More than 50,000 people died and hundreds of thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged. Read More….
Baba’s Brews’ Olga Sorzano joins Philly Live’s Aunyea Lachelle to talk about the volunteer work she is doing with World Central Kitchen to help people in parts of turkey dealing with the aftermath of a destructive earthquake. Watch Video….
Bob’s getting thirsty and decided to take a trip to Phoenixville to learn about Kombucha. Baba’s Brew was inspired by the owner’s grandmother and they’re making multiple flavors for people to enjoy. Watch The Video…
Kombucha lovers around the Main Line rave over Baba’s Brew, made with organic, fair-trade teas
Olga Sorzano was disappointed with U.S. kombucha when she first tried it after coming from Russia. Now, she has her own brand with her baba’s recipe.
Localish 6abc Action News
Sorzano, of Baba’s Brew, also had to retool once the pandemic hit and shutdowns began.
Baba’s Brew, the fast-growing kombucha producer in Phoenixville, had just taken possession of its long-awaited new bottling machine just days before the coronavirus brought the nation’s food scene to a halt in mid-March.
PA Eats
Olga is the founder of Baba’s Brew, a delicious kombucha that is handcrafted in small batches and made from fair-trade organic ingredients and seasonal local produce!
We’re not sure exactly when kombucha crept onto brewery tap lists or “gut health” became acceptable to say in casual conversation, but the probiotic invasion of the refrigerated aisle is clear: We’re living in a funky, fermented world. While big-name brands dominate the grocery store, it’s the small-batch breweries across the country that capture our hearts—and soothe our stomachs after going too hard on that taco crawl.
Kombucha’s slightly fizzy, energy-boosting probiotics are all the rage right now, and Baba’s Bucha is some of the best around.
Checking out local kombucha’s is great way to get a sense of the area’s collective taste and style. Plus, the fermented tea could help soothe an upset tummy while you’re on the road.
PA Eats
Shameless friend promotion: our gal Olga Sorzano of Baba’s Bucha (an Edible Philly “Local Hero” of 2019…!) makes some killer kombuchas, including plenty of pink-hued gems. We always have one of her fermented goodies on draft at Tria Taproom, so swing by and see what’s good. And funky. (And pink.)
Each year, we honor trailblazers in Philadelphia’s local food scene with our Local Hero awards. Edible Philly readers, contributors and past Local Hero award winners put forward nominees, and our editorial team chose 2019’s honorees. The tastemakers profiled in the following pages make our local food community more vibrant every year.
With an increasing awareness of and appreciation for locally made products, many local food artisans are expanding their operations to keep up with demand in this boom time.
“Growers and makers are gaining traction,” said Troy Sorzano, who operates Baba's Bucha: A Culture Factory in Phoenixville with his wife, Olga, who founded the business in 2015.
“You can just see it and it's not just Baba's Brew as a maker — we aren't the only ones growing.”
Joy Manning and Annie Baum-Stein invented Sober Ladies Happy Hours for women who want to hang out without drinking.
Here’s a look at some of Philly’s ferment-focused eateries and the most biotically blessed hometown products to sample:
On this week’s Small Business Saturday, we sat down with Olga owner of Baba’s Brews, a healthy kombucha company in Phoenixville to talk about her organic small business.
Olga’s inspiration for her business came from her childhood. Growing up in Siberia, Olga used to drink her Baba’s (grandmother’s) kombucha. Every time Olga would have an ache or pain her Baba would reply with a simple phrase: “Have some kombucha.”
… Narberth site will offer alcoholic beverages, including brunch cocktails, wine, a slew of beers from East Coast breweries, as well as kombucha from Phoenixville’s Baba’s Brew.
Baba’s Brew was founded in 2015 by loyal Kimberton Whole Foods customer, Olga Sorzano. Growing up in Soviet Russia in the 1980s, Olga began drinking kombucha with her great-grandmother (Baba) at a young age….
