Lively Up Kombucha
For a couple of months now, I have been completely hooked on Kombucha (fermented tea with yeast and bacteria cultures). Besides being really yummy and curbing my appetite for other sugary drinks, it has a handful of benefits. Drinking this raw, natural product betters digestion and overall gut health (rich source of living probiotics), helps with the immune system, acts as an energy booster, and can even help prevent some types of cancer. It is also packed with vital amino acids and supports tissue growth, making it an extremely beneficial alternative to your regular sports drink.
Since kombucha has been at the top of my grocery list lately, I started to look into local breweries – I always buy local if and when I can. That’s why I was super excited when I came across Lively Up Kombucha, a small batch kombucha brewery in Muskegon, Michigan. Inspired by Bob Marley’s song “Lively Up Yourself”, owners Zack and Brenna created this drink to make consumers feel rejuvenated and alive. Lively Up goes the extra mile to create all organic, natural kombucha from scratch.
Zack and Brenna were kind enough to invite me to their brewery and give me the run down on their authentic product. They started just about two years ago and are already available for your enjoyment at 47 different retailers! You can find their retail locations here. Both of them were so sweet and welcoming, I very much enjoyed my time with them learning about their lives, their product, and getting the “low down” on the Kombucha industry.
THEIR STORY
Brenna and Zack were both living in Hawaii before they even had thoughts of starting their own Kombucha company. There, they were inspired by the “aloha lifestyle” and loved that they were able to embody such a unique way of living. They immediately knew they wanted to bring this new way of life and mindfulness with them back to the Midwest. Fast forward to their return home, Zack and Brenna started making kombucha with Zack’s mom every weekend, which turned into a bit of a weekly ritual for the 3 of them. Once they realized how good they felt from their creations, they started to recognize that making kombucha could be an amazing space for them to put this newfound energy they had discovered in Hawaii. And just like that, Lively Up Kombucha was born.
THEIR PRODUCT
Brenna and Zack NEVER compromise with what goes into their kombucha. All organic and authentic ingredients are what make their flavors so yummy and great for your body. They started out with three flavors; Lively Chai, Jammin’ Ginger, and Lovin’ Lavender (my favorite flavor if I had to pick) and have since started selling peach lavender as well. Be on the lookout for a few more flavors to come soon.
THE BOOCH INDUSTRY
Being in the kombucha industry isn’t easy. Big brands make it very hard for smaller companies to get acknowledged since they seem to have a monopoly on the market. What consumers don’t know is that sometimes we aren’t even drinking real kombucha from these big name brands. We automatically trust a well-known kombucha brand, but I am learning that shouldn’t always be the case. Before buying kombucha, make sure you are looking at ingredients and doing your research on exactly how these brands are making their kombucha and what exactly is going into it. It is extremely important to know what you are putting into your body and to reap the benefits of a beverage that has so much potential when made correctly.
If you have any questions about Kombucha, Brenna and Zack would be happy to fill you in on what you need to know – feel free to email them here and make sure to say hi over on their Instagram!
Photo Grid Courtesy of Lively Up’s Photographer, Adam Alexander.
Thanks for reading, can’t wait for you all to get your hands on some Lively Up Kombucha!
xx, Nicole
