Kombucha arrived in my life in 2018 when sobriety became a life-or-death decision.  My grandfather, mother and brother died from alcoholism, and I was well on my way down the same path.  I stopped drinking on November 11, 2018, after a stint in the emergency room for hypertension. My blood pressure was 200/120!  I felt like I was going to explode. 

What I remember most about that day was the reaction of the doctor when he asked how much alcohol do you drink a day.  I reluctantly told the truth.   I was an avid homebrewer for over 15 years and by point in my life I was kegging 350 gallons a year.  I had four taps in my fridge that poured an unlimited amount of beer.  Still, when I told him that I drank 12 to 16 beers a night, this didn’t register as a normal amount.  In fact, he stopped scribbling on his sheet, looked at me emotionless, turned and walked out.  He didn’t say a word.  What could he say?  He knew I was a lost cause.  

When I left the emergency room, the nurse handed me a pamphlet on alcoholism.  Everything changed in my life from that point forward.  I kept drinking of course, but I finally quit after a few more weeks of chronic abdominal pain. I started drinking Kombucha instead of alcohol and this was the key ingredient that allowed me to break free from my addiction. 

I was planning to go professional with beer brewing, but I chose life instead.   I repurposed my beer brewing equipment and started brewing Kombucha to rekindle my spirits.  I developed a lot of friend-tested recipes during the stay-at-home COVID pandemic retreat and soon realized that this new passion could become a new lifestyle.  A healthy lifestyle with healthy, happy people.  

The name “Boochy Call Kombucha” came to me in a flash of inspiration one night.  I told myself that if this business name is available, I’ll take it as a sign to go professional.  And to my surprise, the domain and registration was available!  I immediately purchased the domain and started down the path of building a kombucha business.   Say “Boochy Call” and try not to smirk and smile.  It’s perfect.  

I couldn’t keep brewing in the basement of the house so my next big hurdle was to build a commercial kitchen/brewery or find one that I can rent.  The estimate to build one on the property was an eye-opener.  So, I went for a bike ride to see if I could find a building that I could repurpose.  I live in a farming community in Western Maryland and it’s common to see farms with unused or abandoned buildings.   I rode down familiar country roads and within a few miles I came across a newly sold farm estate with an abandoned dairy processing building.  This was a success goat cheese business for a long time, but now the building stood empty.  Luckily there was a neighbor out-front gardening, and I was able to get the new owners contact information.  I gave the owner a call and we setup a meeting to talk and reconnaissance the old cheese building.  I don’t believe in destiny, but this series of events are uncanny.

The goat cheese building was attached to an old barn that was built in 1737.  Lots of character and charm, but it would also take lots of work to get the facility clean, repaired and repurposed as a brewery (a Kombuchery in this case). It laid empty for a few years and time was not kind.  It was going to require a substantial amount of sweat equity and finances to get it in working order.  I was spending over $11,000 a year on alcohol (no kidding!) before I became sober.  So why not use this money and start building a new life instead of destroying it? It was perfect!

After checking the county zoning requirements and securing liability insurance, we agreed to a lease, and I started fixing up the space.  It took 14 months to fix-up the building and gain approval from the Maryland Health Department as a food production facility.  Production started as soon as the license came through on August 2, 2021.  

I produce eight kombucha flavors with most of the ingredients sourced from local farms and my herb gardens.  Our flavors differ from many kombucha brands because I use the same principals found in beer brewing.  I want a nice aroma, one or two middle notes, and a dry ending that will bring you back for another sip. It’s that simple.  I strive to make kombucha that you want to drink because it tastes good, not only because it’s a probiotic with health benefits.  All kombucha’s contain probiotics, but not all the kombucha’s taste good.  

Boochy Call receives many accolades and production is running full steam to keep our clients and customers happy.  I even scored a bronze medal at the first KombuchaKon international competition in March, 2022 for the Full Monty.  Boochy Call Kombucha has come far in 3.5 years.  What’s next?  Well, I will keep you all in the loop.