Deliciously fizzy, tangy and ever so good for you: kombucha is catching on for a reason. These Vancouver cafés and teahouses offer the finest selection of fermented tea in the city. [Photo credit: iStock.com/Global_Pics]
Indigo’s food and drink options are organic, raw, vegan, gluten-free and diabetic friendly: it’s the ideal place for anyone with dietary restrictions or health-conscious preferences. In this intimate café, the kombucha choices are extensive, with bottles from local companies in the fridges, and a chai kombucha on tap that’s rotated regularly with other flavours.
Bright, cheerful and ever-so-wholesome, The Anchor Eatery is a healthy choice for a snack or meal. Snacks range in size – and nourishment – from salads and breakfast bowls to energy balls and muffins. Customers can wash each nourishing mouthful down with a glass of kombucha. Available on tap, the tea is brewed by 05 Tea in nearby Kits.
Cultivate Tea is a stunning, magical setting with plenty of wooden shelves, plants and tasteful aesthetics – not to mention rows of teas and tea accessories to purchase. Owners Jude and Lynn are extremely knowledgeable: think of them as the tea whisperers who guide each customer to their favourite brew. Don’t take their word for it; try one of the kombucha sampler trays with three varieties to find your preference.
Looking to become a kombucha connoisseur? Look no further than the exquisitely decorated O5 Tea in Kitsilano. Within the modern, wood-centric and relaxing environment, customers can choose from an extensive list of hot or cold tea. The kombucha menu includes four varieties made from scratch, ranging from smoky and dark to light and floral. Try a glass to find your favourite before sharing a pitcher with friends or even taking some home in cans or growlers.
Who would have thought that currywurst and pretzels were good for your digestion? One of Chinatown’s favourite hangouts, Bestie is bucking the trend by offering delicious sausage, sauerkraut, pretzels, cheese fries and…kombucha, in the form of “a cute little can of sparkling fermented tea.”
Shabby-chic and community oriented, Caffe Brixton is a neighbourhood local that’s worth traveling to. All of the café’s products are locally sourced (everything from coffee to ice-cream), including the kombucha. Whether it’s the graffiti-clad toilets, or the delicious vegan wraps, or indeed the tasty cups of fermented tea, Caffe Brixton is East Van through and through.
If a thirst-quenching nitro cold brew coffee, a cool and locally sourced pop, or a hot and expertly poured latte just wont do, chances are Prado’s on-tap Kombucha will hit the spot. Beautifully orange and full of fizzy goodness, it comes in two varieties – regular or hibiscus. You can even fill a growler for just $12 for take-home nourishment.
Vegetarian restaurant The Acorn manages to combine hearty, healthy, locally sourced food with flavours that make you more than happy to eat your greens. Adding to the luxury-that’s-good-for-you atmosphere is their drinks menu, which includes Vancouver’s own Culture Craft Kombucha – a refreshing combination of blueberry and ginger in Darjeeling tea.