Low pH. High standards. Two medals

Barcelona felt like a reunion and a revelation. Three years in, three years awarded—one medal in 2023, one in 2024, and this year, two. We arrived at World Kombucha Awards with jet lag and clean labels; we left with a Gold for Yuzu & Chilli and a Bronze for Ginger & Lemon, and that quiet, fizzy feeling that tells you the work is working. Low pH. High standards.

When we got our first award in 2023, our kids were babies. We brewed through nap schedules and midnight bottling, measuring success in tiny wins and sticky citrus hands. Now they’re almost four and five, loud, curious, and watching everything. We wanted YALA to show them what passion really looks like—early mornings, honest ingredients, and the kind of hard work that doesn’t need a caption.

This year’s Gold tastes like clarity: bright yuzu layered over a gentle, confident warmth from chilli. It’s not loud; it’s precise. The Bronze for Ginger & Lemon feels like a nod to our roots—clean bite, real lemon, nothing to hide. Medals aren’t the point, but they do tell us that restraint is a flavor, too.

The best part of Barcelona was the room itself. We met brilliant makers from everywhere and felt a shift that’s been building: what once felt like a Western wave is now blowing East with momentum. Malaysia, Taiwan, India—names we were thrilled to see on the table, pouring high-quality ferments with strong local identity. Three years ago, that level felt rare at global shows; this year, it felt inevitable.

With it came respect and mutual support. Methods traded without ego, sourcing tips shared like recipes between friends, genuine curiosity about how each of us keeps our cultures healthy, our teas clean, and our communities engaged. Niche doesn’t mean small; it means focused. And focus scales.

Consumers are reading labels now. They’re choosing shorter lists, choosing time over shortcuts, choosing to skip the extras—because the long game matters. If it doesn’t serve flavor and well-being, it doesn’t belong in the bottle. We’ve never been fans of clutter or crutches; glycerin and friends might build mouthfeel today, but we’re building habits for tomorrow.

So we’re bringing home more than medals. We’re bringing home courage to keep it minimal, collaborations we can’t wait to explore, and a renewed commitment to teach the fundamentals—real tea, real cultures, real time. The global bench is deep, the momentum is east-to-west and back again, and the category is growing up in the best way.

To everyone who poured, judged, asked hard questions, and shared generously—thank you. To our team back home who kept the taps flowing while we were away—you’re the quiet superpower behind every sip. And to our kids: this is for you. Not the trophies, but the truth they point to—love what you do, do it properly, and let time do its work.

See you at the bar. Yuzu & Chilli and Ginger & Lemon are on, crisp as ever—same YALA promise: low pH, high standards.