And while kombucha is a great non-alcoholic alternative, I can personally attest that this robust and spicy tonic makes the perfect addition to a Moscow mule.
With their intentions for the future focused on sustainability, growth, and affordability, Lively Up Kombucha continues to enrich lives and inspire a healthy culture – within consumers, and within our community! Try their brews for yourself and find them in the refrigerated beverage coolers at Bridge Street Market, or check out the kombucha tap near the café.