Pembroke has a new business in town! Farmstead Cheesehouse opened their doors this week just in time for the warm weather.

This beautiful building is now home to a café featuring a large selection of delicious local cheeses, homemade gelato, baked goods, coffee, tea, kombucha and various locally sourced products. A family run business, Farmhouse Cheesehouse is located on the outskirts of Pembroke at 2545 Greenwood Road, near the Quebec turnoff.

Customers can take their treats to go, or stay and eat in (note the beautiful front patio!). Owners Nick and Steph Petermann are thrilled to be in business and are looking forward to a wonderful first season. We highly recommend their gelato! The pistachio and cantaloupe flavours were out of this world. 

Congratulations Farmstead Cheesehouse! We look forward to our next visit.

Our Seasonal flavour Maple Rose is back, only this time it's a little different. 

Made using maple sap and wood-fired maple syrup in place of water and cane sugar to start the batch, this brew has a smoky, mild syrup taste and a slight hint of rose. Sourced from our friends in Chalk River, Bagg's Road Maple Syrup was boiled down over a wood fire, giving it a more earthy, camp fire taste, prompting us to rename the batch Wood-fired Maple. Thoughts of camping and cooking over the fire came through over the first few sips, and we're feeling the first Summer vibes around here. Let's hope the bugs stay away (we can dream, right!?). 

Try Wood-fired Maple on tap now at The Olive Tree in Deep River and on deck for next week at Blendz Smoothie Shop in Pembroke. Let us know what you think of this unique brew!
​

​We've created a special Pride edition kombucha to show our support for the LGBTQ community!

Introducing PRIDE and EQUALI-TEA Kombucha.

Developed to stand out from the rest, this booch made its debut on tap today featuring a fun, bolder, appearance, symbolizing uniqueness, inclusion, and flare.

As a kombucha brewery, an exciting part of our work is flavour development and taste-testing. Originally we had thought of formulating a kombucha combining a fruit from every colour in the rainbow, but the end result would have had less effect and visual appeal. Pride and Equali-Tea is much more simple in flavour, yet loud and proud in its striking colour.

Infused with organic whole pineapple, stevia leaf, and blue algae powder, this vibrant brew is anything but ordinary. Known in colour psychology as the colour of the evolved soul, Turquoise not only helps evoke peace, happiness, and creativity, but it is said to help open communication, build self-esteem and self-love, which in turn supports our ability to love others unconditionally.

As a proud sponsor for the Pembroke Pride Festival, we also wanted to take the opportunity to use our kombucha for the cause.
$1 from every 1L Pride and Equali-Tea bottle sold will be donated to supporting Pride initiatives in our community.
Booch lovers can fill up on tap in Pembroke at Blendz Smoothie Shop and in Deep River at The Olive Tree, knowing their purchase contributes to making a difference. 

Although the brew is seriously delicious as is, we thought a signature Pride and Equali-Tea kombucha cocktail recipe would take it to the next level. 

- Pride and Equali-Tea Cocktail -

4 oz Pride and Equali-Tea Kombucha
3 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Blue Curaçao 
0.5 oz Vodka
Pour over ice or combine ingredients in a shaker, serve in a tall glass and garnish with a pineapple, strawberry or whatever suits your fancy.
Make it colourful, just like you!
*Opt out of the alcohol and it's just as delicious as a virgin cocktail!

Other cocktail recipes like Electric Lemonade, Smurf, or Blue Margarita can be made by using half juice, half kombucha or by fully replacing the pop with kombucha.

June is Pride month. We stand proud alongside our LGBTQ family members, peers, those in our community and across the globe. Together we unite, not only this week, this month, but always, making our voices heard and understood, moving forward in alignment so that we never have to be afraid to wave our flag and show off our brilliant true colours. 

Join in the many fun and exciting activities throughout Pembroke Pride Week from June 7th to 15th and for a full day of celebration at the Pembroke Pride Festival on June 15th. A huge thank you to the Pembroke Pride volunteers and organizers!

