Hey, did you know Louisiana’s first commercial kombucha brewery — and the largest in the Gulf South — has Tampa roots? Big Easy Bucha is headquartered in New Orleans, yes. But founder Austin Sherman was raised on Publix subs and sweet tea in the neighborhood of Temple Terrace.
The Wharton High School grad learned to develop different flavor profiles by bartending at Tampa hotspots like The Lodge and Ciccio & Tony’s. In 2014, Sherman began brewing up batches of kombucha as a hobby after his sister, Chelsea Webster, taught him the fermenting process. Once his girlfriend-turned-wife, Alexis Korman, tasted the fizzy, funky teas, she knew there was serious potential to take the probiotic-laced pursuit to the next level.
The couple began producing and distributing their kombucha locally, earning some promising feedback from friends and family. Korman’s food journalism career took them to NOLA in 2015, and shortly after the move, the pair officially launched Big Easy Bucha — and it caught on.
The kombucha brand has made its way into more than 200 retail stores throughout the Southeast over the past three years. Big Easy Bucha secured shelf space with Lakeland-based Publix in 2017, and Sherman credits their Tampa connection and deep ties to the area for that achievement.
To meet increasing demand for product, Sherman enlisted the help of 50 employees and equipment assistants with bottling and labeling five gallons’ worth of kombucha in under a minute, which used to take him anywhere from 10 to 12 hours (phew!).
More recently, Big Easy Bucha, a recipient of Southern Living’s seal of approval, rolled out Lil’ Easy Kombucha Shots at Publix.
“The idea came about on a conference call with Publix back in February,” said Sherman of the first-to-market four-ounce bottles of concentrated ’bucha. “We were able to create a concept and send over samples within four weeks. Before we knew it, they were on the shelves.”
Sherman flies home to South Tampa regularly to catch up with family members who’ve helped grow the brand.
“It is a family-owned business. My siblings, parents and nephew are invaluable components to our success. They’re always out doing demos around the city, handling merchandise and telling the story of our roots,” he said.
Dedicated to making Southern-inspired kombucha, Big Easy Bucha’s colorful varieties include Jazz Juice Tea, infused with pineapple and elderflower, and Cajun Kick, featuring ginger, Meyer lemon and hibiscus. Nine flavors are in production in total, and each is brewed with regionally sourced, organic ingredients — think Ponchatoula strawberries, satsuma and chicory coffee.
Sherman and Korman pride themselves on supporting small farmers and giving back to local charities. Ten percent of their workforce, for one, is made up of graduates of STRIVE. The job readiness training program helps find positions for individuals with barriers to employment, and many of the Big Easy Bucha staff members are looking for a second chance at life.
So far, Florida has proved to be the biggest market for Big Easy Bucha. Sherman plans to increase their distribution footprint by expanding nationwide next year. The sky seems to be the limit for this fourth-generation Tampan.
This article appears in Sep 13-20, 2018.