Saw a kombucha tap at a coffee shop in Asheville that got me thinking

I was at this spot called High Five Coffee last week and they had a whole separate tap line just for house brewed kombucha. It wasn't just one flavor, they had three on rotation, all fizzy and on draft like beer. It made me wonder why more places don't set up a small station like that instead of just selling bottles. Has anyone else tried serving their home ferments from a keg setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

seanjohnson1mo ago

Wait they had THREE flavors on tap? That's actually insane, I've only ever seen one kombucha handle at most places. Having a whole separate line just for house brews is next level commitment, no wonder it was in Asheville. Draft kombucha is so much better than bottles, it stays fizzy and you can get a smaller glass if you want. More cafes should totally do this, it's way cooler than just another soda gun.

cameron4264d agoMost Upvoted

Buddy of mine owned a small cafe in Durham and tried doing draft kombucha. He had a nice line setup with two flavors, a ginger one and a hibiscus one. Within two months the taps got so clogged with sediment he had to replace the whole assembly. Ended up losing money on it and switched back to bottles. That Asheville spot must have someone really on top of cleaning to keep three lines running.

hannah_fox1mo ago

Honestly seanjohnson, I see where you're coming from but draft kombucha is a total pain for a small cafe. Those taps need constant cleaning to avoid mold, and the lines can get funky fast if you don't sell a ton. It's a lot of extra work for maybe a couple sales a day. Bottles are just easier to manage and you can offer way more flavors without the hassle.