Joyfully Choosing Kombucha Over Beer

A year ago i thought about what I wanted to change in my life and what was the one habit that I felt was causing me to make additional bad choices. The answer was clear, it was beer. I kept trying to do cleanses and detoxes, but would always go back to drinking beer, which then lead to other bad choices. Once I had the beer, the french fries, nachos, chicken wings and pizza soon followed. Seriously, beer and salad just don't go good together.

My husband and I would order pitchers of beer and go to our favorite spots on the days that they had the best beer specials. Then we would order food, not making the best choices. We were bar food junkies. When we went to the beach we took a cooler of beer, on a vacation we made sure to bring enough beer, football games definitely equaled beer, I think you get the picture. Then kombucha came into our lives, twice.

Big Dog Kombucha - Merritt Island, FL

The first time kombucha came knocking on the door, we opened it but soon closed it and went back to beer. It was over ten years ago during one of my colon hydrotherapy (colonic) sessions that my friend Kim, recommended kombucha for my husband to replace sodas. He was drinking a couple regular sodas a day, then changed to diet and we learned that these were even worse for him. He tried the kombucha for awhile, but soon went back to the sodas. And we both went back to drinking beer. We would get kombucha on occasions when we were "being good" or doing a cleanse or detox. The bottled ones are okay, but kombucha on tap is a whole new world.

The second time kombucha came knocking we answered and are so glad we did! It has truly helped change our lifestyle. During one of my colonic sessions in 2022, my same colon hydrotherapist friend Kim, asked if I had been to Big Dog, a Kombucha Brewery that was nearby. She raved about one of their combination drinks that had different plant medicines in it that her friend introduced her to. I had not been there and asked another friend who was coming in for a colonic after mine to grab us some so I could try it. I got a growler to go and the love story began. I started taking the kombucha to places anytime I would be tempted to drink beer. It really helped fill the void and I felt great after drinking it.

We replaced our beer keg tap with kombucha on tap at home. It truly has changed the lifestyle that we lead and our family and friends enjoy it too! Our little girl loves our choice of kombucha over beer too and says our family is happier now. When we travel now we look to see if there are any kombucha breweries in the area that we can try. If you are ever in the Merritt Island area make sure to visit Gerard and Emily at Big Dog for a sampling of their amazing beverages. Make sure Gerard shares his joyful kombucha journey with you. It's a great story! Maybe you will find a favorite to replace a habit that you are trying to change. Make sure to get a growler to go!

What is Kombucha?

The Infamous "Tri-Fecta" Kombucha @ Big Dog

Kombucha tea is a fermented beverage made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. It is made by adding a (SCOBY) short for a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts to a solution of tea and sugar. During the course of the fermentation process, the yeast eats the sugar and converts it into CO2 and ethanol. Bacteria then eat the ethanol and release amino acids and trace minerals and vitamins. This means that by the time you drink your kombucha, there is much mess sugar content, less than 1% alcohol content, limited amounts of caffeine and probiotics for gut health. It's just a better choice overall!