Kombucha, a sweet, fermented tea reputed to have health benefits, has been around for more than two millennia, but it’s taken off more recently in Southwest Florida. That’s due in part to Sarasota’s Kombucha 221 BC, launched in 2014 by husband and wife Eric and Aneta Lundquist. What began as Aneta’s home-brewing operation has bubbled up into big business, with a variety of products and sales from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West. 

 221 BC comes in 8 flavors: grapefruit, bee pollen and basil; orange, turmeric and cinnamon; mint, matcha and honey; coffee; ginger; berry and hibiscus (above); lemon and cayenne; and lavender and moringa. Two new flavors will debut later this year. Its brand-new 32-ounce growlers can be refilled at 100 locations that serve its kombucha on draft.

$3.99-$4.29

Retail price range for a bottle of 221 BC kombucha

.5%

Maximum alcohol content of 221 BC kombucha

30-Day Brewing Process

Black and green tea, sugar, water and flavorings are brewed together, then sugar and a culture of bacteria and yeast are added; the brew is covered with a breathable cloth and rests in a dark spot. As it ferments, the yeast and bacteria convert the sugar and caffeine into acids, probiotics, B vitamins and more.

221 B.C.

Earliest record of kombucha in China

50,000 

No. of 16-ounce bottles kombucha 221 BC produces each month

10 million

Number of bottles kombucha 221 BC can produce annually at its new brewing facility