For me, doing a story on kombucha was equal parts learning about a Wisconsin business, and learning what the heck kombucha really is. I’ll admit, I’ve tried it once but couldn’t get over the floaty thing in the bottom of the bottle. According to Alesia Miller, the creator of Milwaukee’ Soul Brew Kombucha, it is “a probiotic tea.”
The health benefits of kombucha are what drew Miller to start making the drink. The former school teacher was struggling with a pre-diabetic diagnosis when friends recommended she try kombucha for the health benefits. It’s known to lower cholesterol and blood sugar while being good for your gut health.
Miller started small.
“It started in my linen closet actually in little mason jars, and I went to my pantry. From the pantry I went to my mother's spare bedroom," she says.
From there she went to the basement of a friend’s business and then to the Lincoln Warehouse in Milwaukee’s Harbor View neighborhood.
When Miller was applying for the licenses she needed to produce kombucha commercially, she learned she was likely the first black woman to do so in Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. She admits kombucha is sometimes a hard sell in the black community.
“With Soul Brew, I am like how can I mix the worlds, make it delicious, make it approachable and try and educate individuals that would never do it... I think I represent the community in a way that they are able to see somebody that looks like them," Miller says.
Soul Brew Kombucha is sold at stores in Milwaukee like Outpost and inside coffee shops such as Stone Creek. Miller hopes to expand to more stores across the area, go regional and eventually sell Soul Brew around the United States.
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