by News Times

September 16, 2018

There is a new type of tap room coming to the area — one with no alcohol on the premises.

The founders of Cross Culture Kombucha will open their first location with a commercial kitchen and taproom next week. Located at 52 Division St. in Danbury in the former location of Bike Express, the owners worked with the city to allow for manufacturing at the location. Cross Culture will meet the necessary retail component by having the taproom and by offering cases and bottles of its beverage. It will also sell artisanal food items from other local businesses.

“If you were in California or Colorado, you’d see kombucha taprooms. In Connecticut, you just don’t see it,” said Liz Ceppos, who founded the company with her husband, Ian. “As people get away from unnatural ingredients and continue to be health conscious, the market will grow. I still think it’s underserved, especially if you’re looking for a local company.”

While it is believed to be the first kombucha taproom in the state, it is not the first taproom to offer non-alcoholic beverages exclusively. Athletic Brewing Co. in Stratford, which makes non-alcoholic beers, opened a taproom last year.

Kombucha is a fermented sweet tea made with cultures of yeast and bacteria. It is made similarly to beer as it is brewed and then fermented. Kombucha contains trace amounts of alcohol, but is considered non-alcoholic. At Cross Culture’s new location, the vats used for the fermentation process are adorned with stickers of 1990s hip-hop artists, such as Lauryn Hill, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube and Easy E. One of Cross Culture’s flavors is Hip Hops IPA.

Kombucha’s roots go back thousands of years, but it has recently become a popular drink because of its health benefits and as an alternative to alcohol. It contains antioxidants, probiotics, B vitamins, beneficial bacteria, healthy acids and is good for gut health, Ceppos said.

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