I first met Numan Karabiyik of Boochman Kombucha in Berkeley in November 2019. Since then, his business has gone from strength to strength and he now operates out of a larger facility across the Bay in San Francisco.

Boochman Gastro Taproom started in Berkeley as the first kombucha Taproom in the Bay Area. The new Boochmania taproom is at 685 Harrison St., San Francisco, in the hip South of Market area.

This facility has a fully-equipped kitchen and a larger cafe than Berkeley. The cafe is open every day except Sunday and Monday. They cater to the large commercial market on their doorstep. An impressive 75% of their volume is through Farmers’ Markets. They currently produce over 250 gallons a week, compared to that much a month when they were in Berkeley.

With a menu of fermented Mediterranean plates and fresh kombucha on tap, Boochmania opened in SF at the end of 2022. The enterprise is a family-owned business. With the help of his older brother Mustafa and younger sister Betul (who arrived in the United States two years ago) plus partner Denisse Padilla, they offer a range of kombucha flavors and a menu of fermented and Turkish foods.

Acknowledging that Turkey is famous for tea consumption, Numan uses organic Hemsin tea as a base for his kombucha. It has a light and refreshing taste. The flavors on tap, in cans, and refillable growlers span a wide range:

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• Currant & Clove: Holiday in a cup with spicy and earthy flavor.
  
  
• Lavender & Hibiscus, Lemongrass: Soothing feeling of the delightful scent in a Lavender field with floral and citrusy twist.
  
  
• Mint & Juniper Berry: Funky & Fresh.
  
  
• Ginger & Sage: Mild, tantalizing and refreshing ginger flavor finishing with an awakening sage aroma.
  
  
• Spicy Mango: Cayenne and Mango.
  
  
• Persimmon & Rose
  
  
• Pineapple Hops
  
  
• Boochman Original
  
  
• Genmaicha
  
  
• Raspberry Leaf Tea: Refreshing, soothing and pure. Champagne of the kombucha!
  
  
• Unicorn Tail: Horsetail Tea, Blue Spirulina and Stevia Leaf.
  

In addition to kombucha, they experiment with distinctive fermented drinks such as the nonalcoholic, deep purple chicha morada made from dried corn, which is Peru’s iconic refreshing drink.

Beyond fermenting kombucha drinks and cooking delicious meals, they have expanded into a “zero waste” product range. They make candles, bath salts, and soaps to recycle all their discarded materials into reusable items. One candle uses leftover rose petals from the kombucha-making process, while another uses pineapple discards, and both can be re-used as miniature planters afterward.

They also support Bay Area residents who take up home brewing and sell SCOBYs and starter liquid packs.

Boochman sells at SF, Peninsula, and East Bay Farmers’ Markets.

Listen to the podcast to hear Numan tell the story of his thriving company.

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