Hello friend :)

Marissa here. I am a Portland born maker, entrepreneur, and owner of Herbucha. I found Herbucha via Craigslist in early 2021 when I stumbled upon an ad titled "Kombucharista." Intrigued, I visited the Portland Famers Market, somehow charmed our founder Eva and got the job. Despite the cold, rainy, way-too-early Saturday mornings that winter, I quickly fell in love with the market, the kind folks who visited my booth each week, and the incredible array of farmers and artisans bringing nourishment to our community. As the summer flew by, there were so many days I thought to myself, "I'd do this for free." So when I found out my boss was selling her company, I knew Herbucha was too good to let fade away, so I got a small business loan and took the leap.

Luckily, this ain't my first rodeo. I've been in the food and customer service industry for half my life. Eva Sippl founded Herbucha in 2008, one of the first kombucha breweries in Portland. After years of brewing kombucha at home, she discovered that kombucha could also be brewed using herbal teas. Inspired by her background in herbal medicine, she tested different recipes and gave them to her friends to try. Beloved and well-received, Eva began brewing in 5 gallon batches and became a vendor at the Portland Farmers Market in 2010. Herbucha spread across Portland to various restaurants, herb shops, grocery stores, and has been a vendor at the farmers market ever since.
 
It was a huge risk to takeover a business during a pandemic. These few years have been full of challenges and growth - rebranding, upgrading to industry standard equipment, and transitioning from hand-bottled glass to environmentally friendly aluminum packaging. Herbucha is still brewed by hand (now in 30 gallon batches!) with a whole lot of love and intent. I'm grateful to partner with Cascadia Canning to make Herbucha more accessible and environmentally friendly. I still bring kombucha on tap to the Portland Farmers Market each week (and Montavilla Market now too!), serving some of the same people I met three years ago. 

There's just something magic about the market  - you'll have to come experience it yourself. ​

About a year ago, I set the intention to open a taproom, aiming to bring the vibes from the farmers market into a space where people could gather. Having been isolated from each other through the pandemic, and with the world enduring such turbulent times, we need community now more than ever. In the meantime, while waiting for the right new space to come along, I'm hosting pop-up events in my production warehouse in the Foster neighborhood. Have an idea to bring people together? Send it my way. I'd be delighted to partner with you to cultivate a culture of care in our community. 

All my best, 
Marissa

Since the beginning, Herbucha has been committed to the health of the Earth and its people by using only the finest organic and wild harvested ingredients. Pacific Botanicals, and Frontier Coop, the suppliers for all the herbs and teas used in our blends, have been long-time leaders in sustainable and responsible sourcing. The sugar used in the brewing process is 100% certified organic and fair trade.