Almost a decade ago, at a grocery store in Colorado, Lisa Carter was enjoying kombucha on tap and wishing she had access to something like that in Moab.
Carter and her husband, Cody, started Wild Bloom Fermentations in 2017 intending to bring that on-tap experience back home to Moab.
“I thought, there’s got to be people like me that want fresh, local kombucha, but they don’t want to have to make it,” Lisa said.
The pair started out by bringing in kegs from kombucha brewers in Salt Lake City and Colorado to resell. Before long, Cody, a professional beer brewer himself, was experimenting on his own. He’s Wild Bloom’s sole brewer today, and the business serves a slate of original flavors.
Wild Bloom Fermentations is tucked inside an old house at 51 E. 100 South, where a sidewalk easel sign promises local small-batch local kombucha. The Carters moved to the space in 2020. A small board lists the flavors available each day, and visitors can ring a little bell to summon Lisa or Cody, ready with a smile and a recommendation for anyone undecided, before heading back through the screen door to pour the enticing drinks.
It’s in this small room, glimpsed through the screen door, where much of the magic happens. To the untrained eye, it might look like a mad scientist’s laboratory, brimming with gigantic jars and various tools and implements. But to Lisa and Cody, it’s the lifeblood of this local business.
People have been drinking kombucha (essentially fermented tea) for centuries. It contains vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants, and probiotics. Generally, the fresher the brew, the more benefits kombucha contains—which is why the jars fermenting in Wild Bloom are such a boon to local kombucha enthusiasts.
Wild Bloom starts its brewing process with a blend of green and black tea, adding sugar to feed the culture and then adding the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), a gelatinous blob that transforms the tea into kombucha. After the first fermentation, the SCOBY is pulled out, and the kombucha goes through the second fermentation process—this time, with flavor.
“That’s the fun part, you know,” Lisa said. “We add either fruit or fruit juice or hops… we also like to do a lot of recipes with herbs.”
Wild Bloom has several tried-and-true staples that are often featured (visitors can never go wrong with “Cherry Bomb,” which mixes cherry, lime, and ginger), but many of the brews follow the seasonality of produce, using natural ingredients for a delicious, and incredibly fresh, product.
In fact, Wild Bloom’s fermentations are so truly fresh that those buying a quart or growler to take home could grow their own SCOBY out of it, a sign that the kombucha is packed with probiotics and truly “alive.”
Another huge advantage of having kombucha on tap is the ability to reuse containers, and Wild Bloom works hard to encourage recycling. All of their glass is recycled, and those needing a drink on the go are given a compostable cup. They offer a 15% discount for those who bring their own container for refills.
“It was a big part of me wanting to have it on tap,” Lisa said. “Everybody’s got a mason jar at home or something. So we do try to encourage people, if they can, to bring their own glassware. We’re just trying to make a little bit less of an impact on the environment.”
For true regulars, Wild Bloom offers a loyalty punch card program that promises a free quart for every ten quarts purchased.
Lisa, who also owns Lotus Massage, is grateful for Wild Bloom’s success and how it reflects on owning a business in the Moab community.
“Moab’s kind of a nice little incubator for trying a small business,” she said. “It’s not like we’re in a big city where we’ve got four other kombucha breweries and we’re trying to compete for business – this has been very grassroots.”
For those interested in learning to brew kombucha at home, Wild Bloom sells SCOBY kits upon request, offering a well-sized piece of SCOBY and enough starter liquid for a gallon-sized batch.
And for those who just want a taste of the deliciousness without the work, Wild Bloom is open from 2 to 6 p.m. from Tuesday through Friday at 51 E 100 South.
Their kombucha is also available on tap at Moonflower, Gloria’s Corner Cafe, Trailhead, Proper, and a few other select spots in town.
