How do you start a kombucha business in 2027?

Honest 5/10 baseline.

Startup costs: $10K-$80K depending on scale. Home/nano level: fermenters ($500-$3K), bottling line ($2K-$10K), refrigeration, lab kit for pH/acidity testing, packaging. Scaling to wholesale requires a commercial kitchen or production facility ($30K-$200K+ buildout), keg system if doing draft accounts, distribution truck or 3PL.

Permits/licenses: Business license, health dept permit, food handler/manager cert, commercial kitchen certification, FDA registration if interstate, TTB review/permit if alcohol exceeds 0.5% ABV (most kombucha hovers near this line - testing matters), sales tax permit. Each state regulates ABV-positive kombucha as alcohol with separate licensing.

Customer acquisition: Farmers markets, taproom collabs, retail wholesale (co-ops, natural grocers), draft kombucha accounts at gyms/yoga studios, Instagram, festival sampling.

Revenue model: 16oz bottles ($4-$6 wholesale, $5-$8 retail), kegs ($80-$150), DTC subscriptions.

Realistic year-1: $20K-$120K revenue. ABV testing and shelf-stability are real risks - one bad batch can wreck reputation.