A few years ago Mick Turner had no idea what kombucha was, now he's serving 25 flavours of the fizzy fermented drink on tap plus kombucha gelato.
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After two years driving a kombucha Kombi van around to markets and events, Mr Turner and his wife Reanne Potter have just opened the Booch Bar on St Johns Avenue in Mangerton.
Mr Turner said when he initially tried the drink he thought it was "quite disgusting", but has since found plenty of tasty brews to his liking.
"I understand the process, I understand the benefits now of the drink ... but my main thing is it's just got to taste good," he said.
"There's some absolutely terrible ones out there."
Patrons can try before they buy at the cafe. The option is there to fill up a bottle of craft brew to take home or sidle up to the bar for a sip to accompany a vegetarian salad or Buddha bowl. Plus all packaging is biodegradable.
Mr Turner also believes the business is the first in Australia to serve vegan kombucha gelato, specially made at Bulli Tops by the Gelato Emporium with available flavours changing weekly.
Kombucha is traditionally made by fermenting sweetened tea with a scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), and is often likened to a natural soft-drink. It is claimed to have health benefits with "probiotics, a low sugar content and amino acids".
Mr Turner has a number of suppliers who deliver him regular kegs, some brewed locally in the Illawarra. The flavours range from gingers to coconut, passion-fruit, lavender to a Rosella hibiscus.
I understand the process, I understand the benefits now of the drink ... but my main thing is it's just got to taste good. There's some absolutely terrible ones out there.
- Mick Turner
"There's everything you can imagine on the flavour spectrum from sweet through to really tart, because kombucha is traditionally quite a sour drink," he said.
He also hopes to expand his food offering for winter as well as develop a vegan cheese for toasties.
The Booch Bar is open Wednesday to Sunday - though will be closed from Good Friday, and to reopen on Tuesday April 23.