A love for fitness and health, a newborn baby, and a wall full of Kombucha in a place far from home was all it took to spark Kara Sam’s desire to curate her own career path and create Bucha Brew Kombucha.
 
Four months post-partum with her son Jack, our founder, Kara, was tired of sipping on water 24/7. While she was on a vacation in Maui, she discovered Kombucha and fell in love with the taste, the concept, and the fact that it had so many benefits to offer the human body. She was disappointed, however, when she came back home to Vancouver and saw no local Kombucha companies on the shelves - she wanted that to change.

​Kara gets a thrill out of helping people and making them feel the best they possibly can. With a background in culinary arts and personal training, Kara brings a unique skill set to the kombucha-brewing table. She is able to use her knowledge of food and flavor to create the best-tasting and rawest kombucha out there, while her background in personal training helps her to understand and be able to explain the benefits that Kombucha has on the human body.

​Happy, happy Friday! We’re feeling especially excited over here at Bucha Brew today, because not only is May long weekend just around the corner, but we’re also getting ready to distribute our new bottles!
 
No need to worry; it’s the same, delicious Buch inside - just with a more creative and functional casing. While our old bottles offered a quaint old-school aesthetic, featuring a classic twist off cap, they didn’t always allow for secure closure if you weren’t wanting to drink your Brew in one sitting. Which, for new Buch drinkers especially, can be an imperative asset!
 
More than the functionality, we wanted to create our own unique bottle that, along with the label, could be recognized easily. Slightly slimmer and taller, our new bottle allows for an easy grasp, and the option to save some of the goods for later. So look out, Buch drinkers! Our new bottles are coming your way.
 
#gutchecktime #getyourfix

I haven't posted anything in quite a while as you can see.  With a toddler, a new baby and a growing business the blog just doesn't quite make the cut these days.  BUT...
I just got some great news and wanted to share with you.  We won Best in Show for the Vancouver Magazine best of the city awards!!! Check it out here 

​http://vanmag.com/drinks/taste-test-vancouvers-best-kombucha/

Everyone is talking about them, Probiotics.  Those live cultures that are helping to stabilize our guts one kombucha at a time.  But what are they and how are they really helping us?
Probiotics are tiny microorganisms (bacteria and yeast) that decrease pathogenic gastrointestinal  organisms (bad bacteria in your gut that accumulates from bad diet and sedentary lifestyle).  They help strengthen your immune system, improve bowel regularity, which in turn helps reduce flatulence and bloating and it protects your proteins and fats from oxidative damage.

Where do they come from?

1. Our Kombucha of course! Each bottle of Kombucha has billions of live probiotics that are ready to get to work in your digestive tract.
2. Yogurt.  This is probably the most popular school of thought when it comes to probiotics, the only thing about yogurt is, make sure the type you choose isn't loaded with sugars! They are pretty good at sneaking sugar into yogurt.
3. Kefir.  Kefir is another probiotic on the rise.  Lots of people are making it at home, its super simple once you get the culture.  If you are going to buy it from the store make sure you get the fat content that you are looking for and keep the sugars low
4. Suppliments.  You can opt to get your probiotics in drug form, just make sure they are fresh, keep them in the fridge, and don't forget to take them!  The only downside to pill form is you are missing out on the deliciousness you could be experiencing while enjoying a nice frosty Bucha Brew :)

Here are only 4 ways of getting your daily probiotics.  Any fermented food is going to get that good bacteria in your gut, be mindful of what you are eating and drinking and make sure you take in at least one type of probiotic daily! Your body will thank you.

​Gut Check Time, Get It In Ya

ok, so it has been a while since my last post. Holidays, family, and kids, time is a precious commodity!
I wanted to clear a few things up about algae. It was really hard for me to come up with a name for my green fizzy Bucha, algae?!, who wants to drink that?? I wanted to stay true to the ingredients the same way I had for the other flavours, consistency is key, so I left the name to describe exactly what is in the drink.

Spirulina-called a blue green algae, but it is actually a bacteria. It is a superfood that is really high in protein, iron and B vitamins. Due to the high amounts of GLA (gamma linolenic acid) it works as a strong anti inflammatory. It can help to lower your bad cholesterol (ldl) naturally and increase the good cholesterol (hdl). This superfood also helps with anemia because of it's high levels of iron.
Chlorella-helps to boost the immune system and fights off infection. It is used as a natural remedy to treat constipation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and fibromyalgia. It has been shown to increase the good bacteria in your gi tract which helps treat ulcers, colitis and Crohn's disease.

