After our soft launch in 2021, moving into 2022, we ramped up our production to levels we'd been dreaming of last year, with 30,000 liters of hard kombucha brewed at our wonderful facility, Vadia, in the forest close to Porto. The VADIA team inspires us, the best partners we could have wished for to perfect our process. Their passion for fermentation has crowned them experts in producing a range of drinks, from experimental beers to craft sodas, to kefirs, to hard kombucha. We have rarely left that brewery after a week of filling cans, bottles, and kegs without deep learning from long tasting sessions, ranging from fermented spice jars for their Christmas beers to cherry ciders to kefir shots. The yearly hosted fermentation festival "Wild at Heart" in Porto showcases their homage and reverence to fermentation techniques. It builds the community of Portugal's brewers, including a range of excellent (non-alc) local kombucha brands that we absolutely love. This year's challenge for the VADIA team and us was to fill the majority of those 30.000 liters into our beautifully printed cans without a canning line in-house. We worked with mobile canning for most of the year, and as of last month, we proudly announce that we can fill entirely in-house as one of the first craft breweries in Portugal with this option.
It's funny; if you are so close to something on the daily grind, you may miss the beauty or relevance of it happening. The addition of cans has been such a fundamental shift to the business it's easy to forget that we only added them to our range this year in March. We've made it much easier for people to grab a six-pack for a beach day or a party with friends. Shipping has also become much easier across the country, specifically across borders. We had already played with the idea of cans in 2021, but the only option was a shrink-wrapped can which isn't recyclable and not something we could get behind. We're happy we waited for our slick, printed cans, which are fully recyclable. It means we're fully living out the values of that 1% for the planet logo on our cans and bottles.
The cans also helped us accelerate growth. We saw exponential growth in cans, bottles, and kegs sold from the amazing new accounts we've added every month. It's been a wild ride, with the biggest highlight being how much our community has grown thanks to our partner events, pop-ups, and festivals. Who can forget selling full pallets of ūmmi in a couple of days at the Boom Festival?
We also took a production crew to Portugal's Azores Islands, home of Europe's oldest and only remaining tea farm, where we source Organic Green Tea for the base of our drink. We wanted our first content piece, 'Farm to Can', to showcase the process, the climate, and the two sisters who own and operate the Gorreana Tea Farm, the 5th generation of women to run the farm. We're proud to work with a Portuguese Tea Farm with two kick-ass ladies running the show. Watch the film here.
This year has also meant bringing new members into the ūmmi family. One of those is Pierre D'Andrimont, the EPL group's founder, who is known as one of the best employers in gastronomy in Lisbon. He's a person who deeply cares, appreciates the hard work that comes with serving the best food and drink in Lisbon, and has people so dedicated on his team that they'll tattoo the bar's name on their forearms. These are the people we love to have within the business because their passion, integrity, and values align perfectly with ours.
We also welcomed Roger Gracie to the co-owner family. Roger is among jiu-jitsu's most decorated and accomplished athletes and is widely considered one of the greatest competitors in jiu-jitsu history. When he first heard about what we're building with ūmmi, he was excited about the opportunity to be a part of it. "As an athlete, I love jiu-jitsu because of the physical and mental benefits as well as the longevity. My choices in life have to reflect that. It's great to have a drink without any additives so you can enjoy yourself and still wake up ready to go." Roger was recently on the Lex Friedman podcast, which you can watch here.
Along with Pierre and Roger, we're also happy to welcome Joe Tan, one of the founders of Incase, to the team. Having moved to Portugal recently, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to help us build a stronger foundation. We're also still open for private investors. If you would like more information, please get in touch with us at hello@ummikombucha.com.
