Local drinks that are so good (for you)
by April Charmaine

When did beverages become so tasty and so insanely good for you too?

There’s a little saying that goes “nothing is new,” and that’s true of Colorado’s own High Country Kombucha drinks and the Bhakti Chai line, made locally by companies that serve up ancient beverages with a 21st-century American flair. Both businesses have made drinks that at one time were unknown in this part of the world into something that people across the country crave and enjoy on a daily basis. The multi-flavored High Country Kombucha and spice-filled Bhakti Chai both give off an energizing zing to all who partake. Here’s an inside look at both companies.

High Country Kombucha

Boulder Weekly: When did you begin this business?
Ed Rothbauer, president of High Country Kombucha, Inc.: We (Steve Dickman and myself) started locally in the Vail/Beaver Creek area in 2002 producing enough Kombucha for local friends, bottled in Mason jars with hand written labels. In 2004, as the demand increased, we decided to set up a small kitchen in Eagle, where we could produce 240 bottles a day. Today, we are in health food stores all over the nation, and our current facility produces about 18,000 bottles a day. We are now looking to expand to a new facility and produce up to 100,000 bottles a day.
BW: How many employees do you have?
ER: We currently have 30 employees, including culturing, bottling, sales and administration
BW: Why Colorado?
ER: Colorado is our home, a place where bears, cutthroats, badgers and weasels are not business associates, they’re neighbors. Our pristine environment gives us the ability to enjoy our resources; as well as the responsibility to protect it. I can’t imagine any other place in the USA that could provide the purest water, the cleanest air and the most giving, helpful people. Every aspect of Kombucha is the result of its environment, and where else in the U.S. could we even come close to match the native origin of the Himalayas where Kombucha was derived?
BW: Why is organic important to you?
ER: Organic is very important. The fact that the word “organic” is on our product is not as important as the true intention of the word. Our teas are and have always been “biodynamic,” a name you don’t see on the label. This means that all of the teas used are cultivated in a completely sustainable environment. An environment that supports and renews every aspect of the ecological system it’s grown in, as well as the farmer’s and families that work to maintain the awesome environment.
BW: What do you say to the people who are put off by the particles/taste of Kombucha initially?
ER: Peoples have been trained for over 100 years to recognize sugars and more recently modified sugars, GMO’s and synthetic flavors as their own flavor preferences. I like to give people a chance to taste Kombucha and recognize the way they feel afterwards. Good Kombucha will taste good to almost anybody once they feel it in their body and decide the days of high fructose corn syrup are behind them.

Bhakti Chai

BW: Bhakti Chai has incredible word-of-mouth reputation, how did it begin and where do you want it to go?
Brook Eddy, founder and CEO of Bhakti Chai: We are so thankful for the grassroots support for our product and mission. We couldn’t have grown without such community enthusiasm. We did not have a marketing or advertising budget, but just tried to make a memorable product and a positive impact.
BW: How fast has the company grown since 2007?
BE: [We’ve had] 474 percent revenue growth from 2007-2009.
BW: How many employees?
BE: 10
BW: Where is the factory, and what is it like?
BE: We produce in Longmont. We micro-brew over 4,000 gallons of chai concentrate a month and fresh press over 700 pounds of ginger a week.
BW: Why Boulder County?
BE: I was living here when I started my company, but it has been an amazing environment to launch a natural foods company, not only because of all the resources and support, like the Naturally Boulder community, but the interest and commitment to Fair Trade and healthy products.
BW: Why is organic important to the company?
BE: While we are not certified organic, our main ingredients — tea, sugar and ginger are certified organic. Organic is important to Bhakti because of the health and societal benefits, and it’s more sustainable.
BW: How do you contribute to so many nonprofit organizations? How does Bhakti live up to its name, which means devotion through social action?
BE: We started very early giving to local nonprofit organizations, so as we grew, our charitable donations increased. We also established monthly gifts with certain organizations, so that our commitment is built into our operating budget and does not depend on fluctuating months.
BW: Anything else exciting about the Bhakti movement/vision?
BC: We just launched our Bhakti Chai Chip Ice Cream, which is a creamy ginger ice cream with cardamom swirls and chocolate morsels. We are a bunch of foodies around here and love playing with flavors.

Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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