Fredericton Has A New Kombucha Brewer In Town
FREDERICTON- After three years of learning and working in New York, a Fredericton native has returned home to brew kombucha.
Ryan Hornibrook is the owner of Drifter Kombucha and at $15 a bottle, he’s sure to have a new brew for you.
For his final project at culinary school, Hornibrook studied kombucha, a fermented tea that is rich in probiotics and antioxidants.
“I always had it and always enjoyed it,” he said. “But I never really gotten in-depth on how it was actually made.”
Hornibrook learned that the first thing you need is a SCOBY, which stands for a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It looks almost like a jellyfish.
“The product that it comes out with is surprisingly good for what produces it,” he said.
When left in sweet tea, the yeast in the SCOBY eats the sugar and turns it into alcohol and CO2. This alcohol is removed later in the process.
“I’m a brewer of kombucha but I don’t do any of the work myself, the SCOBY does it all,” said Hornibrook. “I just sit back and let it do its thing.”
About eight months ago, he brewed his first batch in the basement. Around this time, Hornibrook had moved home to Fredericton because of Covid-19 and was exploring new business options. He gave the kombucha to a few friends and they loved it.
“I knew I had a product,” he said. “Then it was just finding a spot.”
The owner of Picaroons helped Hornibrook find a space shared with Rabbittown Beverage Co., another Fredericton craft beverage company.
“We’re both in here doing our thing,” he said.
His first batch, blueberry rosemary, was announced last Monday via Instagram. Most of the 120 bottles cleared out in less than a week.
Hornibrook says any doubts he had about his product were answered when a young customer came in to try his kombucha recently.
“She had a sip and then a few seconds later she said, ‘I want some more juice.’”
Hornibrook thinks these honest reviews are the best kind of feedback he can get. He is pleased with the positive responses he has received so far.
“Let them drink as much as they want so they can come back for another bottle,” he said.
Hornibrook loves figuring out flavour combos and putting his culinary background to the test. Blueberry rosemary is set to stay on for the summer and strawberry rhubarb is soon to come.
“I want to stick with the seasons to get as much fresh fruit as possible,” said Hornibrook.
Following what is in season also means using as much local fruit as possible.
“I always want to advert expectations for people,” he said. “I always want to throw something in there that’s a little different.”
Right now he is staying consistent while his customer base grows but hopes to experiment more in the future. Customers who like a more daring kombucha can look forward to flavours like carrot ginger.
“I know everybody won’t like every single flavour I put out,” said Hornibrook. “But that’s why I’ve got to try different things and do what people like.”
In the future, he wants to sell kegs of kombucha to Fredericton restaurants like Picaroons Roundhouse, Rustico, Trailway, and Grimross.
“I want to get into those places where they don’t have a nonalcoholic drink on tap,” he said.
For his loyal customers, he still plans to keep the option to buy in bottles.
“It’s onto the second batch right now,” said Hornibrook.