This year we also began holding numerous happy hours with some of our beloved bars and restaurants and a range of partner events with talented local brands, the ummi friends, and family. We held events with Da Noi restaurant during the Santo Antonio Festival, Magic Quiver during the WSL event in Ericeira, La Barraque at You and the Sea, at Neighborhood on the hottest weekend of the Summer, and partner events for openings and activations, including working with MODA Lisboa, Somewhere A Process, the Casa Noble Farmers market with SLOW, the opening of The Feeting Room in Porto, Arches pop-ups and Fairly Normal activations and store openings throughout the year, +351 summer events, art show openings with Eritage in Lisbon, the Aethos hotel opening, Selva release party in Porto, ROVE surf shop activations, the opening of SABI Lisboa, the Estrela Food Feast Festival, the opening of the Fantastic Frank showroom in Lisbon, the Further event with Design hotels in Marvila, Sea Salt collective Halloween market, STAB season finale watch party, STUDIORISE birthday week, our first Lisbon Living Room session and latest, the Ementa Skate Movie premiere held last week.
We also took our first steps in the tradeshow space at the Bar Convent Berlin, an opportunity to meet new partners and like-minded brands as we scale for growth. We are pleased to announce that we have a distributor in place for the UK for 2023, Cask distribution, who will lead the charge in building our network over there. We're also available for home delivery anywhere in the UK through Amazon. We're up and running in France with our friends at Two Palms to get the SW market moving. Along with BeMakers in Denmark, who are helping us unlock B2C solutions across Europe while we gradually open distribution networks across Europe.
For 2023 we're so excited to continue this journey and can't wait to meet up for a drink together.
Enjoy the Būzz
]]>One thing we get on a daily basis is “hey, I’m coming to Lisbon on the weekend for a few days, would love to know any tips on where I should visit whilst there?”. Usually each time we scribble down some quick thoughts but we thought it’s about time we build resources for people visiting. This should give you a great summary of places to eat and drink whilst the second will give you places to visit, where to run, do yoga and more. So here goes, The ūmmi guide to Lisbon Part 1, Enjoy the būzz.
Places To Eat
Java
Whenever friends come to town looking for ‘that’ rooftop experience we always send them here. It might seem busy but give it a try and you’ll usually get in to the bar. Great food, drinks, cocktails and plenty of amazing food. A must see. https://www.instagram.com/java_lisboa
Janis
If you’re in this part of town early and want a great all day cafe vibe this is it. Open 8am till past midnight. Solid cafe opening hours https://www.instagram.com/cafejanis
Mila
So one of our owners Tiago actually owns and runs this spot so its a favourite. If you go by here ask for him, give him the wink and ask for an ūmmi a Casa and he’ll hook you up. Tag us @ummi_kombucha on IG. Amazing brunch, drinks and great for people watching from the street seats. https://www.instagram.com/brunchatmilas www.milalisbon.com
Da Noi
When we moved back to Europe one thing that struck me is how much we loved European street culture, especially open air drinking. We love Da Noi for its food and also its drink service window so you can enjoy a glass in the street, just watch out for cars as you’re soaking up some of Lisbons best vibes. https://www.instagram.com/danoi.lisboa/ https://danoilisboa.com
Who The Fuck Is Henry
A couple of years ago we started seeing these posters across the city and since then we’ve seen them cultivate one of the best underground scenes in the city. Limited to 40 spots a time in the back of a train station which they seem to be using without the city knowing on the weekends. They are also a creative studio and we love what they’re doing. https://www.whothefuckishenry.com
Neighbourhood
If you’re hungry and need to go straight for something different head to our friends at Neighbourhood who serve up breakfast Burritos and smash burgers. No reservations, no waiting just straight up good Aussies serving up delicious food. https://www.neighbourhoodlisbon.com https://www.instagram.com/neighbourhood.lisbon/
Senhor Uva
Stephanie and Marc have created this incredible place with delicious vegetarian meal that truly pushes the envelope when it comes to flavours, texture and ingredients and a broad natural wine’s selection. The service and attention to detail stands out. Whether you want to have a intimate dinner in two or gather some friends to enjoy a great moment, Senhor Uva will please you accordingly. https://instagram.com/senhor.uva
Insaciável Wine Bar
A gorgeous spot in Santos. They have an incredible selection of natural wines and tasty small plates. Beautiful outdoor space on a quiet street. Wonderful staff and delicious food and wine. https://instagram.com/insaciavel.lisboa
Comida Indepedente
Love wine and cheese? Love trying something new? Love great people? Well head down to this great backstreet spot where you’ll find so many great pairings of wine, charcuterie, wine and more. I popped in one day for an ūmmi and walked out with bottles of wine, hot sauce and cheese.
