Kombucha Brewers International (KBI), the leading trade organization committed to promoting and protecting commercial kombucha brewers around the world, has declared February 21, 2020, as the inaugural World Kombucha Day.

Not to be confused with National Booch Day, which a single company — KeVita — founded on January 15, World Kombucha Day is an international celebration of love and affinity for the ancient fermented brew by both brewers and consumers worldwide.

The reason for selecting this date is that one of the legends of Kombucha’s origin dates to the Chinese Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE), during which time people spoke about a fermented tea known as the “Tea of Immortality.” The emperor Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇) is said to have sought to lengthen his life by any means available and this Tea of Immortality was brewed by alchemists at his request.

Since the United States uses the date format MM/DD/YYYY, February 21 is 2/21 or 221BC, marking the unification of China. In most of the rest of the world, the date format is DD/MM/YYYY, so Feb 21 celebrates the year 212BC. Not a problem — it just means Emperor Qin was still out and about conquering the remaining independent kingdoms.

Truth in Advertising: Qin died at 49. So the tea he drank was probably a poorly fermented batch of ‘booch rather than the real ‘Tea of Immortality’ we all plan to enjoy well into our centenary years.

In observance of World Kombucha Day kombucha brands, brewers and retailers around the world will participate in events including retailer happy hours and offering coupons and discounts to consumers. Friday 21st gives brands a golden opportunity to engage with their community and to help people understand what kombucha is. It launches what could well be the decade when kombucha becomes a household name.

Celebrating the Culture of Kombucha

The ethos behind World Kombucha Day is not only to celebrate our favorite ferment, but also to raise awareness around symbiosis and interconnectedness, diversity & inclusion, our bonds as humans, and stewards of the planet. To that end, KBI encourages everyone to collaborate and sample as many local brands as possible. (Check the Worldwide Directory for a list of brands in your area.) Use this as an opportunity to celebrate the culture of Kombucha as much as the drink.

Podcast

We spoke with Hannah Crum, KBI President and author of The Big Book of Kombucha about World Kombucha Day. In addition to discussing the commercial aspects of the celebration, she shared her philosophy about the culture of kombucha as a biological and social force for the common good. To hear what she said, click on the podcast icon below.

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