A US hard kombucha brand was getting ready for its first commercial runs. The team planned to brew with a contract brewery partner. That meant the base they chose had to work in someone else's process, on someone else's schedule.
A New Drink, Brewed in a Partner's Brewery
Hard kombucha is a demanding drink to scale. It has to hit its target alcohol level every time, taste the same from run to run, and meet the labelling rules for alcoholic drinks.
When a partner brewery makes the drink, there's even less room for surprises. Runs are booked weeks ahead, and a batch that doesn't perform costs the brand time, money and goodwill with the brewery.
The brand wanted a fermented base that gave them a consistent starting point, so the brewery could focus on the rest of the recipe. Before they could commit, they needed to be sure the base would fit smoothly into their process.
Testing Small Before Committing to Volume
The brand got in touch with Good Culture and started small, with a development supply of the base. That was enough to test it in a pilot at their brewery partner before starting a commercial run.
Over the following weeks, the Good Culture team checked in on progress and answered the brand's questions along the way.
A Production Run on Schedule, Then Repeat Orders
Following a successful pilot, the brand moved to bulk supply of Good Culture's pasteurised Organic Fermented Green Tea Base. They timed it for a scheduled production run, and the base was ready for collection ahead of the run date.
More orders to the brewery followed in the months after. And within three months of their pilot, the brand had moved to production volumes and regular supply.
