San Diego’s Spiked Kombucha Maker Speeds Up Production

Homegrown hard kombucha brewery Boochcraft is making good on plans to flood the area with its boozy version of the popular wellness drink, with new 12-ounce cans and twice as many flavors hitting San Diego restaurants this month.

Boochcraft recently moved into roomier 18,000-square-foot digs in Chula Vista to ramp up production levels. The brewery, equipped with two refurbished 3,000-gallon foeders, has the capacity to produce 70,000-plus barrels a year. There’s also 4,500 square feet of office and multipurpose space, which will be used to host quarterly pairing dinners and other events.

The facility is currently making 12-ounce cans in two new flavors: Orange Pomegranate Beet and Lemon Maple Thyme. The cans hit shelves at West Coast grocers like Whole Foods and BevMo last week.

The latest additions are also now being poured locally at Cafe Gratitude, Prep Kitchen, Social Tap, OB Surf Lodge, and Bankers Hill Bar. Its flavor pool also includes Grapefruit Hibiscus Heather and Ginger Lime Rosehips, which unites spicy, fresh-pressed ginger juice and lime juice with zesty rosehips.

Boochcraft/official photo

The brand, which claims to be California’s first hard kombucha maker, was founded by three friends from Ocean Beach in 2016. Its potency is similar to an IPA (seven-percent ABV) and the gut-friendly beer meets gluten free and vegan diets.

San Diego is hot on the hard kombucha trend as of late, with JuneShine debuting in North Park’s start-up hub Brewery Igniter last spring. Founded by two USD grads, its six-percent ABV version is based on honey-fermented green tea instead of black tea to mellow out its acidic kick.