Time Out Market
This is pretty well known and quite touristy but that said if you’re on vacation with friends with a mix of food tastes this is a great spot as it has everything. Yes everything and even dancing some nights. It's a great spot and offers something for all.
Hope this helped! Tag us @ummi_kombucha when you’re out and about. Make sure to check out the next blog about where to run, do yoga, visit with kids and much more. Thanks and #enjoythebuzz
]]>
A look back at our soft launch in 2021.
The end of the year is an amazing time to sit down, celebrate the wins, reflect on the opportunities for next year and regroup for the coming 12 months. So for ūmmi, it’s a unique moment to explore our journey. A year ago, we had a plan with great intentions and the promise of a product. We had some samples that we believed would be a great market fit and confidence in our plan. A year ago, we had a hypothesis around a market fit and the retail partners we believed we could work with. A year ago, we had a vision for who the consumer of our product would be. We also had the intent to soft-launch our brand and bring to life the team backing the project. However, all of these were just that, plans.
Fast forward one year later, numerous brewery visits, tasting samples, we have a solid product that tastes amazing! Getting a stable hard kombucha is way more of a process than any of us ever imagined. Fermenting anything has so many variables, but creating an alcoholic version adds another layer. To make it taste great without compromises, such as adding more sugar, requires even more work. We probably went through 8 batches before we found the stability required, which is a testament to the quality of our brewery, which has been an amazing partner. When imagining owning an alcohol company, most people think of how fun the tasting side must be. It can be nerve-racking, fulfilling, eye-opening, and yes, fun. Our November new flavour exploration trip proved that with our head brewer. Trying new versions of our beloved ūmmi is an amazing experience where you feel familiar but get that new excitement you’d get meeting a new boy or girlfriend. We can’t wait to share them with you.
We also found that we were nearly right in terms of our market fit and distribution. We believed that we could position the brand as we wanted by working with premium bars and retail locations, which worked quite well. Bars and restaurants like Java, Da Noi, SAL, or Quinta da Comporta ensured the right eyes on the brand. This, combined with the setting of Le Coleur Locale, Wasted Talent in France, and Mercearia da Mila, proved to be amplifiers to that strategy in terms of sales. However, the area that really surprised us was the organic supermarkets in Portugal, which have become great partners with a loyal following. Stores like Miosotis proved to be a wildly successful door, and keeping stock in there became one of the primary challenges. One of the most rewarding business areas has been the sell-in. None of us are salespeople from the beverage industry, but since we’re aiming for quality first instead of scale, we have the wonderful ability to walk into the doors we’d like, have a conversation, understand their clientele’s needs, share a drink and see how ūmmi can fit into their portfolio. It meant many deliveries in our own cars weighed down with ūmmi, including a couple of trips over the border to France on 24-hour missions to replenish sold-out accounts (we see you Waxxed and Wasted Talent).
Mia Rose enjoying the Būzz
We’ve seen great adoption from the people we believed we were doing this work for from the outset when it comes to our consumers. People much like us who love going outside into nature, working out, running, and enjoying themselves; but also enjoy the buzz of a couple of drinks and don’t want to be slowed down. We’ve had many nights, including one particularly memorable night with Chris on his return to Portugal (thanks to travel restrictions, we hadn’t seen him in 18 months). We went to watch a band at Boardriders in September so he could see one of our most popular locations in action. “We’ll just go for one” turned into bumping into a few of our biggest brand advocates who grabbed a couple more, and before you know it, we were closing the show down as the lights came on 4 ūmmis later. Remember, these are half-litre bottles, so we were definitely feeling the būzz by now. With the promise of offshore wind and shoulder-high waves at 6am, the next morning, we set off for a mission up north to Santa Cruz for an epic morning on the beach. That’s honestly one of the biggest benefits of ūmmi; the ability to not be slowed down the next day. Is there a limit? Probably. Have we found it yet? The current record is 6 in a night, but if anyone wants to beat that, we’ll happily send you a box to try out, along with a disposable camera to capture the evening. Another event was the tasting session in Lisbon, where we invited close friends of the brand, which will 100% become a new experience as we launch around Europe. Hosted, curated with crafted drinks for you to try. Such a fun way to get to know the brand.
