Went to a local kombucha place in Portland and their 'starter library' was a total mess

Stopped by this spot called Brew Culture off Hawthorne last weekend. They advertise having SCOBYs and starter liquid for people who forgot theirs or want to try something new. Got there and the jars were all labeled with faded Sharpie, some had mold floating on top. One was dated three months ago. I asked the guy working if they rotate them out and he just shrugged. For $8 a pop I expected something decent. Anyone else run into this at their local places? Is it worth just ordering online instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivere301mo ago

Yeah man, that sounds about right for a lot of these places. I hit up a spot in Seattle last year that was basically the same deal - jars sitting out on a shelf in direct sunlight, labels so faded you couldn't even read them. The guy running it seemed more interested in vaping behind the counter than checking on anything. I ended up just ordering a SCOBY off Amazon for like twelve bucks and it came fresh in a sealed pouch. Way less hassle and no chance of getting someone's three month old experiment with mold growing on it.

henry_kelly541mo ago

Honestly @olivere30, does that make you wonder how some of these shops even stay open?