5 Reasons We Love CommuniTea

The Rain or Shine team looooves kombucha. We drink it daily and have tried multiple brands and flavors. So, naturally, we were beyond excited when CommuniTea kombucha entered the Seattle scene. It has quickly become one of our favorites and here's why:

1. It's perfectly balanced. CommuniTea only makes 1 flavor of kombucha. While some might view this as a con, it actually means they can focus entirely on making sure that one flavor is perfect. They use only organic and biodynamic tea, and they don't add sugar after the fermentation. It's perfectly sweet and not overly vinegary. It kinda tastes like you're drinking a hard apple cider only this won't leave you hungover.

2. They have a brewery you can visit! Tucked away on the 21st street of the Central District is their brewery which is also open to the public. It's small with only a few two-top tables but you can stop in and sample their kombucha for free. You can also purchase a glass from their tap and they even offer a small snack plate (cheese, nuts, and apples). The staff is friendly and will answer all your questions about how this fermentation business actually goes down.

CommuniTea's DIY kombucha kit

3. They sell DIY kits! Okay, so kombucha is spendy. We get it. Why not try to make it yourself? CommuniTea sells kits that include the kombucha scoby, a large glass jar with built-in thermometor, tea, sugar and, of course, instructions. So, basically everything you need to make your own homemade kombucha for only $15. Let us know if you try it!

Pick your size!

4. It's easy to find and buy. The city loves this stuff as much as we do, which is good news if you can't make it all the way to their brewery for a bottle. Find it in grocery stores, farmers markets, and local restaurants. Buy two bottles. It goes fast. Also, if you return your old bottles, you can receive a credit on your next purchase. Score!

5. It makes great cocktails. Fun fact: we were told by a staff member that if you drink a glass of kombucha at the end of a night of drinking, you won't have a hangover the next morning because kombucha eats alcohol. Now, we haven't put this to the test (believe us, we are going to try), but it sounds like great advice! What we HAVE tried is turning kombucha into cocktails such as adding champagne for a kombucha mimosa or vodka and mint for a fun twist. Give it a try because we are pretty sure if you drink kombucha with your alcohol it's actually not that bad for you. Please note: we are not medical experts.

Cheers!

Seattle Hidden Gems: Fat Cork

Photo courtesy of Fat Cork

With Valentine’s Day upon us, a bottle of Champagne seems like a fine way to mark the occasion. However, at Fat Cork, a small underground Seattle warehouse dedicated entirely to grower Champagne, the full staff strives to Celebrate Everyday. As they put it, sometimes the act of opening the bottle IS the celebration.

When I say Fat Cork is underground, I literally mean it: housed in the basement of a nondescript grey building triangled between three streets in lower Queen Anne, I had to circle the building to find the way in. Look for the tiny door plaque and button code “13” to get buzzed in, then head downstairs.

Photo by Amy L. Dickson

Founded by husband and wife team, Bryan Maletis and Abigail Richardson, Fat Cork’s mission is to change the perception of Champagne as an exorbitant delicacy to an exciting option for celebrating everyday moments. The organization does this by providing the nascent, hungry market of North American bubbly drinkers access to grower Champagnes.

“Even though we are hard to find in our small Seattle cave, we are breaking down the barriers of Champagne,” Bryan explained. “We go find the best growers in Champagne and bring them directly to our customers in a fun and approachable way. We want people to find us and find reasons to celebrate everyday.”

What are grower Champagnes? These are sparkling wines created by the growers and their families from their own vineyard grapes. The personalities and styles of the winemakers and vineyards are highlighted in the resulting cuvées. According to Wine Folly, less than 5% of the Champagne imported into the US is grower Champagne. And remember, only Champagne from the Champagne region in France can be truly labelled Champagne.

Photo courtesy of Fat Cork

Fat Cork is both a shop to purchase Champagne, but also offers a club with multiple entry points to join: Each shipment is customized to the drinker based on tastes, feedback, and previous orders. Fat Cork represents 13 growers back in France and serves as the sole US importer for these labels so if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift, these wines are it.

Every Fat Cork club shipment is a gorgeous gift in its own right, carefully labeled with bespoke tasting notes and Pacific Northwest accompaniments like Ballard mustard or hazelnuts from Oregon. To date, the slow, steady Fine Champagne (FC) club’s growth is largely attributed to word-of-mouth referrals, but the team hopes to increase membership by nearly 30% this year by attracting attention in major US cities like New York and LA.

Photo courtesy of Fat Cork

While exploring the facility, cave, and warehouse my guide Tori popped open a bottle of Hervy Quenardel Cuvée Brut Prestige Grand Cru. Aromatic and citrusy on the nose, this mouthful of silky pearls was both coating and refreshing, leaving me with a crisp dryness on the palate. A classic example of the power and beauty of traditional Champagne and one I’ll not be able to find anywhere else in America.

Fat Cork also offers select curated services to design your Champagne menu for special events, including weddings. For club members headed to France, Bryan and team will connect travelers with the actual growers so they can visit the vineyards and houses where their Champagne is made.

Simply curious? Fat Cork has an open public tasting the last Saturday of every month where you can sample some of the most unique, limited production Champagnes on the planet. What are you waiting for? Salud!

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75

Photo by Amy L. Dickson

Photo by Amy L. Dickson

Photo courtesy of Fat Cork

Grand Opening: Old Stove Brewing Co.

This mural doubles as an "I-Spy". Try and find all 20 hidden items.

It's official, Pike Place Market has a second brewery in the house! Old Stove Brewing had a sneak peak opening last night and we were lucky enough to be invited to attend. 

The atmosphere is warm, as it should be with a name like Old Stove, and the tables are long and communal (Sarah, as the introvert of the group, would like to point out they also have smaller, more private tables in case sitting with strangers causes you anxiety). The beer is pulled out of taps made from antique stove handles and behind the bar is decorated with beer cans from the 30s and 40s. Our favorite part had to have been the old beer commercials playing on a screen in the corner. It reminds you of a simpler time, when the cure for a man having feelings was a 6-pack of Budweiser.

We liked the decor, but like it should be in any beer-drinking establishment, the people we met were the highlight of the evening. We had the pleasure of meeting the man who built the tables we gathered around and the realtor who worked so hard to get Pike Place a second brewery. We spoke to the brewers and the bartenders, and Kristina had a glass of stout poured down her shirt. Really it was everything a night of drinking should be! 

After doing ample research we decided the NW Wheat and the Pale Ale were our favorites. Go check it out for yourself and let us know which brews you think deserve recognition.  

They donated $2 from each beer to the Pike Place Market Foundation.

Communal tables are great for making new friends. 

Old style beer cans.

Their neon sign keeps with the Pike Place Market tradition.