Buchi is a community-centered, women-owned, value-driven business that was founded in 2008 out of dissatisfaction with the status quo nutritional standards that were being championed by conventional beverage brands. 

In 2016, Buchi opened the first commercial kombucha brewery in the Southeast, and expanded our offerings to include Kefir Soda.

Now a subsidiary of FedUp Foods, we are proud to say we remain an independently-owned company who holds true to the belief that a drink can be more than a drink, and healthy guts lead to open minds.

Buchi is brewed and bottled in a town called Marshall, nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, on the banks of the French Broad River – right outside of Asheville. It is beautiful here!

Our drinks are raw and unpasteurized, so they need to be refrigerated. We recommend your Buchi be refrigerated 6-8 hours prior to opening, for the best drinking experience.

We began shipping Buchi in response to the pandemic. It was our way of making Buchi accessible during a time when shopping in stores wasn’t a desirable or feasible option for many people. We didn’t come to the decision to stop shipping lightly. Shipping drinks (especially those with live and active ingredients) is expensive, challenging, and at this time isn’t sustainable for our team. We hope that you understand and will continue to show your support by finding us at your nearest store.

We do! We have an in-house delivery team and we will continue to hand-deliver Buchi to the Asheville, NC & Greenville, SC area. Click here to see if you are in our local delivery zone.

In 2023 we are shifting our focus back to our local roots and we are continuing to deliver to the Asheville, NC/Greenville SC area. We started shipping to help folks easily get Buchi during the pandemic, but at this time it is no longer sustainable for us to ship orders due to the expense and challenges of shipping drinks with live and active ingredients. For local orders we have an in-house delivery team and refrigerated Buchi vans. We are able to personally hand-deliver each local Buchi order to your doorstep!

In an effort to focus more on our local community, at the moment we aren’t selling Buchi on Amazon.

Check out our store locator to find stores that stock Buchi near you. If you have any questions please reach out to support@drinkbuchi.com, we are happy to help!

Please reach out to us at support@drinkbuchi.com, we have a letter you can take to your local store requesting Buchi. It works, and our customers have helped us expand into new stores!

Kombucha is an ancient beverage that is made by fermenting tea. It's an unpasteurized fermented food similar to yogurt or kimchi, and has been cultured by communities as a folk tradition for thousands of years. Kombucha includes raw nutrients, digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria, that can support overall well-being.

Kombucha is made by adding a culture (SCOBY – a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) to sweetened brewed tea and allowing it to ferment. Buchi follows the natural, traditional process of open-air fermentation.

By definition, fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic matter through the action of enzymes. To put it simply, it is helpful yeast and bacteria eating caffeine and sugar to make probiotics.

SCOBY stands for a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, and looks like a flat, pale, floating mushroom. Its texture is rubbery and a little squishy. It’s just as weird as it sounds, and equally amazing! The SCOBY forms across the surface of the kombucha during fermentation.

No. Kombucha got the nickname "mushroom tea" because of the pancake-like culture (called a SCOBY – A Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) which forms across the surface of the brew during fermentation, but there aren't actually mush­rooms in kombucha.

All kombucha is made with sugar. Sugar is what fuels fermentation, and most is absorbed during the fermentation process. Buchi believes in using simple, whole ingredients to make the most well-rounded, delicious, and quality kombucha.

Buchi is 100% gluten-free. As far as allergens go, the FDA classifies coconut water as a tree nut in the Big 8. Our Water and Seed Kombucha, as well as our Strawberry Coconut Kefir Soda contain coconut water. All our equipment is sanitized after production to ensure no cross-contamination.

Nope! Buchi kombucha consistently tests under the .5% ABV set by regulatory agencies for what constitutes an alcoholic beverage. We test each batch throughout fermentation and are in compliance with existing laws

Yes! Buchi Kombucha is raw and unpasteurized. Much of the benefit of drinking kombucha comes from its digestive enzymes and live and active cultures. We would never consider pasteurizing (heating to death) all of those wonderful naturally occurring live and active cultures. In fact, Buchi Kombucha is so live and active that you can use the kombucha in your bottle to make your own.

One thing worth noting is that some brands do pasteurize their kombucha, which makes it less expensive to transport and store. Though it would make our distribution cheaper and our shelf-life longer, pasteurized kombucha is not the real deal. We like it to be 100% live and active, and bet you feel the same way!

Since we are not doctors we can't give any official medical advice. We can share, however, that both of the Buchi Mamas (our founders, Jeannine and Sarah), frequently drank kombucha throughout pregnancy and nursing. We recommend making this decision on a personal level after doing your own research and speaking to your healthcare provider.

Simply put - We mostly know how many probiotics are in Buchi Kombucha. We follow the traditional, authentic method for making kombucha, so our probiotics are naturally occurring, which can vary from bottle to bottle. Some kombucha brands add lab-grown probiotics to their kombucha, which allows them to claim a specific number of probiotics on their bottles.

The organic teas we use in our Kombucha do have caffeine, but almost all of it is consumed during fermentation. A bottle of Buchi Kombucha has about the same amount of caffeine as a white tea or decaffeinated Starbucks coffee. While most people deem this a negligible amount, if you have a caffeine sensitivity you might want to start slow with kombucha and see how your body responds. 

Yes!  Buchi is pleased to have been certified Kosher and pareve by Rabbi Zev Schwarcz at IKC, the International Kosher Council.