So has this year been all success? Well, it’s been forward momentum, to say the least. We’re making progress while enjoying the process and having fun, which is what matters. There have been a lot of bumps in the road, but like anything, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Launching Europes first hard kombucha was always going to be a challenge. A new product in new channels to new consumers pretty much goes against what conventional wisdom teaches, but being able to serve people with a healthier alcohol option has been worth it.
So I hear you ask…. Where are we headed?
We’ll be focused on growing with our retail partners by doing more events in our backyard of Portugal while also expanding and sharing hard kombucha with new ones across Europe. We’re just settling on some back-end setups, but we’re prepping to bring ūmmi into at least 4 new cities in Summer 2022. Sign up below to stay up to date on where and when.
Thanks for an amazing year!
ūmmi
Enjoy the buzz
Team ūmmi shortly before Chris joined the party back from the US. This was also just before we all wouldn’t have worked for photos anymore.
]]>Hey,
Since we’re growing fast and figuring out things as we go, we don’t really have a jobs page so we wanted to let you know that we’re growing and need some help. We’ll be expanding our B2B presence in France this summer and will be looking for some help on the ground. From sales people to brand builders, if you’re in the SW France, hit us up.
We’re also growing our DTC footprint in Portugal and launching into Copenhagen and Hamburg, and are hiring some student brand ambassadors in those countries. Whats a student brand ambassador? Well, someone who is in these cities, who knows the right people, the people holding the right house parties, the right bars. If you’re looking for a career in the start up space it will help getting first hand experience with an exciting young company.
We’ll pay a retainer, you’ll have all the product you might need for yourself (I know, sounds wild right) and also to get in the hands of the people in your city. Our only ask is that you get people talking, tagging us online and signing up to ūmmi friends and family commūnity.
If you’d like to hear more, reach out on IG Dm or via email jon@ummikombucha.com
Yes, we probably also need to hire someone to help us build out a jobs page, but for now this will have to do.
Enjoythebūzz
Laura, Chris, Tiago, Greg, Jon, Mareike
ŪMMI HARD KOMBUCHA – NOW IN CANS!
Since day one we have wanted to ensure transparency with our consumer base about our entire process from brewing to packaging and more.
One thing that always came up when we have spoken with investors, bars, customers is the “they are beautiful but why do you only sell ūmmi in 500 ml bottles?”.
Well, essentially because we wanted to continue that line of transparency and since we are a brand who pledge 1% for the planet we didn’t feel we could produce in cans last year. Primarily its because that for many brewers of our size especially in the craft beer, seltzer or kombucha space brands are using cans with plastic foil wrapping around it which means that the can becomes un-recycleable unless the customer is willing to try and get that label off before putting it in with their aluminium recycling.
Seems a small thing but in the research we’ve done with multiple experts in this space its a hurdle we couldn’t get over as very few will do this and the problem should be solved by the producer not the end user.
Yes its cost us a bunch of money. Loads of headaches. We probably all questioned ourselves multiple times in the last year. However what it has done is given us a memorable first experience for many with the brand. Primarily it’s also meant that we can all look each other in the eye and smile about the choices we’ve made on this journey.
So how have we done it? Well primarily it took months of searching but we found a key partner willing to work with us who believe in our vision for the space and so now we have printed cans for our growth in Portugal, France (and elsewhere to come in Europe – stay on our mailing list for those updates).
Its also comes as we ramp up for Summer which mean that as borders are opening, restrictions are coming down we had to commit to a new production run for these cans to get to the minimum we needed so we have just X10 our production from 2021. I hope you like drinking ūmmi as we have loads to get through this summer!
You may be asking whats happening with our bottles? Well, we will continue with them for now for some key retailers as we see that there are some doors who love the aesthetic and premium handfeel they give so you’ll see them at selected partners.
Keep following for updates on country roll out and delivery options as we expand.
Ready for sūmmer.
]]>“HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY EVERYONE TO BE IN YOUR CAMPAIGN?”
