The Libations Librarian

At the full height of the pandemic, I rediscovered wine. I’d always liked it, but generally preferred grabbing grains over grapes. Then, I found author Jason Wilson, author of Godforsaken Grapes. Mr. Wilson turned my feelings regarding wine upside down, as he introduced me to the concept that odd wines, local wines, and trying new wines gave opportunities for travel, growth, and fantastic experiences. (I have actually been accepted to begin a course in viticulture!) His journeys in this book took place in wine regions new to me. Have I enjoyed benefitting from his largesse – new grapes, new regions, etc.? Yup! Orange wines from Slovenia – Check! Learning about qvevri (kvevri) – the wines I’ve found in the US have been pretty tasty! (Go look up qvevri – let your fingers do the walking.) But…time for a new taste sensation.

Kombucha is a fermented beverage, created with tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast. My thoughts mostly consisted of “no, thank you”. I prefer my tea icy cold, dark, and strong – not fermented, fluffy, or fruity. Auspicious Brew – thank you for changing my mind. I had preconceived notions regarding this drink, along the lines of “it’s just for health food nerds”. Hooo boy, was I wrong.

Auspicious occupies a bottom floor suite in a renovated mill; said mill now houses several small business, as well as apartments. Patrons walk into a beautiful, funky space – full of light, even on a cloudy day! We found shelves of coloring books, markers, and games to use while enjoying one’s time. The business painted the brick walls in light colors, thereby making the room appear even brighter; a local artist filled the space with amazing line art, as well as creating the business’ logo. But the kombucha….

I had the (totally incorrect) notion that kombucha here would resemble the drink found on grocery story shelves. Nope. I purchased a 8 cup flight, which allowed me to try all of kombuchas on draft (4 with a discernable ABV percentage). Did I like all of them – no. However, I did LOVE some of them. My choice for “non alcoholic” was the Dulce y Picante, full of pineapple flavor with a gentle heat at the finish. The take home? The 5.5% ABV Shake Yer Rosehips. So tasty – floral and fruity without being sticky sweet. It reminded me of a Gewurztraminer….comparing my off the beaten track wines with a kombucha?! Wine not?!

Take some time to try something new. Who knows? You might like it – Adventure awaits!