Will & Shoshauna Routley Talk Kombucha

Will & Shoshauna, Co-Founders of Healthy Hooch Kombucha

They were previously road bike racers looking to start a new business after retiring, they loved kombucha and decided to bring it into the Canadian market after seeing it in a 7/11 in Oregon for the first time. Researching all about kombucha and learning how to brew it on their own, Healthy Hooch was born. In the last few years, they've watched as the kombucha market in Canada has grown from nothing to being in every grocery store, and they attribute that to the west coast American culture bringing it to the forefront of the drink market. “If it's happening in California, it's probably going to happen in Canada or BC pretty quickly,” Shoshauna observes.

A lot of people have tried kombucha but have a bad experience and never tried it again, often homemade and unappealing. “9 out of 10 home-brews aren’t going to be the best, but the thing with kombucha is its so good for you, its raw and unpasteurized so you're getting a ton of probiotics.” There is an art to making kombucha, depending on what you put in your brew it will taste and look different as well as have different nutritional values. Healthy Hooch contains probiotics and digestive enzymes, as well as being a low sugar option which makes it tasty and guilt free. For anyone who's never tried kombucha but is interested, Will and Shosauna recommend trying Healthy Hooch as a good first experience because it's not as vinegary and they filter out any “floaties” you’ll find in others. If you have a diet that doesn't have a lot of veggies, start slow, around half a cup. Kobucha holds a high amount of enzymes, so if you have a lot at once without being used to it you could have an effect on your tummy, although they say they haven't heard of any reactions from their line of kombucha.

How do you stand out among the plethora of kombucha brands on the cooler shelf? Shoshauna claims their success to being transparent and honest with their branding and staying true to the product. It also helps to be certified organic, which weeds them out from the rest. The only challenge they face is getting consumers to just try it for the first time, because of the stigma of it tasting funny or being only for 20 year old girls who like yoga. They are releasing a new line of iced tea with different healing properties using tried and true herbal methods. Be sure to watch out for them rolling out, find them in your local grocery store in BC or Ontario and be sure to request it online or the grocery manager if it's not currently available!

Will and Shoshauna say to anyone thinking of starting their own drink brand, DO NOT make your own product. “There are so many hurdles, so many moving parts that have to be synchronized,” a very complicated world when you have all of that on your plate. They stay to stick with worrying about marketing your product and you will find greater success, but it is a great initial investment to start.

Written by Juliana Bermudez