Baba’s Brew is probably the most delicious kombucha I’ve ever had, and I’m gonna be honest with you, I’ve had a lot of kombucha. In a lot of different places. Over a lot of years. Chur girl ain’t no spring chicken.
I’m a newly devoted kombucha drinker. Picture it with me: a slightly fizzy fermented drink, full of probiotics and antioxidants, low in sugar, and of course made with tea- sounds like a sweet deal, right? So when I learned there was a kombucha lecture in my area, I didn’t hesitate to attend. I originally went to learn more about this healing beverage and to maybe learn how to make it myself.
The Daily Tea Team
“Probiotic” is a big buzzword in the health and wellness world these days. Probiotics are microscopic live bacteria and yeasts, and they’re the “good” kind: good for your health, especially the digestive system. We’re all looking for that good gut health, right?
The Culture Factory, owned by Olga Sorzano and her husband, educates the community about the benefits of fermented foods, while brewing a fermented probiotic tonic made from sweet tea called Baba’s Brew Kombucha.
For the athlete or gym rat who wants an upgrade from chemical- and food coloring-laden sports drinks, we’ve got a hot tip for you: kombucha is an incredible pre- and post-workout beverage!
“It’s like ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ It takes a village to support the small businesses,” agreed Olga Sorzano of Baba’s Brew in Phoenixville.
Get to know five of our favorite local kombucha makers who are evolving the beverage beyond its vinegar-y roots by fine-tuning brewing techniques, sourcing the best ingredients and adding incredible flavors:
Fun, fizzy, fermented … kombucha. An old-world drink with roots in China and Europe is now found right here in Phoenixville, brought to you by A Culture Factory on Morgan Street.
How do you define success? For Olga Sorzano success is a balancing act. Sorzano is an entrepreneur and business owner. Along with her husband, she runs Baba’s Brew, a Phoenixville, PA kombucha brewery which has grown rapidly over the two and a half years that they have been in...
One beautiful Saturday I sat down for brunch and was pleasantly surprised by what was on offer, usually brunch is an high-calorie, boozy endeavor but if you're on a health kick or teetotaling there are some great options on deck like local kombucha on tap.
FOOD: DIY frozen desserts from kid-friendly to gourmet“ Popsicles - not just for children anymore,” she joked.
Fermented foods are gaining in popularity, and Phoenixville is getting in on the trend. A Culture Factory is hosting a grand opening celebration at the new tasting room located at 333 Morgan Street.
Restorative beverage options are growing in popularity, and local health food shops and restaurants are keeping pace.
When the topic of kombucha comes up, area restaurant and health food shop managers get a little giddy because of two words: Baba’s Bucha.
Healthy Drink
Turns out our great grandmothers were right. At least that’s true for Olga Sorzano, whose Siberian baba always kept homemade kombucha on hand. Long treasured for its health benefits, kombucha combines sweet tea with a yeast-bacteria culture for an effervescent drink low in calories and sugar, but high in probiotics and all the stuff your bubbe said would keep the doctor away. In her Phoenixville nano-brewery, Sorzano creates seasonal flavors like Rosy Apple and Asian Pear Ginger and year-round Flower Power. Baba’s got a shout out from Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan, and it’s popping up in bottles and on tap in over 100 locations. Look for the brewery’s new tasting room and BIY (Brew-It-Yourself) classes.
The Town Dish: Phoenixville
The sun wasn’t even up yet and already owner Laura Vernola was welcoming customers into the comforting warmth of Steel City Coffee House.
Read More...
WESTPORT — While her classmates study or head to school for field hockey practice, Staples High School senior Aisha Avdiu stands behind the counter of her very own storefront, pouring glass bottles of effervescent, fermented probiotic tea.
Steel City offers three seasonal types of Baba’s Brew Kombucha on tap. Baba’s Bucha is handcrafted in small batches using only fair trade organic ingredients and local seasonal produce. It is vegan, raw, gluten free and has no artificial flavorings or colors.
In the world of non-alcoholic fermentation, kombucha is the modern-day forerunner...