“One day we won’t have to ”come out of the closet”. We’ll just say we are in love and that will be all that matters.”
-Ellen Degeneres

Four flavours of Laurentian Brew Kombucha have made their landing in Sudbury, Ontario!

Find our brew in the new location of locally owned and operated Frubar Juicery at 1984 Regent Street. Situated in a health-oriented plaza, Frubar is making its mark as a healthy on-the-go options for Sudbury residents. With a variety of delicious smoothies, fresh cold-pressed juices, made-in-house snacks, specialty drinks (hello Bulletproof coffee!), frozen yogurt, and cleansing programs, Frubar has something for everyone, anytime of day. 

With a mission to keep the community healthy, vibrant, and well-nourished, it's easy to see why Frubar is gaining popularity in the Northern Ontario city. Open 7 days a week, the shop is newly renovated with a light, bright and energizing colour palette, and a small seating area to enjoy your beverage in house. 

Friendly service and a passion for wellness, the enthusiasm is contagious, and I just had to try the fresh-pressed juice of the week, 1 in a melon (seriously good!), and the most beautiful blue coloured smoothie, Tropical Waves (wow!). I'll be looking forward to the next delivery day (drooling until then).

We're so fortunate to have the support of Frubar Juicery and look forward to having more Sudbury customers. If you're in the area, be sure to pop in for a treat!
​

April 28th, 2019 marked the 3rd Annual Intimate Summit of Local Commercial Kombucha Brewers. An event we always look forward to, this is a gathering of fellow brewers to create a sense of community, share our stories, discuss challenges, and talk shop. Graciously hosted by Dasha and Seb of Artizen Kombucha, we join together for a casual potluck lunch and informal meeting in Perth, Ontario. 

This year, Dasha discussed her experience from Kombucha Brewers International Kombucha Kon event and shared information from the conference. A large focus of KKON 2019 was to collect data and create a Standard of Identity, a definition of the word Kombucha, to better differentiate and clarify the brew, while unifying the voice of brewers across the globe. We also discussed upcoming events, Boochfest 2019 and the Ontario Fermentation Festival, both of which have been created by attendees of our gathering, and are a must-see for kombucha and fermentation fans. 

Present this year was Artizen, Culture, Vox, Pyramid Ferments, Buchi Pop, Vivo, Laurentian Brew, and Kombucha Scientist, Alex May. We filled and refilled our glasses with plenty of kombucha, enjoying the different brews and sampling some alcoholic kombucha as well as a sip from Kombucha Iceland. 

To complete the visit, we took a sunny walk to Artizen's new brewery, in a wonderfully renovated bright space shared with Perth Pie Co. The time flew by, as it always does, and we look forward to catching up at events over the Summer. We have to say we have a pretty awesome crew of brewers in the area! 

We haven't had this flavour on tap since our first Farmers' Market days and it couldn't come back at a more opportune time! Known as one of the top most potent anti-viral herbs, elderberry is a major cold and flu buster. If you've had that bug that's been going around (or have been one of the lucky ones who hasn't) this is the booch for you!

Made with organic elderberry and elderflower, this kombucha is seriously delicious (if I do say so myself!), lightly fruity, and ever-so-slightly floral. Described by Hippocrates (the "Father of Medicine") as his "medicine chest", elderberry has a wide array of benefits and uses including help with sinuses, allergies, and blood sugar stabilization, but is most known for its effectiveness at mitigating cold and flu symptoms. 

And if you're already healthy as a horse, well just try it for the refreshing taste. ;)
​
On tap now at The Olive Tree in Deep River and Blendz Smoothie Shop & Healthy Eatery!

Hey KINGSTON!!

We're in Symphony Spa & Yoga on Brock Street in the heart of downtown Kingston!

You'll find a fridge full of kombucha in the newly launching smoothie bar. To compliment the wide range of wellness treatments in Symphony, the spa is opening a café and smoothie bar THIS WEEK! Sip on a healthy, raw smoothie or kombucha after completing a hot yoga class or while getting pampered with one of many salon and esthetic services. 

Featuring a hair salon, yoga studio, massage therapy, waxing and sugaring, lash extensions, facials, laser hair removal, manicure/pedicure, and a café lounge, Symphony is an elaborate, one-stop-shop for personal wellness and self-care. 

