Alive and Brewing
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

Drinking a glass of kombucha takes raw food to new heights: Sure, sushi might not be cooked, but kombucha is still living.
Companies that sell kombucha promise that thier drinks will promote healthy digestion, regulate metabolism, and improve the immune system — thus helping to fight off winter colds. Often (mistakenly) called “mushroom tea,” the drink is made by adding tea and sweeteners to a solid mass of live cultures. It is left to sit for seven to 30 days, producing a sweet and tangy drink, with a slight fermented fizz.
Homemade kombucha in black tea and mint tea flavors, is sold for $4 at Brooklyn’s Marlow and Sons restaurant (81 Broadway at Wythe Avenue, 718-384-1441). And Millennium Products’s two kombucha drinks — GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha in flavors such as gingerade and citrus, and Synergy, containing 95% kombucha liquid and 5% fruit juice — are available at natural and organic markets across the city. Bottles are $3.19 at Whole Foods Markets (95E. Houston St. at the Bowery, among other locations, 212-420-1320).
“It’s one of the few raw bottled beverages out there.” the founder of Millennium, G.T. Dave, said, touting the virtues of his brand during a phone interview yesterday. “Foods that are not processed or minimally processed are better for everyone.”