Legend has it that kombucha was accidentally discovered by a monk from the Qing dynasty who inadvertently left his tea and sugar unattended for several days. When he retrieved his forgotten drink, he discovered that the tea had fermented, creating a new, bubbly beverage packed with probiotics and a myriad of health benefits including gut health, liver function, and even weight loss management.
But despite kombucha’s legendary origins, the naturally-carbonated drink is hard to find throughout Asia, with only a handful of kombucha brewers leading the way towards this healthy option in the modern city of Taipei. Read on to learn about the kombucha breweries in Taipei (message me if I’ve missed any!) and to learn where you can purchase the drink directly.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission - at no extra cost to you - if you make a purchase after clicking my link. Be sure to read to the end for discount codes on your kombucha purchases!
Yu Fermentory (腴釀康普茶)
Previously a craft beer brewer and certified beer judge by the BJCP, Jiun-wei and his wife, Penny, were first introduced to kombucha at a vegan restaurant in Taipei. Once they discovered the health benefits of this fizzy drink, they switched from brewing beer to brewing kombucha, starting Yu Fermentory just outside of Taipei in Taoyuan.
Health advocates and vegans themselves, they strive to introduce kombucha to the Taiwanese public while supporting local farmers and concocting healthy - and delicious - flavors. With organic tea bought directly from Taiwanese farmers, they add ingredients like local roselle, which is high in antioxidants. Their “Orange Peel X Lemon Verbena” flavor is good for digestion. And their Bilberry blend helps improve vision. All of their blends are low-calorie and low-sugar.
Yu Fermentory’s microbrewery takes extra care to handcraft small batches of delicate-flavored blends by hand. To them, “all good things take time.” Check out the list below to find where you can buy Yu Fermentory’s healthy, hand-crafted kombucha:
Taipei:
No. 207, Section 2, Nanchang Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100
No. 4-1, Lane 118, Section 2, Heping East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
No. 25, Lane 260, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
No. 5-1, Kinmen St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100
Taoyuan:
No. 529, Tong'an Street, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City, 330
No. 155, Longji 2nd Street, Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, 320
Hsinchu:
• 江山藝改所 Jiang Shan Yi Gai Suo (coming soon)
No. 1, Xingda Street, East District, Hsinchu City, 300
Taichung:
• 唯有纖 NutriMeal 健康餐盒 (coming soon)
No. 15, Shuren Road, Wufeng District, Taichung City, 413
Tainan:
No. 13, Yunong Road, East District, Tainan City, 701
Penghu:
No. 15-3, Linhai Road, Magong City, Penghu County, 880
Yu Fermentory’s Online Shop:
Michael and Samantha, the founders of Earthling Superfoods & Kombucha Tap, are not just restaurant owners; they are health professionals from the States and Taiwan who have done their research. Samantha holds a Ph.D in Medical Science while Michael is a GI recovery patient. They are extremely passionate about teaching their community how to eat clean and are a pleasure to learn from and talk to.
They offer kombucha making classes in Taipei where they teach students about the gut and overall health. Their shop sells organic kombucha, homemade granola, almond butter, almond milk, sourdough bread, and even a kombucha DIY kit.
Check out Google Maps for the store location and hours.
Kai Kombucha (開-康普茶)
Kai Kombucha owners Ross and Cindy are also health advocates who practice what they preach. They drink their own fizzy probiotic daily, sell their product to IBS customers weekly, and have even introduced and converted diabetic relatives to this healthy beverage.
The husband-and-wife team started their kombucha brewery with big dreams of one day seeing kombucha as prevalent as coffee. With a biology degree, Ross has perfected the Kai Kombucha formula, and together the couple has created exotic flavors unique to Taiwan, such as Ginger Maqaw (Mountain Pepper) and Mango Passionfruit. When compared to other kombucha brewers, Kai Kombucha's products have a lighter taste and are less sour, making them suitable to those who are new to the fermented beverage.
Kai Kombucha's beverages feature Taiwanese honey black tea, (蜜香紅茶) which is derived from a native species of tea plants grown on the island. Their kombucha contains a low amount of organic sugar and all-natural ingredients. Ross and Cindy support local Taiwanese farmers whenever they can and collaborate with farms from Taoyuan in Northern Taiwan all the way to Pingtung in Southern Taiwan.
"Kai" (開) is the Chinese word for "happy." The light-hearted couple hopes to bring joy to everyone who drinks their kombucha. Their products are featured on tap and in bottles at Taipei's hottest bars and healthy restaurants below:
No. 252, Section 2, Keelung Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
BaganHood 蔬食餐酒館
No. 11號, Alley 46, Lane 553, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, 110
No. 56, Lane 122, Section 4, Ren'ai Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
B1, No. 91號, Songren Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, 110
Island 1 Kitchen 一號島廚房
No. 10號, Lane 102, Section 1, Anhe Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
NoMad Om Factory 諾瑪瑜珈
No. 9, Lane 43, Section 1, Xinhai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100
No. 25號, Lane 260, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
No. 2號, Alley 1, Lane 504, Chongyang Road, Nangang District, Taipei City, 115
Belly Craft Beer Bar (北裡) 品酒區
106, Taipei City, Da’an District, Section 1, Da'an Road, 22號B1
Entrepreneur and Taiwanese-American Jonathan Chao discovered kombucha the same way I discovered that the legal profession was not a healthy career for me: his body spoke to him. Just like lawyers, Jonathan made poor lifestyle choices because of the demands of his job: a terrible diet, stress, and lack of sleep and exercise all contributed to the deterioration of his health. When he sought the help of a dietician, she recommended adding active probiotics, like those found in kombucha, to his diet.
Jonathan started brewing his own kombucha in the kitchen. Seeing the health benefits it brought not only to him but also to his friends and family who drank his experimental, carbonated tea brought him joy. An entrepreneur at heart, Jonathan wanted to share the benefits of his kombucha with as many people as possible. With a belief that prioritizing health and taking good care of yourself allows you to, in turn, better care for others, Daoori Kombucha was born.
Jonathan’s vision to make the highest quality kombucha led him back to the motherland where he knew he could source the best ingredients and world-class tea.
Daoori, meaning “authentic” in Mandarin (道地), is proudly made in Taiwan with locally grown fruits from Southern Taiwan, handpicked and naturally farmed teas from Chiayi and Nantou, and pure water from Yilan. Daoori Kombucha is certified by major testing labs like SGS and Euro Labs to be pesticide-free, 100% natural, and with zero artificial flavoring or additives.
Compared with other types of kombucha on the market, Daoori beverages have a higher fruit percentage and thus a less fermented flavor. A tasty alternative to high-sugar soda, their starter pack comes with flavors like:
Mango Pineapple
Passion Fruit Orange Guava
Dragon Fruit Grape and
Mixed Berry Lemon
Committed to making kombucha in an environmentally conscious way, Daoori uses environmentally friendly raw and locally-sourced materials on all cans and packaging.
Daoori kombucha can be purchased online, as well as at its 30 different restaurant partners listed here: https://daoori.com/pages/store-locator.
To receive 15 % off
select 12 or 24 packs, use my promo code attorneyonajourney at the following link: https://daoori.com/discount/attorneyonajourney