Kingston brides-to-be, and girls-day-out - this is for you! Head to www.symphonyspa.ca for more info.

We're looking forward to sitting on that patio this Summer!

Since we were in London for the weekend, we figured it would be great to sample our kombucha in the Farm Boy Wellington Street location!

We sure are happy to be in such a great store! It was a pleasure chatting about our product with the Sunday shoppers. Sounds like we converted some hesitant newbie booch drinkers into fans of the fermented tea. ;)

What a great weekend in London, ON for the first annual London Tea and Kombucha Festival!

Such a great group of tea sommeliers, tea totalers, tea enthusiasts, kombucha brewers and fans came out for the event at the Wolf Performance Hall downtown London. We certainly enjoyed meeting new faces, making new friends, and getting to know some of the kombucha brewers in the area. 

So many teas to sip on! We're grateful for the welcome invitation and thankful to Founder, Michelle Pierce Hamilton, fellow RHN, tea sommelier, and owner of The Tea Lounge and Be Teas and her wonderful team for bringing this festival to life. 

​Cheers!

Booch Balms are available at Blendz Smoothie Shop and Healthy Eatery in Pembroke!
​
All natural nourishment for your lips made using healthy kombucha culture in collaboration with the balm-making expertise of Sister Moon Gems and Herbs.

Find Peppermint Lavender and Sweet Orange Spice in stock at the front counter. 

❤️ VALENTINE'S DAY PROMO & GIVEAWAY ❤️

Buy 2x 1L bottles and get $4 off!! 

We want to say THANK YOU and show how much we appreciate you all so we teamed up with our on tap locations to bring you some Valentine's Day love. 

Starting Saturday, February 9th until February 14th, purchase any two 1L bottles at The Olive Tree in Deep River or Blendz Smoothie Shop & Healthy Eatery in Pembroke for $4.00 off the regular price. 

PLUS head to our Facebook Page and enter to win 2 big bottles of our brew. Winner to be announced on Valentine's Day!

Share your booch with your significant other, your best buddy, or stock up your fridge for a healthy kombucha cocktail or mocktail. We paired ours with chocolate from Hummingbird Chocolate Maker and fudge from Forest Cove Farm! Roses courtesy of Forest Cove Farm's new flower shop. 🌹

1 + 1 = 4 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

How very cool to meet up with this guy today! We’ve been following Dylan on his journey across Canada and it is nothing short of inspiring.
 
Walking 5000 km on foot from Montreal to Vancouver is an incredible feat but to do it alone, and in Winter!? Absolutely amazing. There’s been some ridiculously cold weather lately and we can’t even begin to imagine the willpower it takes to continue this journey from morning until night.

I saw him on my route to deliver to North Bay, looked down at my kombucha for the ride home and thought.. you know what this guy needs...? A kombucha! Lol. Of course, I really just wanted to stop and say how impressive he is. Follow his journey on instagram @dylan_trekking and on Facebook 5000 km by foot.

So nice to meet you, Dylan!! I wish I would have had more time to chat and offer you a warm meal. Happy travels!

***Note: If anyone wishes to offer up their home for a nights stay, I'm sure he would greatly appreciate it. Follow his journey and shoot him a message if you're along the way! He is in North Bay for the evening and will carry on through Ontario for the next while.
...

C’était absolument extraordinaire de rencontrer cet homme ci aujourd’hui! On a suivi l’aventure de Dylan d’un bout à l’autre du Canada et c’est tout à fait inspirant! 

À pied pendant 5 000 km, à partir de Montreal jusqu’à Vancouver, c’est tout un exploit! En plus, le faire seul et durant l’hiver? Absolument incroyable. Il a eu des journées très froides dernièrement et on ne peut pas s’imaginer à quel point il faut avoir de la volonté pour continuer cet aventure du matin au soir.
 
