Brew Dr. Kombucha
The Portland Tea Company That Made Gut-Friendly Drinks Cool
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FOUNDED 2006 · Portland, OR Kombucha launched 2008. Founded by Matt Thomas. |
PRODUCT LINES Kombucha + Sipjoy Seltzer 16+ kombucha flavors, 4 Sipjoy flavors |
PRICE $3.49–$4.49 / bottle Cans $2–3 each or in multipacks |
WHERE TO BUY Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts Kroger, Safeway, Instacart |
Most kombucha brands started in someone’s kitchen. Brew Dr. started in a teahouse. That detail matters more than it sounds. While most kombucha companies begin with fermentation and figure out flavor later, Brew Dr. began with a deep obsession with tea quality and worked backward into kombucha. The result is a product that tastes noticeably different from the vinegar-forward, funky kombuchas that scare off first-timers.
If you have bounced off kombucha before because it tasted like someone fermented a gym sock, Brew Dr. is worth a second look.
Image courtesy of Brew Dr. Kombucha
Brew Dr. Kombucha traces back to 2006, when founder Matt Thomas opened Townshend’s Tea Company in Portland, Oregon. The company was built on a simple idea: high-quality loose leaf tea could be the starting point for something bigger.
By 2008, Thomas and his team were brewing raw kombucha in the teahouse kitchen using the same premium organic teas they served customers. Word spread. The kombucha started outselling the tea.
In 2010, with help from a Whole Foods Market Local Producer Loan, Brew Dr. moved out of the teahouse kitchen and into its first dedicated brewery in Southeast Portland. By 2016, they had expanded to a 50,000 square foot facility to keep up with nationwide demand.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Townshend’s Tea Company founded in Portland, OR |
| 2008 | First kombucha brewed in the teahouse kitchen |
| 2010 | First dedicated brewery opens (SE Portland) |
| 2013 | Non-heat distillation process installed |
| 2016 | 50,000 sq ft brewery expansion completed |
| 2018 | B Corp certification earned |
| 2024 | Sipjoy probiotic seltzer line launched |
The company is still headquartered in Portland and still brews everything in-house. That is increasingly rare for a brand you can find at Whole Foods, Target, and grocery stores nationwide.
Most commercial kombucha starts with a base tea and adds flavoring after fermentation. Brew Dr. builds each flavor’s tea blend from scratch using organic loose leaf teas, herbs, botanicals, fruits, and juices. The flavor is brewed into the kombucha, not layered on top. This is why their kombucha tastes clean and tea-forward rather than aggressively sour.
Brew Dr. kombucha is never heat-pasteurized. This preserves naturally occurring live and active cultures from fermentation, including beneficial bacteria and yeasts like acetobacter, lactobacillus, and saccharomyces. If your kombucha does not need to be refrigerated, it has been pasteurized and the live cultures are gone.
All kombucha fermentation produces some alcohol. Rather than stopping fermentation early (which limits culture development), Brew Dr. uses a proprietary non-heat distillation process to gently remove the alcohol after fermentation is complete. This keeps the live cultures intact while making the product safe for all ages. The removed alcohol is repurposed for ethanol fuel and was even converted into hand sanitizer during 2020.
No stevia, no erythritol, no aspartame, no sucralose. The only sweetener is organic cane sugar, and much of it is consumed during fermentation. What remains gives the kombucha its slight sweetness without the chemical aftertaste that plagues many “healthy” beverages.
Brew Dr. uses organic fruit essences instead of “natural flavors.” The difference: natural flavors can be made from any combination of naturally-derived or synthesized ingredients. Organic essences contain only the named ingredient. When Brew Dr. says strawberry essence, it is actually made from strawberries.
Otis Sisgood — Brew Dr.’s sloth mascot. Image courtesy of Brew Dr.
| Certification | What It Means |
|---|---|
| USDA Certified Organic | All ingredients are organic |
| Certified B Corporation | Meets rigorous social and environmental standards |
| Carbon Neutral Operations | Scope 1 & 2 emissions fully offset (20,172 tons CO2 since 2019) |
| Non-GMO Project Verified | Independent verification of non-GMO ingredients |
| Certified Gluten Free | Safe for celiac and gluten-sensitive consumers |
| Certified Kosher | Meets kosher dietary standards |
| Live & Active Cultures | Raw, unpasteurized with verified live probiotics |
| Alcohol Removed | Non-heat distillation removes fermentation alcohol |
Brew Dr. is the only national kombucha company to hold B Corp status. They are a member of 1% For The Planet, with over $585,000 donated to environmental and social nonprofits and $150,000 donated to The Trevor Project. Their brewery runs on 100% renewable energy, has avoided 1,758 tons of CO2 annually, and has recycled over 1.8 million gallons of alcohol since 2020.
