Baba Bucha: Phoenixville Kombucha With An Ancient History

PHOENIXVILLE, PA —A Phoenixville brewer of Kombucha will be celebrating National Kombucha Day Sunday as her business continues to brew batches of the tea that originated in ancient China.

Phoenixville entrepreneur Olga Sorzano named her kombucha brew after her grandmother, Baba Dora, whose recipe she used to start her business in 2015.

National Kombucha Day is celebrated to pay a tribute to kombucha tea that has existed for centuries. The origin goes back to 2737 B.C., when Chinese Emperor Shen Nong, discovered the tea, according to nationaltoday.com.

Kombucha is a sweet, slightly fizzy fermented tea beverage that is rich in probiotics and enzymes, and which has health benefits, including promoting a healthy gut and boosting your immune system.

History of Buba's Bucha

Founder Olga Sorzano grew up in Siberia, where her great-grandmother, Baba, always had a thick jar of kombucha tucked away in a top corner of the pantry.

“I grew up drinking Baba’s kombucha on a regular basis until I arrived in the U.S. in 2000,” she said. “A few years later, when expecting my first child, I began to have cravings for the taste of home. I realized I needed to get back to my roots and started brewing kombucha.”

In 2015, Sorzano decided to brew her “old-world” recipe and opened Baba Bucha.

Her great-grandmother, Baba Dora, was born on Nov. 16, 1908 in Siberia. Soranzo said that when her great-grandmother was a young girl, her father called her, “little red squirrel” due to her fiery red hair. Baba Dora's nickname was the inspiration for Sorzano's business logo, a red squirrel.

“She was the one who poured me my very first glass of homemade kombucha - that delicious, slightly fizzy drink with a strange floating mushroom that I learned to love and crave.”
Sorzana said her kombucha adventure is dedicated to the memory of Baba Dora, her little red squirrel.

Baba’s 21st Century Brews

The slightly tangy brews are 25 calories per serving and made exclusively with fair-trade organic ingredients, as well as local seasonal produce.

Each brew is vegan, gluten-free, and has no artificial coloring or flavorings. The local kombucha brand has brews available the whole year, as well as rotating seasonal flavors.

They are:

• Ruby Sipper –Sparkling and refreshing with vibrant notes of tart cherries and cranberries
• Purple Rain – A purple brew with antioxidant rich blueberries with a hint of fresh ginger
• Flower Power – Lively floral notes reminiscent of a French rosé made with lavender, rose petals, tulsi basil, and hibiscus flowers
• Bee’s Knees – Silky smooth with calming notes of warm caramel, chamomile, and a touch of local wildflower honey
• Believe – Distinctively bright green brew made with juniper berries, ginger root, lemon balm, yerba mate, and chlorophyll
• Firebird – Made with organic strawberries, cinnamon, chili peppers, and hibiscus, recommended for clearing sinuses during cold and flu season

Baba Bucha’s tasting room, A Culture Factory, 333 Morgan St., Phoenixville, is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

The kombucha is also sold at Whole Foods, Di Bruno Bros, MOM’s Organic Markets, Wegman’s, Riverward’s, Weaver’s Way Co-op, and Kimberton’s Whole Foods. More information is available here.