Thrilled that the kombucha was fly-free, mold-free, and good-tasting, I was happy to leave it as is. But my colleagues helped me realize how fun it can be to play with flavors.

Kombucha SCOBY Mother 3 of 9. The key to making a good kombucha is a SCOBY: (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast), also known as the "mother" or "mushroom" that forms on the top of the brew.

Jenni Lyons fills a growler with kombucha at Happy Leaf Kombucha in Edgewater on May 5. Happy Leaf Kombucha recently relocated to Edgewater from Denver. EDGEWATER, CO - MAY 5: A sampler flight of ...

A sampler flight of five varieties of kombucha at Happy Leaf Kombucha in Edgewater, Colorado on May 5, 2016. Happy Leaf Kombucha is Denver's first Kombucha tap room and recently moved to Edgewater.

The only way you can make kombucha is if you have a SCOBY ... Then, wash your hands for a good 30 seconds under hot water (for reference, try singing "Happy Birthday" to yourself). Advertisement.

Jennifer Ackerman Haywood, MLive arts and crafts columnist, features Emily Helmus, 24, of Grand Rapids, who brews a unique fermented tea called kombucha which is catching on with local patrons.

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage that many people say make them feel good. Wegmans says it's the hottest trend in beverage. Meet Rochester's kombucha brewers: Timbucha, RocBucha, Katboocha and ...

For kombucha lovers, the brew-ha-ha between producers and government agencies means an uncertain supply of their favorite brands, but even with that uncertainty, Crum points out that kombucha ...