The short answer is nothing. Maybe its just the world in which we live these days and the murkiness of influencers and instagram that this is everyones first reaction but this question is one that we’ve heard quite a few times. In fact, they all invested to be part of ūmmi because they believe in what we are doing and the potential of the category that we’re launching in Europe. It takes a while for people to process this as anytime you open Instagram you can find someone selling any number of protein powders, supplements or my personal dislike, covid testing kits “making it easy to travel”. I mean was that worth the $500?
Mia Rose, Actress, Mom, ūmmi co-owner
Mikey February, Surfer, father to be, ūmmi co-owner
For this round, we’re opening up to new investors who have a similar outlook on the desire to make better choices everyday through a company like ūmmi. So what will this round of funding be used for?
Nina Brooke, Artist, Surfer, ūmmi co-owner
Well, basically growth. Growth across Europe. We’re just finishing up our production run for summer which will x10 our production from 2021, we’re about to announce some new distribution partners to unlock target markets in Europe and hire some more feet on the ground and yes we have a new packaging option that we can’t wait to share with you. We’re confident that with the new valuation we’ll have runway for the coming year to allow us to grow to the size by which we’ll be able to offer same day distribution across key cities in europe with new flavours added for the summer. In terms of investors at this stage we’re looking for those with experience in investing in start up brands or who have skillsets that we could tap into to help us grow across europe in a new market. If you would like more information and to get involved please email Laura@ummikombucha.com
|
|
Ben Howard, Singer, songwriter, ūmmi co-owner. |
David Djite, Snowboarder, ūmmi co-owner, Laax local. |
By now if you have tried ūmmi the chances are you got it from one of our trusted retail partners. We’re thankful to each and everyone of them for believing in what we are doing and our mission to enable better choices everyday.
So you might be wondering how did we open up these accounts. After all we’re sold at some of the finest locations including Java rooftop, Da Noi, Mercearia da Mila, Madame Granel, La Point, Poke Bowl in Portugal and Le Couleur Locale, Surfing Kitchen, Waxed, Wasted Talent, Coolin up in France. So are we working with a distributor? Or a wholesale partner? Or even a sales manager?
In a word. No. We’ve managed this on our own as we wanted to hand pick the places we feel that ūmmi would be best represented by owners and staff who understand launching a new brand with a new product and are able to fully support our vision. Does it mean we could probably have sold a few more bottles this summer? Yes, probably. However the key with building any brand is ensuring the right customers are trying your product. If you think about the analogy of 1000 true fans that any business can operate once it achieves that amount, that’s the route we’re taking. Finding the people who want to enjoy a būzz but also care about the health effects of alcohol and with ūmmi not slowing you down the next day we feel confident we’re on the way to building that community.
One thing we hear a lot is “when are you bringing ūmmi into the UK or the rest of Europe?”. We’re working on that currently, learning and understanding the various tax and excise laws by country. We wont lie, Brexit has proved a challenge and so might create a specific solution for the UK but for the rest of Europe we are currently looking at that plan and are very excited about the future. If you want to stay up to date with where we are opening and when add your email below and we’ll keep you updated.
info@ummikombucha.com
]]>One of the things that we hear quite often in Portugal is “oh I have heard of Kombucha and I knew there was some alcohol in it naturally but what is ‘hard kombucha’?”
Well Hard Kombucha is brewed essentially the same as regular kombucha, and adding a secondary fermentation where sugar is converted into alcohol. The tea is brewed using organic tea grown at the only tea plantation in Europe on the Azores.
So you are probably also thinking, why would we go this extra mile to create hard kombucha? Essentially because as we have all come to understand our bodies more, what works and what doesn’t we wanted an alternative alcohol so we can enjoy the buzz but it won’t slow us down the next morning. We’ve all had those days which just become a write off and between work, life, sport and kids we just don’t have time for wasted weekends. Have we tried it? Yes, twice I’ve had 4 or 5 ūmmis on a week night and been fine to work the next day. With beer that just wouldn’t be happening for me.
How come it doesn’t slow you down? Well, number 1 because hard kombucha still contains electrolytes it means you don’t get dehydrated which is one of the key issues with beer. For wine drinkers one of the key problems with a lot of wine is the sulphites are added as a preservative which can allegedly cause reactions and hangovers.
