Our story
An unexpected journey.
A husband and wife who believe flavor and nourishment should always go hand in hand.
Founders
It started on a kitchen counter.
With a shared love for the culinary arts and the outdoors, you could say kombucha kind of found us.
We'd spent years trying the big-brand kombuchas and coming away disappointed — too much sugar, not enough real flavor, and often none of the naturally fermented probiotic richness we were looking for.
What began nine years ago as a one-gallon glass jar on our kitchen counter has grown into something well beyond what we imagined. The tanks got bigger and the community got wider, but the mission hasn't moved: sharing lively brews that nourish you to thrive.
We hope these little brews nourish you as much as they've nourished our family.
Much love & cheers,
Elijah & Annie
Founders
How we brew
Wine and coffee habits, applied to kombucha.
We came out of wine and specialty coffee, and we build a brew the same way you'd build either one.
Our own fermentation
We build the culture ourselves from tea and time — never outsourced, never pasteurised, so the probiotics are still alive when you drink it.
Fruit we cut ourselves
Everything gets juiced and pressed on site. No dead purées, no concentrates, no flavour systems. When it says limes, we cut and press A TON of limes.
Judged like a wine
Appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, finish. Sapphire gets dry-hopped like a pale ale. Every batch gets tasted before it gets canned.
Questions
The honest answers.
Is kombucha actually good for my gut?
Real kombucha is a fermented food, and fermented foods have a genuine, well-studied track record — digestion, gut flora, even mood. The catch is that a lot of what's sold as kombucha now is barely fermented at all.
We ferment ours from scratch and never pasteurise it, which is what keeps the live probiotics and organic acids intact by the time you drink it.
How much sugar is in a can?
Less than 10 grams — less than a small apple. The common trick in this category is to ferment briefly and then add sugar back in for taste. We don't. What's in the can comes from the fermentation itself and the fruit we press into it, so you get real flavour without the crash.
How many calories?
Every flavour lands under 50 calories per 12oz can. Blush and Butterfly are 46, Kentucky Mule 47, Sapphire 48.
What do you mean by “real ingredients”?
We buy fruit, herbs and roots from local farms and premium suppliers, and we cut and press all of it here. When the can says lime juice, someone in this building cut up A TON of limes.
What we don't use: pasteurised purées, flavour concentrates, artificial sweeteners, or colour. Butterfly's colour comes from butterfly pea blossom, not dye.
Is it gluten-free?
Yes. Because the entire process happens in our own space — fermentation, juicing, canning — there's no gluten on site to cross-contaminate it.
Why does a 12-pack cost $65?
Fair question. A $2.50 bottle of kombucha is cheap because it was cheaply made, and a cheaply made kombucha usually isn't doing what it claims to do.
A 12-pack is $65, which works out to $5.42 a can. Step up to the 24-pack at $105 and it drops to $4.38 a can — that's the best price we offer. A subscription is $120 for 24 cans with the flavours and cadence you pick.
If you'd rather not commit to twelve of one thing first time round, the Variety Pack is the same $65 and gets you a spread of what's brewing.
When will my order arrive?
We ship online orders every Wednesday so they reach you before the weekend. You'll get an order confirmation straight away, then a separate email with tracking the moment it's on its way.
What's your return policy?
We don't do returns or exchanges — it's a live, refrigerated product, so we can't resell it.
If your order turns up damaged or goes missing, we'll refund it. We can't refund orders sent to an incorrect address, so please double-check yours at checkout. If something's gone wrong, email orders@thrivebrewco.com and we'll sort it.
Where can I buy it in person?
We're stocked in shops, cafés and restaurants across central Kentucky, and you can visit us every Saturday at the Lexington Farmers Market downtown, 8am–2pm, if you'd rather buy in person.
Find us
Where to get Thrive Brew.
We're poured and sold across central Kentucky, we brew at 107 W Loudon Ave, in Lexington, KY, and you can buy from us in person every Saturday at the Lexington Farmers Market downtown, 8am–2pm.
