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Idaho Kombucha launches crowdfunding campaign

Benton Alexander Smith//July 12, 2017//

Idaho Kombucha launches crowdfunding campaign

Benton Alexander Smith//July 12, 2017//

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The Idaho fermented tea brewery Idaho Kombucha has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help it purchase new production equipment.

Terri and Mike Landa opened Idaho Kombucha in 2014 after sampling kombucha that a visitor brought from Seattle. The couple enjoyed the fermented tea so much they taught themselves how to brew it and eventually decided to open a business selling it.

The Landas started selling their tea to friends and then to customers at the farmers market in Boise. They now distribute bottles to 17 Treasure Valley retailers and kegs to nine local businesses.

Terri Landa
Terri Landa

But the company’s production and distribution processes have not changed much since the company started. The pair distribute their kombucha themselves every week, and they manually produce, chill and bottle their teas.

Terri Landa said if it is going to grow, the company needs production equipment to accelerate the brewing, cooling and bottling process.

Corson Distilling, another Boise company, builds brewing systems. The tank Idaho Kombucha needs for fermenting costs $6,200, and a pump and chiller system for the tank cost another $6,000. The company also plans to buy more kegs and more cooled storage.

Idaho Kombucha launched its Kickstarter campaign June 24 and was more than 30 percent of the way to its $15,000 goal as of July 7. The tea company is keeping its crowdfunding campaign open until July 26.