The Trio Bringing Healthy Back to Buffalo

A new place I am a big, big fan of and excited to share with you is up on the blog today. Learn more about Bootleg Bucha and the trio who make the operation work!

{Todd, Heather & Jeff}

Bootleg Bucha opened its doors at 364 Connecticut Street in November. For Heather, Todd and Jeff the home brewing began a long time ago in their homes, providing a healthy beverage to family and friends and with the popularity of kombucha growing it left them no other option than to expand.

All 3 have been friends for a number of years and they offer something no one else in Buffalo does. So what is kombucha? It is a fermented tea that originated in East Asia and is known for its healing properties.

Bootleg Bucha’s kombucha is brewed and organic evaporated cane sugar and Scoby (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) are added during the fermentation process. After 2-3 weeks the fermented tea is flavored with juices, extracts and herbs, then undergoes a secondary fermentation. The end result is a healthy light carbonated beverage full of antioxidants, amino acids, Vitamin B and more!

So who does what within the company? Todd takes the lead in marketing and social media, Heather creates the delicious and wide variety of flavors and Jeff brews the tea. All three take part in working at the shop with the help of Meghan who is there almost, if not every day.

What are their favorite flavors? Heather enjoys the Ginger Lime Cayenne and Todd’s is the plain. The popular flavor among customers is their Tart Cherry Mint (its soooo good!!)

Why did they start their own business? What do they love about this area? For Heather and Jeff, they lived in Chicago for a few years and new Buffalo was home, coming back here and seeing all the growth was exciting and they knew they wanted to be a part of it. For Todd a lot of his friends left the area after college and he wanted to give them a reason to come back. The energy and collaboration among local businesses (i.e. at Horsefeathers Market) is great. Working and collaborating together has helped form friendships amongst one another.

For Jeff, Heather and Todd living in the area helped them chose their business location – the West Side of Buffalo is up and coming and there is a lot to offer in the neighborhood.

So when I asked what Bootleg Bucha wants to be known for, the response was:

“Bringing Healthy Back” Buffalo is known to be one of the unhealthiest places – we have delicious food and we are finally beginning to incorporate healthier options around town. Buffalo is in a better place than 5 years ago, and its because of new businesses like Bootleg Bucha that it's only going to get better and they are happy to be a part of that.

What are some other things you should know about Bootleg Bucha?

• Bootleg Bucha is the only kombucha brewery in Upstate New York
• You can bring your own bottles in and they can fill them for you –beer growlers, 32 oz. containers, etc.
• 4 new flavors were offered this past week
• You can visit them at the Horsefeathers Market on Saturdays or during the week {click here for their hours}. Also, catch them at Riverworks Thawfest and the Buffalo Mini Maker Faire at the Buffalo Science Museum

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo Photos}