Admittedly, I have publicly denounced the recent trend around kombucha. When it comes to radical ideas I typically need time to sit with them and ponder while I dip my pessimistic toe into the cold waters of any growing fad.

But for a few reasons, I was excited to try one of the newest beverage creations in Rochester.

A recent collaboration between Katboocha and Joe Bean Coffee Roasters has birthed an entirely new culinary crusade unveiled on December 21. It was like I didn’t have a choice. It was as if my car started up and said, “You’re going to try this coffee kombucha thing whether you want to or not. Now drive.”

In fairness to trends, I’m certain it has something to do with me. I hated Breaking Bad and got through only twenty minutes of Game Of Thrones. I’ve always felt avocado toast jumped the shark just weeks after the first person ruined perfectly good bread. I have zero interest in whatever dribble is being spewed on TikTok.

What’s In This?

It’s not so much that I hate popular things so much as I’m not quick to accept them. I guess I need first to dissect what it is others like about them. My foray into the world of kombucha has gone similarly.

In fact, I’ve likened kombucha to fine art. I’ve wondered if kombucha is like attending an exhibit where the crowd is oohing and ahhing over something on the wall. At the same time I’m left wondering what’s broken enough in my brain that I don’t get what they get.

I’ve been at kombucha tastings where people are raving about what they’re tasting. Meanwhile I’m left staring at my cup wondering. Was I accidentally served something different?

If you’ve never been to a Farmer’s Market or some farm-to-table cafe or visited Ithaca in a few years, you might be wondering a few things. Let me quickly explain what kombucha is and what you can expect while trying it.

Kombucha, What It Is

Known sometimes as kombucha tea, it historically is a beverage made by fermenting green or black teas.

A symbiotic growth of bacteria and yeast cultures are plopped into a vat of brewed tea. Also inside, there’s a bit of sugar and sometimes other flavors for the sake of variety. After sitting for a while, the sugars in the tea make battle with bacteria and yeasts forcing a chemical change to the sugars.

The result is a fizzy, ever so slightly alcoholic, fermented tea.

Kom

(*Note, I mention alcohol because technically it does exist, but only in trace amounts that aren’t nearly enough for me to reset my sobriety date. If you abstain from alcohol, kombucha won’t knock you off the wagon.)

In recent years, homebrewers from all over have experimented with perfecting a kombucha that matches their highest expectation of what the drink should be.

Some want a milder, more approachable version with just hints of fermentation where the flavors in the tea stand out. Others aim for an insufferable concoction that renders closer to a bubbly vinegar. In my experience, most producers seem to target an average of the two.

Additionally, some claim that kombucha has medicinal benefits that are good for your health. The fermentation supposedly even has the ability to prevent certain cancers, improve liver function, and a list of other lofty claims. Let’s not get into that right now, but for the sake of a quick education, in addition to enjoying the flavor, just know that some people believe kombucha is also a miracle cure beverage.

Katboocha

Katboocha is among the few producers in Rochester whose sole product line focuses on kombucha. Not only is it one of the favorites, Katboocha was the first kombucha producers in Rochester.

I’m not saying this just to be flattering, but I can genuinely say the Katboocha line is one of the few I’ve found to be a pleasant experience.

Kat’s flavors are mild and balanced. I’ve always found her kombucha to prominently feature the actual flavor of the tea itself. So many brands seem to force other flavors to the front and leave the delicate notes of the tea behind.

You can find her set up at the Rochester Public Market and a lot of pop-up functions around the city.

Katarina Schwarz of Katboocha serving samples of coffee kombucha at Joe Bean Coffee Roasters in December 2019

Joe Bean Coffee Roasters

So, when I heard she was collaborating with Joe Bean Coffee Roasters to attempt a kombucha made with coffee, I was more than a tad intrigued.

For years Joe Bean has been roasting some of the finest coffee I’ve ever had.

Their attention to detail not just with brewing, but in roasting, procurement, production, and even growing has consistently resulted in one of my favorite coffee beans.

Again, I’m not just being nice here. It just so happens that both brands have made it easy to sound complimentary.

But, that’s probably the only reason I was optimistic about a kombucha made with coffee. These two are probably the only ones that could have cleared the pessimism I’d normally muster for such a blitz into the cold, deep waters of culinary mad science.

Collabs

My education on the new product started in conversation with Dena Jones, one of the owners at Joe Bean. She said, “You won’t believe how many different coffees Kat tried. It was so tricky to find the right one.”

Dena Jones of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters

They landed on an Ethiopian roast, which seems fitting since that’s the region of the world where coffee is believed to have first been enjoyed.

Coffees grown in Ethiopia are typically medium-bodied, and feature fruitier, bright floral tasting notes. When brewed just right, it can be incredibly smooth and bright, much like what we experience in a black tea here in the U.S.

While finally getting a sample in my hands, Katboocha owner Katarina Schwarz explained how painstaking of a process it was to get things just right. She told me:

“The caffeine concentration in coffee is different than you’ll find in teas, and because the caffeine in coffee can be so strong, it forces the natural fermentation process even harder than a tea would. The whole process becomes really volatile, and it doesn’t take long to go from being exactly right to way off.”

I expected some version of a bubbly vinegar coffee. I prepared myself to resent that the idea was ever imagined in the first place.

Instead, my frozen-hearted self-defeatism was fought off by the realization that it totally worked. I genuinely enjoyed it!

A Coffee Kombucha That Works

It was a light coffee flavor, and a mild fermentation.

Neither contribution forced a side, but instead met the other with magnanimity that endured as bright, refreshing, and palatable.

Katboocha Coffee sample at Joe Bean Coffee Roasters in December 2019

In case you’re still reading and have determined my single opinion isn’t nearly enough to sway your own cynicism, you might find solace in knowing I wasn’t alone.

Two other members of the RochesterFoodNet team were there, too. Both Chris Lindstrom and Sean McKay agreed: the new coffee kombucha collaboration is a total win.

Maybe it’s a surprise considering the nature of the experiment, but it probably shouldn’t have been knowing that Katboocha and Joe Bean were the scientists brewing up Rochester’s newest source of pride.

Go get fizzy with it.