16+ flavors across three formats
The full Brew Dr. Kombucha bottle lineup. Image courtesy of Brew Dr.
| Flavor | Taste Profile | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Mind | Bright citrus, rosemary, mint | Focus and mental clarity |
| Superberry | Berry blend, lightly tart | Berry lovers, everyday drinker |
| Island Mango | Tropical mango, smooth | People who hate “kombucha taste” |
| Pineapple Paradise | Sweet pineapple, tropical | Summer sipping, tropical fans |
| Iced Tea Lemonade | Classic Arnold Palmer (35mg caffeine) | Afternoon energy, tea lovers |
| Love | Lavender, chamomile, floral | Wind-down drink, stress relief |
| Berry Ginger | Mixed berry with ginger kick | Ginger fans, digestive support |
| Blood Orange | Citrus-forward, slightly bitter | Citrus fans, cocktail mixer |
| Mountain Ginger | Pure ginger, spicy | Serious ginger lovers |
| Cherry Limeade | Sweet cherry, lime zing | Nostalgic soda replacement |
| Crisp Apple | Clean apple, light | Apple cider vibes without sugar |
| Strawberry Fields | Classic strawberry | Kids and kombucha newcomers |
| Lemon Ginger | Lemon-ginger balance | Classic kombucha fans |
| Cherry Vanilla | Cherry with smooth vanilla | Dessert-adjacent, Sprouts exclusive |
| Passionfruit Orange | Tropical citrus blend | Adventurous palates |
| Raspberry Orange Ginger | Triple-flavor complexity | Bold flavor seekers |
Most flavors contain roughly 15–20mg of caffeine per bottle (comparable to decaf coffee). The exception is Iced Tea Lemonade, which packs 35mg per bottle from black tea.
Available in: Clear Mind, Superberry, Island Mango, Pineapple Paradise, and Love. Same recipes, portable format. The cans use recycled PakTech toppers and are lighter to transport, which means lower carbon emissions per unit shipped.
Brew Dr.’s newer line for people who want probiotics without the kombucha flavor profile. Four flavors: Grapefruit, Orange, Lemonade + Tea, and Lime. Key specs: 25 calories per can, organic, live and active cultures, real fruit (no artificial flavors), and no stevia, erythritol, aspartame, sucralose, sorbitol, or xylitol. If you like the gut health benefits of kombucha but prefer something closer to a LaCroix, this is the move.
Every Brew Dr. bottle has a sloth hiding somewhere on it. His name is Otis Sisgood, and he is the brand’s mascot. The choice is intentional. A sloth reminds you to slow down. Good tea and good kombucha take time and patience to make. Brew Dr. puts Otis on everything — from bottle caps to can panels to merch — as a reminder that you cannot rush the good stuff.
It is a small detail, but it captures the brand’s personality: playful, relaxed, and not taking itself too seriously while still making a genuinely premium product.
Whole Foods, Sprouts, Target, Kroger, Safeway, and many regional chains.
Instacart for same-day delivery in most metro areas.
Use Brew Dr.’s store finder to find the closest retailer.
Brew Dr. does not ship kombucha directly. Raw kombucha must be kept refrigerated at all times. If left unrefrigerated, fermentation continues in the bottle and can cause it to burst.
Brew Dr. kombucha delivers live probiotics (the actual organisms), while prebiotic sodas feed the bacteria already in your gut. They are complementary, not competing.
Brew Dr.’s low caffeine content (15–20mg) pairs well with caffeine pouches without stacking too much stimulant into your day.
Most Brew Dr. flavors have significantly less sugar than a can of soda, with the added benefit of live cultures and organic acids.
Brew Dr. is not adaptogenic, but it overlaps the same “functional beverage” audience. We will be covering adaptogenic drinks soon.
Brew Dr. Kombucha is not the cheapest kombucha on the shelf. It is not trying to be.
What it is: a genuinely well-made, tea-forward kombucha from a company that backs up its “good for you, good for the planet” positioning with real certifications and real impact numbers. The flavor lineup is deep enough to find something for any palate, the ingredient transparency is best-in-class, and the B Corp commitment is not just marketing.
Start with Island Mango or Iced Tea Lemonade. These are the flavors that convert skeptics.
Brew Dr.’s tea-first brewing approach and no-nonsense ingredient list make it worth the slight premium.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 (kombucha launched 2008) |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon |
| Founder | Matt Thomas |
| Product Lines | Kombucha (bottles & cans), Sipjoy probiotic seltzer |
| Flavors | 16+ kombucha flavors, 4 Sipjoy flavors |
| Certifications | USDA Organic, B Corp, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Kosher, Carbon Neutral |
| Caffeine | 15–20mg per bottle (35mg for Iced Tea Lemonade) |
| Sugar | Organic cane sugar only, no artificial sweeteners |
| Alcohol | Removed via non-heat distillation |
| Where to Buy | Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts, Kroger, Instacart |
| Website | brewdrkombucha.com |
| Social | @brewdr on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook |
| Mascot | Otis Sisgood the Sloth |
Images in this article are sourced from Brew Dr.’s public brand assets page, used with permission for editorial coverage. All product images are property of Brew Dr. Kombucha.