Je l’ai vu quand j’étais sur la route afin de délivrer à North Bay. J’ai regardé mon kombucha que j’avais pour le trajet vers la maison et je me suis demandé ce qu’il aurait besoin!? Du kombucha! Lol. Bien sûr, je voulais juste m’arrêter afin de lui dire comment impressionnant il est. 
​
Vous pouvez le suivre pendant son périple sur Instagram @dylan_trekking puis sur Facebook 5000 km by foot. 

Mon plaisir de t’avoir rencontrer Dylan! J’aurais aimé avoir plus de temps afin de parler davantage et t’offrir un mets chaud. Bon voyage!

Arnprior's newest business Good Food To Go has recently opened their doors. A gluten-free, peanut-free facility, Good Food To Go features healthy grab-and-go meals with a focus on fresh, nutritious ingredients featuring soup, salads, hot food, gluten-free muffins, and daily specials. 

For those with a gluten intolerance, dietary restrictions, or just looking for a healthy take-out meal, Good Food To Go makes it an easy choice for lunch and supper. Located in Unit 6 at 75 Elgin Street in the heart of Downtown Arnprior, it is easily accessible with ample free parking in front of the building. 

The store is bright and cheery, with accents of their signature fresh green colour, and an impressive backsplash makes for a great feature wall in the exposed kitchen. Owner Leslie Wirth wanted to create a space where you could see the food being prepared, as well as a view to the back storage area containing their premium products and ingredients used in their recipes, bringing more transparency to the made-from-scratch meals. 

Having knowledge and personal experience with celiac disease, Leslie was aware of the lack of fully gluten-free, and peanut-free options in the area. After leaving her corporate position to pursue this new venture, her enthusiasm in creating good food is evident and contagious. 

We delight in stopping in to the store to stock the fridge with kombucha, always having a great chat, and leaving with a smile. We highly recommend stopping in here for a healthy, gluten-free meal.

Congratulations Good Food To Go. We wish you much success! 

Dry January? Kombucha to the rescue!

If you're like us and participating in dry January (taking a wee break from alcohol), kombucha mocktails are a must. 

You can still be fancy with a booze-less Moscow Mule using Hibiscus Ginger or Just Ginger Kombucha (or keep it traditional and add the vodka if you'd prefer). The best part is our booch is low in sugar, has beneficial live bacteria and organic acids, uses real ginger (go away Winter cold & flu!), and adding fresh lime juice gives you extra Vitamin C!

Get crazy and experiment with different recipes, flavours, and add some fresh fruit to your glass. 

Try our Virgin Kombucha Moscow Mule recipe! 👇
​
KOMBUCHA MOSCOW MULE
4 oz Hibiscus Ginger or Just Ginger Kombucha
2 oz Ginger Beer (option to omit and add more booch)
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Ice cubes
Garnish with fresh lime and mint sprig

​Cheers!

We wish you a Merry Christmas! Enjoy time with family and friends over the holidays. 

​Cheers from our family to yours.

You may notice a new bottle alongside the Great Eight! 

That's because we've officially launched our Nude Jun!! Landing on the shelves today, our Jun is now available in 500 ml bottles, making it one of the only commercial, fully-labeled and lab-tested Juns in Canada!

But just what is JUN? (pronounced like gin but replace the "i" with an "uh" sound)
Jun is a fermented tea similar to kombucha only it uses a raw honey as its nutrient rather than cane sugar. Kombucha culture cannot use raw honey as the antibacterial properties of the honey compete with the bacteria in the kombucha, destroying the culture. Jun culture has been adapted over time to use the raw honey without issue, making it even more valuable with the known benefits of raw honey. 

We've kept our first flavour of Jun as simple as can be, using only organic sencha green tea, unpasteurized kosher Canadian honey, and naturally-occurring live cultures of bacteria and yeast. In essence it is "nude", unflavoured, with no frills, leaving the subtle taste of honey and green tea shine through a natural fermentation process. Honey lovers, this one's for you!

Aside from the numerous health benefits of both honey and fermentation, our Jun is also low in overall sugar with only 6 grams of sugar per 250 ml serving. Raw honey is only used at the beginning of the process in order for the fermentation to occur. No sugar or honey is added afterwards, giving you and your belly another reason to sip, smile, and enjoy. 

