The Birth of a Southern Magnolia
One of the most “trendy” drinks is making its way through our 30A and Panama City Beach communities. With it’s mystical branding and a flavor-packed taste, Noli South is taking our community by storm. As an organic and locally produced “booch” we wanted to take some time to highlight some of the amazing things this company is accomplishing… and really wanted to help answer the popular question, “what the hell is kombucha anyway?!”
Most of us have seen this weird fizzy beverage in the grocery store and all over social media. Some of us acquire a taste for it straight away and for others it takes a little more time to get on board. Summer introduced Steve to Kombucha while they were dating, in 2012. The owners of Noli South then started brewing their own Booch while pregnant with their first daughter, Magnolia; who was born in March 2015. After a difficult start in their new baby’s life they found that Magnolia was experiencing food sensitivities through breastfeeding. It wasn’t long before they realized that with a small amount of kombucha added to Summer’s diet, that Magnolia’s sensitivities started to fade away. This event inspired them to produce booch locally. They wanted to share their story in hopes that their kombucha would provide similar benefits to others.
Brewing booch began as a hobby for the family. A healthy plant based lifestyle has always been important for the couple. They make sure their daughters are experiencing what love is, not just through family, but through sustainability and a healthy lifestyle. After a trip to Louisiana where Steve and Summer tried a local booch, they started to realize that our area really didn’t provide anything like this. Since the magic elixir provided so many benefits to their family they decided to start experimenting with some brews of their own! Over the course of two years, they worked on different flavor notes while really improving the base of their kombucha. They started to supply their booch to family and friends and it wasn’t long before everyone caught on. It quickly went from a hobby to a business and because of how much it changed Magnolia’s life, they decided to move forward and share this wonder with others in our community. That was the start of Noli South, a SOUTHern influenced, MagNOLIa inspired kombucha.
The History of The Magical Elixir
Ok, here is the doozy…What is kombucha?!! This question holds most people back from trying booch. It can be an intimidating drink, especially for those who have just started to embrace a “clean living lifestyle”. In reality though, this drink is for EVERYONE. We have to tell you that kombucha is something most of us southerners love – TEA! Actually it’s fermented tea that when ready to drink, quenches your thirst for a bubbly beverage. It feels like you are drinking a sweet and tangy all natural soda. If you are a beer connoisseur it will feel very similar to a sour style ale, but it’s health benefits far exceed that of any beer, soda or tea.
Kombucha is a mixture of sugar, tea and SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), this is what causes the fermentation and is a topic that could be discussed entirely on its own as it is truly fascinating to see. At Noli, the tea and sugar are combined into glass vessels, the SCOBY is introduced to the mixture and in about 14 days you have Kombucha! After that, Noli adds their fresh, organic pressed juices to the mix and bottles them up.
I know what you are thinking…”BACTERIA, get out of here,” but there is good bacteria that the body needs to function properly, especially in our guts. About 80% of the immune system is in the gut. What a person puts in their body completely effects how they feel. Probiotics get your gut in check- and there are billions of living probiotic. Probiotics feed off of PREbiotics, which is fiber. So, if you are eating a high fiber diet then you are feeding and extending the lifespan of the probiotics in your body. That is why fermented food and beverages are so good for us. On top of that, the B vitamins (which are really prominent in booch) will give you a great energy boost. That’s just the start of everything this fizzy beverage can offer. It’s also packed with digestive enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins.
Love Your Body through Your Mind..and Your Gut.
For Steve and Summer, bringing Kombucha to our area is not just about providing people with a drink that is so darn refreshing, but really getting people to understand that drinking booch is an act of self love. Self love not just for you, your body and your mind, but an act of self love for your community. When an individual decides to support a local business like Noli, they are making an active choice to create a healthier lifestyle. Since it is locally produced it cuts out distribution and fuel costs which in turn makes the product more affordable and sustainable. In fact, earlier this year, Noli South reclaimed over 120 cases of their booch. In a community like ours where you have to pay to recycle, this has a huge impact.
Noli South obviously has a love for producing an amazing local booch, but their passion for what it provides each individual is felt in every sale and conversation that Steve and Summer encountere. With how fast paced our communities move these days we quickly lose connection with our body. For Noli, they want their drinks to provide you with that “moment to slow down.” That time to sit and enjoy your booch, which in turn is giving your body a dose of love and care in every sip. With every healthy choice made by an individual it brings a sense of awareness to the mind and body. This directly affects your awareness of your surroundings and of others, and in the long term, provides a stronger sense of community.
While Noli South is always looking to grow and provide a new flavor experience, they are really focused on an end goal that brings people together through their self love booch with hopes that companies like theirs will help continue to pop up in our community and provide others with healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to live, eat and drink.
If you haven’t had the chance to stop by Noli South’s booth, on a Saturday or Sunday, at the Seaside or Rosemary Beach farmers market, then we urge you to give it a try. Not only can you sample some booch and drool over the awesome branding, but you can purchase bottles in all kinds of flavors, as well as drop off your old Noli bottles for them for reuse. They offer 32-64 oz growlers too so you can cut back on the use of the bottles and just stick with one to get you through the week!
For those of you new to the bubbly booch, Steve and Summer recommend drinking what makes you feel good. Some people like the morning booch, some people like it in the afternoon as a pick me up. Listen to your body. If you are battling something you are trying to overcome, start with a little bit and keep stepping up how much you drink. Try it first on an empty stomach.
If you can’t make it to the local farmers markets or have questions about booch, don’t fret, you can always grab a bottle and talk to us at an Amavida Cafe location. You can also get it on tap at location at The Market Shops in Miramar Beach!