We love that you are considering homebrewing! We do sell SCOBYs! They are hidden inside every single bottle of Buchi on the shelf. Because Buchi is unpasteurized and raw, it's 100% live and active, meaning you can use the brew in our bottle to make your own kombucha. We’ve even included the recipe and a detailed how-to homebrew your own kombucha here on our site.

Check out the retailer map on the Find page of our website. You can search by product, city or zip code.

Wild Pop is an organic better-for-you soda featuring plant-based fiber and low sugar. Wild Pop contains 9 grams of fiber and only 5 grams of sugar in each can of sparkling soda, with the added digestive benefits of probiotics and prebiotics! The healthy soda alternative that is good for your tastebuds & your gut.

Wild Pop comes in 4 exciting flavors: Strawberry Cream, Lemon Lime Fizz, Root Beer Float, and Cream Soda Swirl. Each flavor is designed to invoke a nostalgic experience of drinking your favorite sodas – but this time it’s actually good for you!

Benefits of low-sugar drinks include reduced calorie intake, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, improved dental health and better nutrition overall! Beverages that are high in sugar are often high in calories. We found a way to give you all the flavor, without all the sugar!

Plant-based fiber is helpful for promoting healthy digestion by supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and helping to move food through the digestive system.

The plant based fiber source in Wild Pop is inulin, which is made from plants. Inulin is a prebiotic fiber, which means it feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut. These helpful bacteria keep your digestive system healthy.

Wild Pop is 100% organic! Sustainable, intentional sourcing matters, and organic ingredients are important to us. We are proud to be Fair Trade certified!

No way, no how! There is no high fructose corn syrup in Wild Pop. The sugar in Wild Pop is Fair Trade Certified organic cane sugar. Where we source our ingredients matters, and using only good-for-you ingredients matters too!

Buchi (we who make Wild Pop) is pleased to have been certified Kosher and pareve by Rabbi Zev Schwarcz at IKC, the International Kosher Council.

If you live near Asheville, NC or Upstate SC you are in our local delivery zone! Head on over to drinkbuchi.com and enter your delivery address to see what options we have for you.

Wild Pop is 100% vegan and is packed full of natural ingredients.

Wild Pop is caffeine free!

Yes, kids can (and do!) enjoy Wild Pop! Wild Pop is a lower sugar alternative to soda. As always, if you have any concerns or health needs please consult your pediatrician for advice.

We recommend keeping your Wild Pop refrigerated for the best drinking experience!

Tepache is a traditional Mexican fermented beverage with a history dating back to pre-Columbian times. We took our decades of experience in fermentation and created a spin on a classic Tepache recipe — utilizing fermented tibicos water to craft a modern effervescent classic. Tepache is a delightful and refreshing fermented beverage that’s sure to delight your taste buds.

Pineapple is the star of the show when it comes to Tepache. Pineapple is not just a tropical superfood — it’s a symbol of warm welcomes, celebrations, and good luck.

Sweet and tangy, with a hint of fermentation magic, Tepache is a delightful departure from ordinary beverages. Tepache is fruity and tropical, laden with the essence of pineapple! Taste it for yourself, and let us know :)

Tepache and kombucha are similar in that they are both fermented beverages. However, kombucha uses a SCOBY and Tepache uses tibicos, or traditionally, pineapple rinds to ferment. As the days pass, the sugars interact with the wild yeast transforming both into fizzy beverages. As a result of the fermentation, both kombucha and Tepache are brimming with live and active cultures and digestive enzymes.

Like all Buchi products, Tepache is vegan and gluten free!

Our Tepache proudly uses organic, regenerative, Fair Trade Certified sugar.

Tepache is available online and at local retailers! Head on over to ourstore locatorand see what options we have for you.

Living Energy is one of the first energy drinks to combine the power of L-theanine, lion’s mane, clean caffeine and live and active cultures to create a synergistic, flavorful, functional beverage to support your gut, brain, and provide a sustained boost of energy without the crash.

The major difference between clean caffeine and synthetic caffeine is that synthetic caffeine is produced from urea and chloroacetic acid rather than extracted from plant products like natural caffeine. Our clean caffeine is derived from green coffee bean extract which comes from coffee beans that haven't been roasted.

Buchi consistently tests under the .5% ABV set by regulatory agencies for what constitutes an alcoholic beverage. We test each batch throughout fermentation and are in compliance with existing laws.

YES! Living Energy is a live, active, unpasteurized beverage that needs to be refrigerated.

L-Theanine is an amino acid found in green and black tea and some mushrooms. When paired with caffeine, L-Theanine shines. It’s known for boosting cognitive performance, calming the mind, and recharging the body.

Lion’s Mane is considered a “medicinal mushroom.” Preliminary research suggests that Lion’s Mane can benefit cognitive function like memory and alertness.

We’re glad you asked! Living Energy is not considered kombucha, rather, it’s a blend of functional ingredients.

Living Energy will not be made in bottles, as cans are a more sustainable material and a more sustainable shipping option.

If you’re worried about your caffeine intake, we suggest consulting your Doctor to see what level is right for you. Recommendations can vary based on age, if you’re pregnant, and various other health conditions. 

Live cultures are a form of “good” bacteria that is produced through fermentation. Live cultures can potentially support gut health by increasing the diversity of your gut flora, aka the good bacteria that live in your gut, and preventing the growth of bad bacteria.

Yes. All of our drinks are Organic, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Non-GMO.

Our serving size recommendation is (1) 12oz can.

Living Energy contains up to 15g of sugar per serving, depending on the flavor.