Honey Islam authored the recent 3-part Guest Post on Booch News How the New Indian Government Tax Reform Punishes Beverage Startups, which raised concerns about a 40% tax the Indian Government plans to impose on kombucha. This Profile and podcast interview tells the story of her company.

The story of Mountain Bee Kombucha began in 2016, at the very first Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa. What started as a much-needed break from work became a turning point. At a workshop at the festival, Honey Islam, the founder of Mountain Bee Kombucha, first learned about what she called the “strange ferment” known as kombucha. She did not get a chance to drink it, but she was intrigued. Months later in Dallas, Texas she spotted bottles of kombucha lining the shelves at Whole Foods and tasted it for the first time. She then volunteered at a fermentation workshop in San Francisco led by chef Anne Marie Bonneau. She gifted Honey a piece of her SCOBY that she brought back to Bangalore. Reviving it took time and effort, and it barely survived the trip. But when it did, it felt like magic.

What began on a kitchen countertop slowly turned into a mission: to craft authentic, small-batch kombucha in India, with the same intention and wonder she felt in that first perfect sip. Mountain Bee Kombucha was born in 2018. At her first weekend at an area farmers’ market, she sold all 50 bottles in the first two hours.

She now has a team of six and sells 5,000 liters of kombucha a month, depending on the season, which is fermented in 300-liter stainless steel containers.

We source and ferment only the very best whole-leaf teas, working closely with trusted growers who share our passion for quality. All sample teas are carefully fermented, and only those that meet our highest standards of flavour and balance make it into our production process. From bold blacks to complex oolongs, every tea brings its own personality to the brew. Our brewing techniques extract their full expression, setting a strong foundation for the flavour complexity that we strive to achieve. We produce in small batches from brew to bottle, never outsourcing any part of our process. This hands-on, craft-driven approach ensures that every bottle reflects our standards, stories, and soul.

Mountain Bee has diverted over 50,000 bottles from landfills.

Our major contributor to the savings is our B2B partners. So unlike a lot of retail bottles that go one-way from the production house to the customer’s house, when we’re dealing with the businesses, we actually use returnable kegs and returnable bottles with our business partners. We don’t give them our retail bottles. So that’s the kind of ecosystem we’re trying to build and save on unnecessary packaging where we can. Customers are able to enjoy our fresh kombucha on tap, and enjoy different flavors that don’t see the retail shelves.

The Mountain Bee Kombucha taproom is an extension of their brewery, a space dedicated to kombucha enthusiasts, gut health and fermentation. Tucked away in the by-lanes of Indiranagar, it is a one-of-a-kind place to experience kombucha. Visitors can sample taproom-only flavors during a guided tasting where they learn about ingredients, fermentation techniques, and the art of non-alcoholic brewing. In addition to tastings, they offer Mixology workshops and Kombucha Brewing classes.

I felt that in order to build a community, we need to engage participants, not just as customers of kombucha, but also as practitioners themselves. Unless and until you know your product from that level, you wouldn’t understand or you wouldn’t want to consume it in the long run. So my motto for conducting workshops and tastings was to let people into the world of fermentation, into the world of kombucha, and tell them how amazing microbes and probiotics and natural fermentation could be.

We take a creative approach to our flavoring process, inspired by stories, memories, and a deep respect for ingredients. Each flavour is thoughtfully developed to highlight the complexity of ingredients in their fermented form rather than cover up the funk. Whether inspired by a season, a place, or a moment, our blends aim to evoke a feeling as much as a flavour.

The Original Booch: Crafted with Darjeeling’s finest Oolong, often called the Champagne of teas. This is kombucha in its purest form. No added flavours. No distractions. Just a beautifully complex kombucha that lets the tea and the craft speak for itself. A classic for a reason.

Food Pairing suggestion: Sandos, Sushi, Just by itself, ideally sipped in a flute.

Vanilla Brown: Smooth and surprisingly complex. Vanilla brings a rich, velvety depth to our sweet-and-sour kombucha base. It’s not vanilla-flavoured, it’s the real vanilla.

Food Pairing suggestion: Spicy biryani, onion samosa, cinnamon bun.

Singer Ginger: Zesty pick-me-up for any time of day. With a bold ginger bite and a smooth finish, this brew is equal parts refreshing and grounding. Great for digestion, your gut’s go-to, from morning to night.

Food Pairing suggestion: Pea-smash toast, tofu stir-fry.

Rose: Rosé all day, only better, and gut-loving too. Crafted with fermented plant extracts – organic rose, roselle petals, fennel seeds and long-leaf green tea, this brew delivers floral complexity with a sweet-tart twist. It’s elegant and uplifting.

Food Pairing suggestion: Spiced nuts, popcorn

Pineapple-Chili: A crowd favourite, bold, balanced, and seriously addictive. Perfect for first-time sippers, it blends juicy pineapples with a subtle kick of chilies and warm spices.

Food Pairing suggestion: Tacos, tortilla chips, Fettuccine Alfredo.

Flower ‘N Spice: This flavour is for the cinnamon lovers. Fermentation of green tea with spices brings a hint of playfulness in the final brew. A striking purple colour from butterfly blue-pea flower adds to the experience. Pro tip: Long sip with a straw to fully savour the warmth and nuance of the spices.

Food Pairing suggestion: Thai stir fry, dumplings, cinnamon cake, herby flatbreads.

Bangalore Blue Grape: Ode to Bangalore. Crafted with much loved GI-tagged Bangalore Blue Grapes grown in the city. Contains naturally occurring antioxidants from grapes and tea, probiotics and organic acids from fermentation. A bold, non-alcoholic nightcap with flavour and function.

Food Pairing suggestion: Pizzas, grilled fish/veggies, chili noodles.

Aloha Ananas: Aloha Ananas brings vacation energy to even the most random Monday. Fully fermented, easy to sip and perfect for first-timers. Made with juiciest pineapples from Kerela.

Food Pairing suggestion: Buttered sourdough, cheese, dark chocolate.

Pineapple-Chili is the best seller. It is a flavor that the Indian palate really, really enjoys. It has the right amount of sweetness and right amount of spice. They balance each other out beautifully. There’s no overpowering chili and there’s no overly sweet kombucha. It’s very, very good.
 

Honey has noticed significant generational changes in the customers she sells to over the past seven years. Gen Z are the trend setters.

Whatever changes that are happening in the industry is also led by external factors like the rise of Gen Z population, the rise of quick commerce, the rise of experiential moments. Back when I started, most of our audience was Millennials and even a little older population. And they would discover us through pop-ups or through Instagram. But now it is more about being present in pop-up events, collaborations, or being available on quick commerce. So all these touch points are driving the demand for kombucha.

The demography is changing quite a bit. Now there are more young people embracing kombucha, because one, they don’t want to miss out, and they’ve also prioritized gut health. And also the fact that they’re not drinking as much. So kombucha becomes a very obvious choice for them. So a lot of demand, a lot of dynamics like this are really pushing the consumption of kombucha, which was lacking before.

Honey shares the story of Mountain Bee Kombucha in this conversation.

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