These are just a few reasons why We wanted everyone to know there was algae in our Bucha. The last reason, and my personal favourite, these blue green algae definitely help with getting rid of your nasty hangovers!

Get it in ya.

its been a week, your Bucha is probably getting close to ready, what happens now? You a) drink it the way it is, maybe give it a quick strain. Or b) carbonate it. Option b will take a few extra days but in my opinion is well worth it.
Here's how.

1. Clean all surfaces and utensils being used with hot water and vinegar
2. Remove the cover from your Bucha, if your SCOBY is floating on top remove it and place it on a plate or in a large bowl ( glass is best). If you are using continuous brew, ignore the last step.
3. Pour your bucha through a strainer into bottles that will create a seal (no corks, flip top or screw cap glass bottles only)
4. If you are flavouring your Bucha, add in your flavouring into the bottles. Ginger, strawberry, raspberry, peach or pear are all good options, get creative! You can put the whole fruit into the bottles or purée it and add it.
5. Cap the bottles and put them next to your original kombucha vessel and wait anywhere from 2 days to about a week.
6. Once you think you have enough co2 put the bottles in the fridge overnight.
7. When the Bucha is cold, strain out your fruit and any excess yeast and new SCOBY that may have formed. Straining it cold prevents excess co2 loss ( keeps the fizz).
8. After this last step keep your Bucha refrigerated and enjoy daily!

You can test to see if you have created carbonation by popping the top to see if any fizz rises from the bottom. Try to wait at least 2 days before testing and always test over the sink or outside, I have had kombucha explode 💥🍾 all over the kitchen (strawberry is especially explosive).
If you are having problems achieving carbonation you can add one or 2 pieces of dried fruit into your bottles, make sure the bottles are filled right up, and make sure the seal is tight!

I am enjoying an extra fizzy raspberry Bucha brew as I write, perfect Bevy to keep this scrambled mom brain focused!

Cheers!

when I first started brewing Bucha I scoured the Internet to get the perfect measurements and ingredients to make the perfect kombucha. Here is what I found...
- no two recipes that I found were exactly the same
- kombucha needs love, clean air and connection (it's a living thing, just like us ❤️🌱👫)
- the flavour of your Bucha depends on the tea used
- organic sugar is really important (it's the main source of fuel for your Bucha, so give it the best!)

Past these main points I realized making kombucha is not a perfected science. As long as all your utensils and vessels are clean and sanitized, your SCOBY has enough to eat, and there are no smokers in the house, your kombucha will continue to give you love in a glass. Here is what you will need to get your brew on.

~2 gallon glass jar with a wide opening
~8 heaping tbsp tea, or 8 tea bags (green, black, oolong whatever tea you prefer, play with the flavours, just don't use earl grey and make sure it's caffeinated)
~2 cups organic sugar
~1 litre of kombucha, either from previous batch or when you acquire your SCOBY ask for some starter Bucha to accompany your SCOBY
~SCOBY

1. Steep your tea with the sugar 5-10 mins, allow to cool to room temp or add 3 cups of ice to cool
   
2. Once cool, add sweet tea to your 2 gallon container with 1 litre of starter Bucha, and water to fill to the top, place the mother in the vessel.
3. Cover with paper towel, cheesecloth or an old tee shirt so the fruit flies can't get in. Then you have to wait! If it is your first batch sometimes you will have to wait up to 2 weeks for your mother (SCOBY) to become acclimatized to her new environment. Patience is key. (Don't be alarmed if she doesn't float to the top right away, temperature, tea and sweetness differences take her a bit to get use to).

Start tasting your Bucha after 5 days, you will be able to tell once it is ready, the sweetness will almost be gone and it will start to become slightly tart and acidic. Once you have reached desired flavour she is ready to be bottled and put into the fridge. If you want more carbonation place your sealed bottles on the counter for a day or two before refrigerating. I'll go into more details about this in my next posting.
Looks like Jack is waking up... Until next nap time. Good luck brewing!
Let me know if you have any questions!

so, last night we went to Annalena for dinner, it was voted 6th best restaurant in Canada. Our friend Jeff started it up with chef Mike 7 months ago. The food was unbelievable. We had the chicken, kale and trout. Chicken was by far my fav, try it if you go. What was even above and beyond for me was they had a kombucha cocktail! And it was delicious! I love that kombucha is more than just a health drink that people are trying to get down. The flavours have been refined, awareness is being spread and people are drinking it because they want to. Let me know your fav kombucha cocktails, and if you haven't tried one yet, get mixing!