National Booch Day Date in the current year: January 15, 2024

The term “kombucha” refers both to the beverage and to the microbial culture used to make it. The kombucha culture, also known as tea fungus, tea mushroom or Manchurian mushroom, is a mass of symbiotic bacteria and yeast. It is added to sweetened black or green tea, which is left to ferment for about two weeks at room temperature. The resulting drink has a unique taste with an acidic tang.

Kombucha most likely originated in China, where the drink is traditional, sometime during the Qin dynasty. By the 20th century it had spread to Russia, where it is known as “tea mushroom” or “tea kvass”. It is still popular in former Soviet republics, where some people brew the drink at home in 3 liter glass jars. From Russia, the beverage has spread to Germany and then to the rest of Europe.

In the United States, the drink is known as kombucha. The etymology of the word is not quite clear. It was most likely derived from the Japanese word konbu-cha that means kelp tea. English speakers thought that it meant fermented tea; by the time their mistake became clear, the name had stuck. According to Mirriam-Webster, the word kombucha was first used in English in 1944.

Kombucha had been a popular homebrew drink for decades in some parts of the world before the commercial production of bottled kombucha was launched in the 1990s. However, the drink hadn’t become truly popular until the early 21st century.

The United States is the world’s biggest producer of bottled kombucha. In 2016, the US kombucha market amounted to $534 million, which was about a half of the world market. However, unflavored classic kombucha accounts for only a third of the market; flavored kombucha is much more popular.

For example, GT’s Living Foods, the larges kombucha producer in the United States, offers a truly impressive selection of kombucha flavors such as California Citrus, Gingerade, Golden Pineapple, Guava Goddess, Hibiscus Ginger, Lavender Love, Lemon Berry, Mystic Mango, Pomegranate Power, Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon Wonder, and more. Some kombucha brands also sell “hard kombucha” with an alcohol content of 3–5 percent.

Unlike with most other food holidays, which don’t have a clear-cut origin, it is known who invented National Booch Day and when it happened. The campaign was launched in 2015 by KeVita, a producer of original and flavored kombucha, sparkling probiotic drinks, apple cider vinegar tonics, and prebiotic shots. To celebrate Natural Booch Day and promote the drink, kombucha brewers and sellers offer discounts, “buy one, get one free” promotions and other incentives.

National Booch Day should not be confused with World Kombucha Day, which is celebrated annually on February 21. The latter was created in 2020 by Kombucha Brewers International, a trade association of commercial kombucha brewers.