Since the Spring our Jun has only been available on tap at events and in one refill location.

We're happy to announce that our Nude Jun is now available in five stores including:
Jan's Valu-Mart
The Olive Tree in Deep River
Hyska's Your Independent Grocer
Little Things Canning Company
Pura Vida Nutrition Store

As we increase production, you will see Nude Jun popping up at more retail locations. Let us know where you'd like to see it!

We are pleased to be among the first to bring this rare, delicious beverage to the area and look forward to having you try our Nude Jun.

NEW Seasonal Flavour!

We've made a batch of Mulled Cranberry Citrus for the holidays!

We began this festive booch by mulling pure cranberry juice with sliced orange, mandarine, fresh Ontario cranberries, cinnamon bark, clove, and dried orange peel. Once cooled, we added more cranberry juice AND freshly juiced clementine and orange. The perfect Christmas blend. 

Jazz it up by pouring over ice, cranberries and an orange slice. Also makes a great sangria addition or a delicious cocktail mix. 

Find it on tap at Blendz Smoothie Shop & Healthy Eatery in Pembroke and The Olive Tree in Deep River. 
​
Hurry in! Limited supply!

The Ottawa Valley has more access to fresh, raw, local kombucha on tap!

Blendz Smoothie Shop in Pembroke now pours two flavours of kombucha in addition to carrying our line of 500 ml bottles. The more eco-friendly, cost-efficient way to fill up on fresh booch, Blendz is the latest business to jump on board with our refill program. 

Purchase a 1L glass bottle and fill it full of kombucha for $12.50, drink, (smile), return the bottle for an exchange and a fill up at the refill price of $9.50! A full litre of booch for $9.50, keeping Mama Earth AND your belly happy!? Triple Win!

Special blends and seasonal flavours will be featured on tap, giving you access to even more delicious varieties.
​
​Currently Blendz hours are:
8am - 7pm Tuesday to Saturday
8am - 3pm Sunday

Stop in for a drink, stay for the healthy food and atmosphere.

This is the BIGGEST Giveaway Ever!!!

WANT TO WIN??!!

One lucky winner is going to take the whole basket valued at over a whopping $600!!!

Read on to learn more and get the details on how to enter!

We've teamed up with our retailers and supporters to bring you this amazing prize basket full of LOCAL gifts! From gift certificates, to Christmas goods, lotions, locally made treats, big-time swag, and so much more... almost everything has been generously donated by our retailers!! We wanted to highlight the local shops that carry our kombucha! 

Find out what's all in this amazing gift basket below!!

The following items have been so generously donated by retailers:
*Big Box of Chocolates - Jan's Valu-mart
*2x Hummingbird Chocolate Bars - The Olive Tree in Deep River
*4x Thursday Lunches - Maven Catering
*$15 Gift Certificate - Freddie's Trading Post
*50 Portion Beau-Tea-Ful Morning Tea - Katie Wolk, RMT & Clinical Herbalist
*Vitamins, Lotion, Bag, Tea - Beyond Nutrition Petawawa
*Homemade Sauerkraut - Burnt Bridge Quality Meats
*Wooden Serving Board & Gift Card - Hyska's Your Independent Grocer
*Christmas Cookie Tray - Klaesis European Bakery and Cafe
*Pickled Carrots - Little Things Canning Company
*Mug & Portioned Pot of Coffee - Janna & Kerry's Over Easy Bar & Grill
*Reusable Straw & Free Smoothie - Blendz Smoothie Shop & Healthy Eatery
*Detox Bath Salt Blend - Sage and Stone Wellness
*One-Month Gym Membership & Reusable Bag - Integrated Health Centre
*Blueberry Jam, Jelly & Chocolate-Covered Blueberries - Hugli's Blueberry Ranch
*Yoga Class Pass - Ottawa Valley Yoga
*Golden Lake Tee - The Cottage Cup
*Blueberry/Chamomile Lotion & Cocoa Butter - Pharmasave Golden Lake
*Lotion, Vitamins & Broccoli Chocolate Bar - Pura Vida Nutrition Store
*$30 Gift Certificate - Bonnechere Bakery and Bistro
*$25 Gift Certificate - Neat Coffee Shop
*Dark Roast Coffee Beans & $10 Gift Certificate - Bonnie Jane's Coffee House
*5 Group Class Card - EPIC Fitness + Lifestyle
*Super Slouch Beanie - Anupaya Quality Goods
*Lunch Entree for 2 - The White Owl Bistro
*Made-in-house Pasta Sauce - Orchards Fresh Food Market
​
In addition, we toured around to pick up a few more and added the following to the basket:
*Natural Mint'ea Kombucha Soap - Forest Cove Farm
*$20 Ultramar Gas Card from Raby's Ultramar
*Gluten-free Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Mix from Ullrich's
*Prana Trail Mix from Dandelion Foods
*Grass-fed Butter from Thornloe Cheese
*Dried Apples & Corn Nuts from Bruham Food Mart
*Rosemary, Raisin & Garlic Artisan Crackers from Farm Boy 
*Chef Bill's Farmers Daughter Beer Jelly from Lennartz Auto Service & Corner Gas - Your Happy Place
*Plus 2x Bottles of Kombucha
TO ENTER:

