Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Local Roots Kombucha Ambassador

The hubby and I do our best to live healthy (and happy, DUH) lives. We both eat a vegetarian diet, get active on a daily basis, try to limit our sweets (well, that might be a bit of a stretch seeing as the hubby has a MAJOR sweet tooth, but at least he's a little more conscious when he does splurge on the sugar), drink plenty of water, take our supplements, etc.


I'll be the first to admit that I am not one to jump on the latest and greatest health fads. I'm not sure if it's because most of them tend to fizzle out before I get around to giving them a try, if it's because I don't want to be the guinea pig in the first round of trials, if it's because I am often skeptical of the "health and wellness" industry and all of the products they are constantly trying to push down our throats sell, if it's because I am "frugal" and want to make sure the claims are tried and true before forking over my hard-earned dough or a combination of all of the above. Whatever the case, I am often late to the party on some of the 'hot new trends'. One such obsession I've been rather late to try has been the kombucha craze.


What is kombucha? 

Per Wikipedia, kombucha is a fermented, slightly alcoholic, lightly effervescent, sweetened black or green tea drink commonly intended as a functional beverage for its supposed health benefits. Sometimes the beverage is called kombucha tea to distinguish it from the culture of bacteria and yeast. Juice, spices, or other flavorings are often added to enhance the taste of the beverage. [Kombucha is very prevalent in "health conscious" SoCal, but may not be as readily available throughout the country. These trends tend to start at the coasts and work their way into middle America.]

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Now, hear me out, I had a couple justifications (or maybe a few preconceptions that needed to get busted) for my hindrance. First, vinegar is not my jam and in my head kombucha = vinegar. Don't get me wrong I LOVE me some delicious dill pickles, but the smell of vinegar on its own is gag-worthy to me (anyone else throw up a bit in their mouth's when people bust out the vinegar to dye eggs for Easter?!). I have tried the whole Apple Cider Vinegar thing and couldn't hang. Second, since giving up pop (or soda for you non-Midwesterners) I'd say I drink water 99% of the time. Third, kombucha (at least the stuff I've seen in the grocery or health food stores) is a pretty penny and I have a hard time forking over $3 a bottle for something a) I don't know I'll love, b) period. Fourth, I dislike tea (as well as coffee, beer and wine).

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I've been a Yelp Elite for the past year and have been lucky enough to attend a few different events due to my "status". Although the "Brew Venture" series is not limited to Yelp Elite, I'm normally notified about the events through my monthly email. "Brew Ventures" are events at local breweries where the partner brewery will feature one or two of their favorite brews on tap, and as long as you RSVP and are confirmed on the list the drinks are complimentary during the event window. It's a great way to find new-to-you local spots around town you otherwise may not have tried. All of the past Brew Ventures we have attended have been at beer breweries. Since beer isn't my jam (I've never drank pee before, but if I did, I'd assume it'd have the same taste/ flavor as beer...), I normally attend the events with the hubby and give him my drink (what a nice wife I am, right?! not only does the hubby score on a second free drink but he has a built in designated driver... ;)), so I was STOKED when I saw the May event would be at Local Roots Kombucha - North County's very own hard kombucha brewery. Again, at this point I still hadn't given kombucha a legit try, but knew I didn't prefer beer or wine so figured it had to be better. Lucky for me - it was AWESOME! Like I mentioned, I'm not a beer or wine drinker (hey, no need to get upset with me, that just means more for you if those are your jam), so if I drink alcohol it's hard liquor (think straight whiskey, vodka and lemonade, etc). I was thrilled to have an alternative option (especially one the hubby enjoyed - which meant we wouldn't have to bring multiple adult beverage choices so we could both partake in the jubilations).

We love the games, seating, live music (not an every day thing) and vibe of the Boochyard! Definitely family friendly and you are
totally able to bring in your own food and stay as long as you'd like! There is even a Yoga. Booch. Brunch. event on Sundays!

The kombucha (FYI - Local Roots Kombucha offers both "hard" kombucha and non-alcoholic kombucha) was light and refreshing. It didn't make you feel heavy or bloated like some drinks make you feel after consuming them. They weren't overly sweet (like some mixed drinks can be), but had a great flavor. {For someone who doesn't love the taste of tea, I'll be the first to admit, I wouldn't have guessed it was made from tea if I didn't know.} The hubby and I both mentioned these would be a perfect drink to bring with us camping, to a BBQ, as a way to celebrate a long hike or run, etc. He even thought that he might be able to talk some of his beer drinking buddies into giving it a try and maybe even convert a few ;) 

Hubby and I tried the Cali Mule, Boochmosa and the Strawberry Mojito on our first visit.

While we were at Local Roots Kombucha, we saw they were canning some of their booch (both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties). We were hoping that meant we would be able to find the deliciousness in stores near us soon (the Boochyard isn't too far away from our place, maybe 25 minutes, but it'd be even more convenient if we could snag a 6-pack from our local grocery store). Low and behold, they are available right down the street (you can use the locator on their website to see where their products are available in the can or on tap around San Diego County). 


Anywho, onto the meat and potatoes main point of this post. A few weeks ago the hubby and I were approached by the team at Local Roots and asked if we wanted to come on as ambassadors. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Oh, you better believe we do! They are growing like gangbusters and only see the brand and product continuing to flourish from here, but want to get a team in place to help spread the word organically. We haven't worked out the details exactly at this point (it's more of a "we will supply you with the goods, you enjoy it and tell your friends" sort of arrangement currently), but we are STOKED to be a part of the crew. As hopefully you are well aware, I won't rep a company unless I use and like the product, as well as what the brand stands for. I don't want to be seen as someone who will push anything to make a buck (FYI - only one of my ambassadorships provides any type of monetary compensation, all the rest are just a product based "payment"). I spread the word about things I like and figure you might like them too (but just like with pickles or peanut butter and Miracle Whip sandwiches, not everything I enjoy will be loved by everyone else, and that's totally okay - we are all welcome to our own tastes and opinions - that's what makes this world rich of diversity and variety!). With that said, you may start seeing a few pictures with kombucha pop up on my social media platforms while we are out living life and if you are local to the San Diego area, I'd highly recommend you search out some Local Roots and give them a try!


Have you tried kombucha before?

1 comment:

SD Mom said...

I love Kombucha! I’ll have to try this brand. Local to me is Juneshine!