Producer: Auspicious Brew
Location: Dover, NH
Found at the Littleton Co-op: Hard kombucha
Website: auspiciousbrew.com
“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.” (President Jimmy Carter’s message designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week; a celebration that was soon expanded to National Women’s History Month). We’re taking the month of March to highlight and celebrate just some of the great women who have made an impact on our modern-day food system. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
When Helen Leavitt wanted to open NH’s first brewery for kombucha, there was no shortage of odds against her. Not only was she faced with the people who didn’t even know what her product was, and the people who *did* know what kombucha was and were vehement opposers, she was diving headfirst into the male-dominated fermentation industry. Even though kombucha – a fermented tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) – has been enjoyed around the world for centuries, the idea of dedicating an entire space to its creation and enjoyment was still a disruption. But, for Helen, it was simply a continuation of her background in tending medicinal plants and mixology, and an opportunity to “[commune] with nature to create a living beverage.” Furthermore, Auspicious Brew has created a vibrant community space “where inclusivity is our driving force.” They even include visitors in the brewing process at their Dover, NH brewery, keeping the entire process out in the open (except when it needs a climate-controlled environment).
The work of Helen and Auspicious Brew demonstrate that your beverage choice can deliver benefits beyond gut health – it can support small business owners, strengthen local economies, and uplift communities. Not to mention taste fabulous!
Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.
