Kindred Kombucha is the perfect beverage to enhance your body and better your mind, going beyond what your favourite kombucha is capable of.
Kombucha is a wildly popular beverage that has made its rounds across the health and wellness world for some time. Having some proven health benefits behind it already, this Toronto business is taking kombucha's enhancing qualities to a whole new level.
Brewed in small batches and flavoured with whole foods, Kindred Kombucha has no added sugars, flavours or carbon dioxide. The kombucha is meant to be tart and lightly carbonated in order to enhance mindful and athletic performance. Kindred Kombucha uses fruits, herbs, and spices that are inspired by Founder Keren Chen's Southeast Asian heritage.
Their beverages are full of probiotics which benefit 'nutrient digestion and absorption,' says Chen. They also use organic acids to improve organ detoxification and protein breakdown.
Their menu lineup changes every two weeks with each batch drop. The menu selections are influenced by the availability of local and seasonal ingredients. Their most recent drop included flavours such as Fuji Kiwi, Mango Jalapeño and Tangerine Cardamon. With summer approaching, some of their upcoming flavours will be Blueberry Basil and Watermelon Mint.
On top of the unique flavour combinations, Kindred brews their kombucha with an added benefit of CBD, which is optional. CBD, the shortened term for cannabidiol, is the second most active ingredient in cannabis, and is known to offer a slew of physical and mental benefits that do not cause any psychoactive effects, like its well-known cousin THC. Kindred offers three selections for this: no CBD, 10 mg infusion or 20 mg infusion.
Chen has been brewing her own kombucha for about four and a half years. The brewing began when Chen was experiencing serious gut-related health issues, and as a practicing nutritionist, decided to look for a way to treat it. Chen had tried many kombuchas, however, she always found that they were too sweet or overly-carbonated. So, she began to brew her own small batches that focus on nutrition and flavour, and avoid artificial additives.
As a result, Chen noticed many improvements. The home-brewed kombucha helped her digestive system, strengthened her skin, suppressed caffeine cravings and became her favourite healthy alternative for alcohol.
The brewing process itself was also very therapeutic for Chen, specifically during the pandemic. By experimenting with kombucha teas and nutrient infusions, such as CBD, Chen's intention is to share the feelings of self-care and hope that she found through creating her fermented beverages, with everyone who drinks it.
The term 'Kindred' in the company's name is a combination of two concepts––kinship and closeness. These are two elements that relate to connection and purpose, and both have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. As a whole, Kindred Kombucha emphasizes the idea that 'there is no them,' meaning we are all a part of one collective.
The future looks very bright for Kindred Kombucha, as they are aiming to open more pick-up locations and offer delivery and subscription services. They also intend to work on various community collaborations in order to support and cross-promote other BIPOC-owned small businesses.
They implemented a recycling program and avoid using plastic in their labels and bottles. By the end of the year, their goal is to ensure that all of their labels and packages are made out of recycled materials.
Orders can be picked up at Kindred Wellness Inc. at 811 Queen Street West between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays. They also accept bulk pre-orders and custom flavours for special occasions and retails.
So far, each of their batch drops have sold out so make sure you stay on top of their releases and online sales.
A little tip: if you return your used amber bottles with the lids, you will receive a $0.50 credit towards your next purchase!
