MILWAUKEE — The first female Black-owned Kombucha company in Wisconsin, Soul Brew, is celebrating three years in a very niche industry.
Owner Alesia Miller embarked on this journey after dealing with her own health struggles. As a full time singer and teacher, she found herself pouring more than she had to offer. After a doctor's visit, she learned that she was pre-diabetic.
"I was not taking care of myself and because of that, so many things were just going awry in my body," said Miller.
Miller became one of the millions of American adults unaware and undiagnosed with pre-diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one in three are at risk.
So, she took a step back and started to trust in her gut.
"I drank Kombucha and I got more energy and it gave me the push that I needed to go and say, you know what, I'm feeling better. The cool thing about Kombucha is it has so many amazing properties. It's gonna help with your gut health, we don't understand that our immune system, 80% of it is in our gut."
Miller took the bold step of joining the Kombucha brewing industry, becoming the only woman of color in Wisconsin to do so.
"I am now in an industry where brewers don't look like me and when I first started brewing, it was basically about me wanting to love on myself a little bit more. That expanded with me trying to love on other people and love on the community. I wanted to create a brand that spoke to Black and Brown people"
Each glass bottle of bubbly is packed with billions of healthy probiotics fermented in her mini-factory downtown.
Each flavor is inspired by her life experiences through music and social justice.
Music will not be taking a back seat in Miller's life. In her current flavor, Love Potion #414, she is showcasing local artists by having customers scan the QR code printed on the back of each bottle.
"We have a program where we are going to continue to promote local artists whether you are a singer, artist, musician, or painter. That's just me really staying true to who I am."
Soul Brew Kombuchais currently available at Outpost Natural Foods, Beans & Barley, The Glass Pantry, Willy Street Co-op, and Frannie's Market.
