Kombucha Review – Bloom Ferments – Lemongrass Ginger

A few Fridays ago when I was on my way to the first-ever Dry January episode of Better on Draft, I had a hankering for an iced coffee from Biggby Coffee. I pulled into one of my favorite stores off of I-96 in New Hudson and picked one up. I was persuaded by the barista to check out their new kombucha from Bloom Ferments, so I snagged the Strawberry Vanilla.

It was my first go with kombucha and I was hooked. The fermented tea turned out to be quite tasty and it had a ton of health benefits. I returned the next day and bought the other flavors – Lemongrass Ginger and Blue Raspberry to try.

My favorite kombucha was the Lemongrass Ginger. It reminded me of a Moscow Mule with the zing of the ginger. It also had a bright lemony taste to balance it out. The bottle also informed me that green coffee beans from Biggby Coffee were added in to provide an “extra boost of energy.” I found it to be a refreshing beverage that I could enjoy at any time.

It turns out that the kombucha available is part of an exclusive line of kombucha made just for Biggby Coffee. I learned this from a conversation with David Wentworth, owner of Bloom Ferments.

Bloom Ferments was recently acquired by David’s company, Prospectors Specialty Beverage, which also has Prospectors Cold Brew Coffee in its portfolio. Both are located Kentwood, which is outside of Grand Rapids.

Prior to 2020, Bloom Ferments had six flavors available for sale – Bloomberry, Ginger, Jasmine, Lavender Hibiscus, Lemon Honey, Ginger, and Strawberry Kiwi. The line up and varieties are changing and developing as Bloom Ferments are taking on new projects, like the Biggby line and seasonal offerings for Anna’s House locations. The bottled beverages are available for sale in over 300 locations, including SpartanNash Stores in the Grand Rapids area, Broad Leaf Local Beer, and other coffee shops. In the spring, Whole Foods will be added to the list.

I don’t seem to be alone in liking the Lemongrass Ginger kombucha. David said that he liked it the best out of the three. Karissa Canfield, the owner of the New Hudson Biggby, also loves the Lemongrass Ginger.

Photo Credit – Biggby Coffee

When I went in to restock on Bloom’s kombuchas, Karissa told me that the Lemongrass Ginger was outselling the Strawberry Vanilla by a little bit at her store. I think my purchases in the last few weeks have influenced that because I cannot get enough.

When asked about how she felt being one of only two stores in metro Detroit with the exclusive kombucha, she pridefully said that she was honored to be chosen because she “loves the product and always wants to have more offerings for second beverages for her customers” by having them grab something hot, iced, or frozen for the now and then have something else for later.

I am going to be on the lookout for more Lemongrass Ginger kombucha and the other flavors. Coming in with 100 calories and 0.5% ABV, this kombucha is considered non-alcoholic and is the drink for you if you want a refreshing beverage at any point during the year, Dry January participant or not.

Cheers!