Who is The Kombucha Mamma?

Hello Kombucha aficionados!

Welcome to Kombucha Kamp.

I’m Hannah Crum, The Kombucha Mamma. Since 2004 I have been brewing Kombucha and educating others about its benefits. What began as hobby has evolved into my passion and lifestyle. From homebrew hobbiest, to educator, to Master Brewer, I have grown my business organically as my experience has deepened. I am committed to providing the most accurate and up-to-date information to Kombucha lovers and homebrewers at any stage in their experience.

I have taught Kombucha making classes to all size groups, from individuals to workshops of 100+, all over the country for nearly 8 years, often in conjunction with wonderful organizations such as The Weston A. Price Foundation, The Real Food Festivals, Project Butterfly, Fun with Fermentation and the Santa Monica Co-Opportunity Speaker Series. My how-to videos have piled up +100,000′s of views and Kombucha Kamp was featured on “What’s Brewing?” hosted by Jody Rudman on the Veria Network.

In addition to teaching, I install large-scale Kombucha set-ups and am the Master Brewer for numerous restaurants and shops in the Los Angeles area, including Leaf Organics in Culver City and Fresh Bites in West Hollywood. My husband and I write about the Kombucha business for BevNet.com and Beverage Spectrum Magazine and other publications featuring our work include Elephant Journal and Vital Juice.

HOW I DISCOVERED KOMBUCHA – OR HOW IT FOUND ME!

I first discovered Kombucha while visiting a friend from college in San Francisco. His girlfriend showed me her mysterious jars and I was instantly intrigued. Upon returning to Los Angeles, I sought out Kombucha at my local Whole Foods market. There weren’t many brands to choose from, so I grabbed a GT’s Synergy Gingerade and gave it a try. The carbonation was super bubbly, the ginger was fresh and delicious, the flavor was both sweet and tart – Wow! This is delicious! Kombucha instantly resonated with me, but it quickly became an expensive habit – what to do? Ah! I just need to get some mysterious jars!

I scoured the internet and local library for information and located my first culture. I was happy to brew Kombucha at home and occasionally I would pass along a culture to a friend and teach them how to make it. I have always been a teacher and this was empowering to me and the people I taught. There was a spark there. Then I attended an Artists’ Way Workshop. The secret that I uncovered was a desire to teach others about Kombucha, not only in person but all over the world as well. You are now enjoying the fruits of my labor.

Thanks for stopping by to read my lil bio. I’ve listed some fun facts about me below.

Favorite color – 1 guess – you got it – PURPLE!
Astrological sign – Scorpio
Favorite food – Chicago style deep dish spinach pizza with olives & mushrooms or dad’s lasagna
Languages – Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, English (of course!), a smattering of French, Russian & Romanian
Hometown – Skokie, IL
Places traveled – Germany, France, Belgium, England, Holland, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Taiwan, Egypt, Jordan, Hungary