LANSING, Mich. — Caley Gunthorpe, the owner of Apple Blossom Kombucha, has been brewing up fermented tea for close ten years. Now she's doing it from her own taproom.
Gunthorpe started drinking kombucha because she had issues with her stomach. Pretty soon she was making it for herself and her friends.
“It started first off as a hobby, but actually in business, selling it and getting into stores probably the past three years,” Gunthorpe said.
She worked at first out of a commercial kitchen at the Allen Neighborhood Center on Lansing's east side.
"I quickly outgrew that space. Within the two years, I was saving money and trying to find a new space. And that’s when I found my new space, which is this space off Saginaw,” Gunthorpe said.
She opened the taproom last month at 3415 E Saginaw St., near the intersection of Saginaw Street and Grand River Avenue.
Many of the ingredients Gunthorpe uses are local, but that isn’t the only thing.
“I try to source everything in my production from Michigan. My bottles are from Michigan. I get my screen printing in Michigan. My labels are printed in Michigan. The boxes I use are from Michigan, because I really believe the money we spend here is going to stay here and help our community. “
Gunthorpe says her next step is to get more hands on deck.
“I definitely need some help because I’m here sometimes till 11 at night doing my bottling and brewing and making deliveries on my own. Opening at the shop, doing the farmers markets.”
Apple Blossom Kombucha is open Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
