Kombucha on tap? There’s an app for that

Pre-pandemic, James Jordan’s Triad Bevs kombucha bar was a popular hangout spot for skateboard kids hanging out at Sonoma Originals shop on Sonoma Highway.

During the months the shop was closed, Jordan was still able to use the shop’s commercial kitchen and he found clever ways to distribute his unique blend of kombucha to the community. With the help of his new app called Scoby, he’s now offering home delivery of his fresh beverages with minimal contact.

“Due to the forced closure we were impacted and things were difficult,” he said. “But we’re making the most delicious and healthy products ever and delivering them in a fun and unique way.”

After moving back to wine country from Santa Cruz, Jordan began to brew his own blend of kombucha, which he sold at the weekly Napa Farmers Market. After having success in brewing his own blend, and bouncing from kitchen to kitchen, Jordan and his good friend Jordan Tabayoyon moved into the skateshop/clothing store/indoor ramp space now known as Sonoma Originals on Highway 12.

“We went into it as a joint thing with his sales and skate stuff, and I had my own petite kitchen space where I could be my own thing and be me. Of course I had to jump on it,” said Jordan. After three months of transforming the space and building -- and working out fermentation experiments -- the pair opened Sonoma Originals to the public.

Fast forward to today, and Jordan has had to overcome a number of challenges keeping his business growing. “As soon as we opened the doors, we had a huge response and a lot of people there, but the fall power outages during the fires forced us to close for a week’s time on multiple occasions. The lack of power led to lost product, days of sales and spoiled a lot of produce since we couldn’t keep things cold,” said Jordan. He expected 2020 to be a breakout year for his business, but the pandemic shutdown put his in-person kombucha bar on hold and now is not sure if he will reopen in the space.

His new Scoby app, launched this week, allows users to order freshly brewed kombucha with the season’s freshest fruit and have it delivered to their own homes.

Jordan has also returned to the Napa and St. Helena farmers markets where he regularly sells his “new age” kombucha and the flavors are not ones that can be found on a typical supermarket shelf.

Jordan blends three different drinks to create Triad Bevs - a fermented jasmine tea, a fermented kefir soda with citrus juices and ginger, along with shrubs which are a fresh fruit syrup doused with apple cider vinegar to produce his unique kombucha blend.

“The feedback I’ve gotten so far has been very promising, I’m really excited to keep growing,” he said.

scobyapp.com or @triadbevs