6 days Ago
Zach Smith’s company can’t keep up with orders for its locally loved kombucha. It’s a good problem to have, said the career food and beverage pro who launched Dalai Sofia in 2016. Back then, the fermented tea was brewed in buckets and poured into repurposed barbecue sauce bottles.
Now, flavors like Bucci Mane and Salty Ginger are sold in cafés, stores and restaurants in seven states. Smith isn’t slowing down, either. Charleston kombucha safe from ID check, alcohol tax after legal gray area resolved Zach Smith owns Dalai Sofia.
Dalai Sofia — named after his grandmother — recently added four hard kombucha cans to its lineup of nearly a dozen products, capitalizing on a growing trend in the drinks industry. A new fermentory and taproom could be next, said Smith, who remains bullish on the kombucha market. “It’s an old world preservation method that’s full of live probiotics,” he said.
“It really does change the dynamic of the flora of your gut.” Kombucha is a probiotic-filled drink whose fans tout its many health benefits, from calming stomach issues to quelling anxiety. Science surrounding the fizzy beverage remains vague, though some studies have found it to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, among other benefits.
Smith, a certified sommelier, worked in restaurants before launching his business. He led the opening of Stars’ rooftop, now Satellite Bar, in Charleston, before moving to the U.S.
Virgin Islands to work at The Longboard, which now has a second location on Sullivan’s Island. He stayed for four years and spent some time in Mexico City. Along the way, he adopted a healthier lifestyle.
Charleston's Bevi Bene offers feminine touches, hard kombucha: 'Girls drink beer, too' Smith returned to Charleston about a decade ago with a vision for Dalai Sofia , first launched in Holy City farmers markets. The concept, centered around teas made with local ingredients, resonated. A small amount of alcohol is produced during the making of most kombuchas.
At Dalai Sofia’s West Ashley facility, Smith adds champagne yeast to get his alcohol products up to about 5 percent ABV. The company isn't the only hard kombucha game in town. Bevi Bene Brewing Co .
offers five alcoholic kombuchas, including one with calamansi and orange. And, a Summerville business named Fizza recently launched a brand built around boozy probiotic tea. Dalai Sofia is sold locally at The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery and The Daily, among other establishments.
Orders can be placed online at dalaisofia.com . For Smith, the new Dalai Sofia operation he hopes to add soon would build on this work.
His goal is to establish a taproom for funky ferments and bites from a food vendor on site. He’s currently eyeing space in North Charleston. “It would be in an effort to really explore all those worldly ferments,” Smith said.
“It’s wild how many cultures ferment a beverage like a kombucha.” Dalai Sofia is sold locally at The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery and The Daily, among other establishments. Orders can be placed online at dalaisofia.
com . Top 15 vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Charleston.
