New Mexico to Toronto - A Kombucha Travelogue: Who's Tonic?
Travelling back to Toronto from studies in New Mexico in 2006, I carefully tucked my Kombucha culture under the driver’s seat and prayed to the Kombucha Fairy to safely get me through customs so that I could resume my favourite new past time once home in Toronto.
And wow did my Kombucha Fairy come through! Not only was I able to set up my little Kombucha baby to make pools of the incredible tonic I’d come to love, but it turned out the Kombucha kraze hadn’t hit Toronto yet and I had a cutting edge duty to introduce my friends and family –health conscious or nay-to the incredible magic of this age old Gem!
While living in new mexico the year prior, I was privy to a very odd little community that was flooded with kombucha brewers, and though my resistance was strong at first, I eventually caved and sipped of this brew they all swore by. Well, the flavour of this cold kombucha tea was much more appealing than its smell, that was forsure, so I had a few more glasses and didn’t think much of it, until the next day, and then... wow! Talk about Digestive Power! I felt lighter and more clear than I had in ages; I was alert and clear and was bounding with energy, it was truly amazing.
Growing up in a health food hotbed I was used to multiple herbs and supplements to remedy this and support that, but I had NEVER experienced anything like this. I had never really had digestive “issues” before, but suddenly I started to notice that I no longer had tummy aches when I ate certain foods, and I felt alive and mentally alert after meals—I suppose I had assumed I was, but now I knew I was experiencing a completely new state of being-Kombucha being!
So fast forward to me laddeling out the good stuff from every Toronto rooftop I could, and in 2008, after successfully passing on my favourite life support tool to all those around me-in the yoga classes I taught, the vegan restaurant I waitressed at, the family events I harranged, even my best friends bar where I actually got some hard drinkers to pause their tabs for a little K- juice - there was no choice but to officially anoint the Fairy’s Tonic open for business and begin to up my production to feed the gang of desirous Kombucha lovers I had hooked!
Today the Fairy’s Tonic micro-brewery runs out of downtown Toronto, where I work alongside some very wonderful and helpful Kombrewers and am continuously inspired by all the motivated and fantastic people I come into contact with daily, (not the least of whom is my phenomenal mom!) as we co-create our projects and products and visions!
Our Kitchen and Kombrewery:
Continuing along the traditional recipe guidelines passed down for centuries to produce optimal results with our Kombucha, we keep our micro kombrewery and kitchen filled with loving vibes, pristine equipment and soothing sounds (it’s true the kombucha really love the sounds of the Grateful Dead!).
Kombucha is meant to be shared, as it was with us, however there are very careful measures that must be taken to ensure health safety and correct procedure for potent results, so we recommend you come by the kitchen and take a workshop if you are interested in creating your own Kombucha magic at home!
