Patrick 'Paddy' O'Connor never thought a year as an ecology research technician in South Africa would lead to Pure Booch; but it did. After being unwell and on antibiotics for months his system was depleted of all the good bacteria. He then discovered kombucha. But it wasn't any old kombucha, it was home-brewed by Paddy himself, using his experiences as a research scientist to create the cleanest brew possible. Paddy has since mastered the art of crafting authentic pure kombucha, with the secret lying in its slow brew process and speciality tea blend.
We sat down with Paddy to understand more about kombucha and what makes Pure Booch special.
Why is Pure Booch brewed with a mix of both green and black tea?
The mixture of our Sencha Green Tea and the secret blend of black tea help to give our kombucha its clean and crisp flavour. Additionally, the teas both have associated health benefits.
Why is Pure Booch brewed slowly?
Authentic kombucha needs time to fermented properly. Typically this is 21-30 days. Through trial and error I found that by slow brewing I could manage the acidity and sugar levels while ensuring the microbes stay remain calm and chilled out. If we were to force the kombucha into a short brew it would stress the microbes out and make it difficult to manage the flavours.
How does Pure Booch achieve its fruity flavours?
After fermentation, we add real ingredients into our kombucha and infuse the flavours into the product. For example, we use real dried organic cranberries and real dried organic grapefruits pieces, infuse these for 24 hours and bottle/can directly from our tank.
What are the benefits of infusing fruits?
Infusing the flavours allows the natural kombucha flavour to come through, while maintaining a good subtle fruit flavour in each product.
What does Pure Booch Original taste like?
It is hard to describe as there is really nothing like it out there. If I had to describe it, it is almost like an extremely mild apple cider vinegar. But much more delicious and far less acidic!!
Why does Pure Booch have to be stored cold?
Pure Booch is an authentic Kombucha. This means that, unlike some other companies, we do not heavily manipulate the product. For example we never use sterile filtration, pasteurisation or concentrates. Because of our authentic process, Pure Booch is rich in live cultures and must be kept cold to keep the Booch fresh and the microbes alive.
Does Pure Booch contain alcohol?
Kombucha is non-alcoholic, but it does contain trace amounts of alcohol. This is because it is a fermented drink. However, there is no more than 0.5% alcohol in our Booch.
Is there a difference in taste between different batches?
Yes! Pure Booch is slow brewed authentically, in open top fermentation tanks. This open top process allows natural healthy microbes in the air to join the fermentation party. Due to this, each batch is slightly different. This is one sign of an authentic and traditionally brewed Kombucha.
Should I take Pure Booch alongside other products with live cultures?
Absolutely! Your microbial makeup changes slightly after every meal/drink. Therefore, consuming as many fermented/live cultured food and drink as possible is a great idea. When it comes to gut health diversity is key! Think of your gut as a river system. If there is only one species of fish in that river, it is not very sustainable. Something big and bad could come along and wipe out the species and take over. What you want is a thriving ecosystem with multiple species of fish, plants, macroinvertebrates, that make up a healthy habitat. This can be done in your gut by consuming authentic fermented products in conjunction with each other, like Pure Booch Kombucha, Kefirs, Crouts etc.
Is there any difference between drinking Pure Booch from a can or a botte?
None. We like cans as they are far more readily recycled and use far less energy to do so!