Kombucha, often thought of like a soft drink, is a fermented, slightly fizzy, sweetened black tea drink that is usually consumed for its supposed health benefits, which is often added to fruit juices, spices, fruit or other flavourings. In an exclusive interview with The Macau Post Daily last month, the founders of a local kombucha brand shared their idea of making kombucha particularly palatable to Macau people.
A kombucha brand called Boozy Brew was founded in Macau in January 2020 and its first product was officially launched in October 2020, Ou Qiying, one of the founders, said, pointing out that kombucha is believed to have originated in China as a traditional Chinese beverage.
Ou said her love of tea was the main reason she and her partner started brewing their own kombucha, in small-batches, taking seven to fourteen days, in their small factory in Macau’s nothern Areia Preta district.
“Kombucha” means “fermented tea” in Japanese.
Ou said that as flavoured kombucha has been more popular overseas, she and her partner wanted to make natural kombucha tailormade for Macau people’s palates. Ou emphasised that their kombucha consists of a series of products with six flavours inspired by the six major Chinese tea types, which are oolong tea (烏龍茶), yellow tea (黃茶), black tea (紅茶), jasmine tea (香片茶), white tea (白茶), and dark tea (黑茶).
Brand story: slow down, and live in the moment
Ou said that the brand and the products were inspired by the fast-paced urban lifestyle she lives, processing everything so quickly, and “even the smallest moments are a luxury”, Ou said, noting that “through the brand story, we want to convey a message of ‘slowing down’ and give everything time to sink in”.
Ou recalled that it was in early 2020 during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, just like most people in Macau, she stayed at home and barely set foot outside, when she came up with the idea of creating their own kombucha brand. Soon after, Ou said, she and her partner jumped at the chance to start Boozy Brew, as she noticed that people care more about health during a pandemic.
Ou described how their products have been launched through constant research and development, “While the refreshing aroma of Passion Fruit Oolong Tea Kombucha reminds people to live in the moment, the sweet and sour interplay of Sea Salt Pineapple Yellow Tea encourages people to be their best selves with their inner passion, the Rose Lychee Black Tea Kombucha aims to appreciate the resilience of roses and their blossoming against the odds, and Jasmine Green Tea, a classic and ordinary flavour, represents mortals like us.”
A new Macau tea culture for a new generation
As the younger generation considers tea drinking old fashioned, Ou pointed out that rather than the drink itself, young people may want to distinguish themselves from others on social media when it comes to their dining environment and the outward presentation of the food, “which is why we capture the hearts of young people by giving each product a story, a meaning”.
Meanwhile, Ou insisted that she and her team have been providing something “real” to people – unlike regular soft drinks. Ou said her kombucha is made from tea leaves and needs to be brewed for at least 14 days before it becomes a final product, and the flavour comes from real flowers, which is in line with what they created the brand for – it always takes time to make a beautiful thing.
Ou said she wanted to create a story for the world about young people in Macau, and together with other young entrepreneurs like them, “we can make it a new culture that can represent our generation.” Ou pointed out that the design concept of Boozy Brew’s logo consists of two Chinese characters, with each two-character component including the character “酉”, which looks like a smiling face, while the brand’s Chinese name “醞釀” means “brewing” in English. “When two characters ‘酉’ invert, they become an icon of an hourglass”, Ou underlined, signifying the brand’s slogan “Brew the moment”.
Healthy and environmental-friendly
Ou also said that she and her team want to convey the message that healthy does not necessarily mean unappetising, adding that they are doing their best to strike a balance between being healthy and maintaining the product’s storage conditions, as kombucha needs to be stored at a low temperature so that the tea stays delicious, with a slight sweetness and sourness, sparkling and healthy.
Ou stressed that their brand places a high priority on recycling as they do not use cartons and plastic bottles, and they also promote their eco-friendly philosophy to their customers by instructing them to collect and reuse bottles and offering incentives to those who do. “It’s something we stand by and I believe the attitude of manufacturers is important.”
More information and the locations of the distribution points can be found on Boozy Brew’s official website: https://www.boozybrewmacau.com/
Ou Qiying, founder of Boozy Brew, poses in the duo’s factory in Areia Preta last month.
Photos taken by Ginnie Liang
This photo taken in the factory of Boozy Brew last month shows their production line.
This photo taken in the factory last month shows their recycling of glass bottles.
This undated handout photo provided by Boozy Brew shows their products.
This undated handout photo provided by Boozy Brew shows their brand profile.