HEAD TO FACEBOOK AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING:
​
1) **LIKE our **FACEBOOK PAGE**
2) *SHARE this Original Post
3) *COMMENT by tagging the name of someone you feel deserves this Christmas Basket
BEST OF LUCK!! One Winner will be selected at random on DECEMBER 1st!! 
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who made this gift basket possible!

We’re up North in Thornloe, Ontario in the Thornloe Cheese store!

We took a road trip this weekend to deliver kombucha, meet the friendly folks at Thornloe Cheese, and fill our bin full of delicious goods. 

Located in the New Liskeard area on Highway 11 North, Thornloe Cheese has a long history of making tasty products. For over 70 years, the factory has brought Northern Ontario and Quebec the best in high-quality artisan cheese using sustainable local milk from farms in the area. The business has seen a few change of hands over the years but is now proudly 100% farmer-owned and 100% Canadian.
With a wide range of products ranging from traditional mild cheddar, to fresh flavourful curds, and specialty cheeses, Thornloe Cheese has some mighty fine award-winning products to enjoy. 

​A cheese-lovers heaven, Thornloe Cheese is known from far and wide (side note, we were 4 hours away from home but while we were there, a Deep River local walked in to stock up on his favourite curds - small world!) for their exceptional cheeses, and have been making even bigger headlines as the first Canadian company to offer a new line of grass-fed butter and cheeses. 

With Matt always on the lookout for local grass-fed butter, this is actually how we connected! Through social media, we expressed how we enjoyed each others products and just had to get together! We just love how these things happen organically; local businesses supporting other local businesses. Aside from kombucha, Thornloe Cheese also has a variety of other local products in store, adding to the authenticity and true sense of community of the business. 

Thornloe Cheese continues to grow and expand but never looses sight of the original pride and vision of using high-quality ingredients and the same old-fashioned techniques from their early days to bring us the finest (most delicious) Canadian cheese. Visit www.thornloecheese.ca to learn more!

Blendz Smoothie Shop and Healthy Eatery has a new home!

Now located on Pembroke Street, Blendz has been busy moving into their newly renovated space in the heart of the Ottawa Valley. Exposed brick and high ceilings gave this space a massive facelift and we can't help but admire the new look at the latest restaurant in Pembroke. 

*Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, October 20th from 11am until 5pm*

Whoever said vegan food was lacking in taste never tried anything at Blendz. This vegan eatery takes you all the way to Flavour Town (ya.. that's right.. Guy Fieri needs to eat here!) with a great selection of dairy-free, gluten-free, taste-FULL options including their signature smoothies, soup of the day, and fan-faves like rice wraps, and banana bread waffles. 

Although we'll miss having Blendz as our neighbour in the plaza, we wish Dale and her team all the best in her new location (you can't keep us away, we've been there twice already!). We look forward to what's on the menu next and will see you on delivery day! Yesssssss, of course Blendz carries our booch!

Congrats!!