What other questions do you have? Get in touch! info@ummikombucha.com
]]>Ah what a question. Well if you read any of Simon Sineks books you will know that having a strong ‘why’ is the foundation of any business or project.
We started planning ūmmi in 2019 through the summer and fall as we had tried a couple of hard kombuchas on trips to the US. We loved the taste and the benefits of a hard kombucha and could see the potential of bringing this to Europe. We looked at importing a US version, we looked at creating a recipe there and even finding a copacker to create the product for us.
Living in Portugal we could see how well this would work here and eventually found a route forward to create a recipe here near Nazare. It took around 5 or 6 attempts to tweak the recipe each time with something else that needed tweaking. We then set about finding a brewer to work with.
Now if we just wanted to create a brand and product to sell quickly and effectively we could have gone a few different routes:
A beer brand : totally feasible and plenty of people who know how to brew it, however there is a reason we aren’t in that space, primarily the feeling of being slower the morning after.
A hard seltzer : very easy to create, on trend in the US but there is something about it that’s not been appealing to us. There isn’t much craft in the creation process and with that comes a low barrier to entry.
A cocktail brand : we’re seeing this more and more, pre mixed cocktails in a can and some brands are doing this really well but again it doesn’t seem like new news and also doesn’t have the same feeling.
Maybe its just that most growth happens when there is challenges to learn from and we embrace that complexity.
We loved the idea of a hard kombucha because it tastes amazing and is a great alternative to beer, wine or cider. We love the craft that goes into it putting it ahead of a hard seltzer. We love the fact that we could find a way to create a drink that helps in feeling better about your choice.
So back to the brewery. We had a couple of options lined up and I remember specifically one team call in March 2020.
“The brewery we would like to work with is struggling with the pandemic. Should we just stop this project for now? It seems like Europe is going into heavy lockdowns.”
“It does seem like this could last a while”
“But we have a lot to catch up on anyways before we launch, maybe we use this time to get ourselves fully in order”
After that call we kicked on and despite Portugal still having lockdowns and a couple of breweries closing on us we found a brewery we are proud to partner with near Porto who have been tremendous on this journey. The creation of a hard kombucha is a wonderful process between fermenting the tea, getting the flavour profile correct and ensuring it has the perfect amount of bubbles its quite the process and again, being a live liquid it is always changing so requires the highest caliber of craft brewing.
So back to the original question. Why are we even making a hard kombucha? It’s difficult to make, not many people in Europe know it yet and we did all this through a pandemic.
We created ūmmi out of the desire to make better choices everyday.
Thats our why.
Simple.
We know none of us are perfect.
So we created a vegan, gluten free, organic low sugar product which will give you a būzz without slowing you down the next morning.
We didn’t put ūmmi in cans because we are sick and tired of seeing brands use aluminium cans with a plastic sleeve which make them non recyclable. We used these beautiful bottles which are expensive to use but we would rather do this until we reach enough scale to print on cans.
We’re members of 1% for the planet so we can partner to tackle our planets most pressing environmental issues.
Thanks for believing in us, we’re excited you are along for the ride.
]]>When we started ūmmi we thought long and hard about which flavors to come to market with.
Having tried multiple versions of kombucha before there was something we just loved about the original flavor of lemon ginger. It’s got an amazing bite to it, feels refreshing and for those who enjoy Kombucha already. For the second we played with quite a few flavors and ended up going for a mixed berry with hibiscus flavor. Essentially for this one we wanted to have something a little smoother especially for someone who hasn’t tried kombucha before as we feel it’s a great introduction to the space. Getting the flavor right takes quite a process, ensuring the balance between ingredients, right amount of bubbles and something that becomes well known as ūmmi.
We’re working on our next flavors now ideally that we land on for Spring 2022. We’re looking for ideas so let us know at info@ummikombucha.com or via DM on IG. We’re playing with a similar set up that we’ll have two more flavors, one again for the discerning kombucha drinker and another which is a little easier on the palette.
What would you like to see us bring in?
Let us know!
]]>