Check out the print issue #43 of Philly Beer Scene for the full article.
by: Amy Strauss
Baba brews in small batches...
Food Traditions: Growth from one generation to the next.
We crave food in the same way that we crave the comfort of home: the smells and flavors that transport us to our mothers' kitchens, the familiarity of recognizable tastes, the memories that come flooding back with these sensations. Perhaps this is what Olga Sorzano, founder and owner of Baba's Brew, experienced when she first found herself craving kombucha while pregnant with her first child.
In Phoenixville, Chester County, Olga and Troy Sorzano, owners of Baba's Brew, a kombucha nano-brewery, have been merging their life and love of each other with their professional lives.
by Courtney H. Diener-Stokes
Read More... (Reading Eagle subscription required)
Here at Saxbys HQ, we’ve long tinkered with the idea of serving kombucha, a fermented, flavored tea that boasts a bevy of health benefits. So when we met Olga Sorzano, a brewer who grew up with the stuff (“kombucha” was actually one of her first words), we knew she was the right person to bring kombucha to our cafes.
In this Philly Farm Fest Baba’s Brew podcast episode we spoke with Olga Sorzano of Baba’s Brew. You’ll be surprised to hear how she was introduced to kombucha.
Baba’s Brew kombucha uses a grandmother’s recipe, and organic and fair trade ingredients.
by Emily Kovach
Grid Magazine - gardening issue
A little cute article about Baba's Brew in Edible Philly magazine.
The Sama Center and West Chester Food Co-op hosted a Kombucha party. Check out the photos & cocktail recipes.
Baba's got a mention in the Local Mouthful foodie podcast around the 9:35 mark. Can't wait to see the spring 2016 issue of Edible Philly.
The good, better, and best of Baba's Bucha kombucha drinks, found in Chester County.
by Christina Robinson of Spoon University
So, what exactly is kombucha?
Practically speaking, it is a sweetened tea that is fermented with a SCOBY (a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) to become a nutrient-rich, low-sugar beverage – it’s alive with helpful organisms! But don’t let that scare you, kombucha is renowned for it’s wonderful health benefits. READ MORE....
The local food movement has brought with it a renewed interest in traditional foods, like raw milk, fermented vegetables, and beverages—like kvass and kombucha—that have lots of flavor and purported health benefits. READ MORE...
This New Year’s Eve, mix it up with unique cocktails that take a page out of history, celebrate Champagne, evoke Downton Abbey or even contain kombucha. READ MORE...
I really enjoyed the fizzy sourness of the drink and the clean fruity flavors that shine through. Read More
The Kombucha Craze
"Delaware Local Food Exchange in Trolley Square has locally made kombucha on tap." Read More
BY SUZANNE LOUDERMILK
Kombucha, the fermented beverage that’s been touted as a probiotic wonder drink, is like Paris Hilton circa 2003: Whether you like it or not (and regardless of whether you think it’s totally gross), it is everywhere. And not just in bottles: We noticed that draft kombucha seemed to be popping up all over town, so we decided to track down as many Philly spots as we could find that offer the bubbly stuff on tap. Below, where you can fill up a growler with kombucha around Philly. Happy guzzling!
"This is the kind of booch we adore...." Read More
Inquirer Names Baba's Bucha "Well-Tuned, Refreshing" Read More
"Great-grandma, beverage trendsetter...." Read More
"Job title: SCOBY farmer...." Read More
"Front Street Cafe: Proof a Healthy (and Delicious!) Grab-and-Go Breakfast Is Possible..." Read More
"Baba's Bucha Flavor & Ingredient list" Read More
"Meet Baba’s Brew, the Philly Suburb’s Newest Small-Batch Kombucha Purveyor...." Read More
"Don’t turn that dial just yet! Rounding out our last segment this week will be Olga Sorzano, owner of Baba’s Brew." Read More
"Couple brews up new endeavor...." Read More
"Fermented foods: probiotic powerhouses...."