Kombucha is a drink as varied as the people who consume it. The ingredients are simple: tea, sugar, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), and juice to taste. Within those creative boundaries, a whole new branch of brewing is experiencing a renaissance.

Mostly non-alcoholic, the origins of kombucha can be traced to a Chinese emperor who sought the Elixir of Life. What he found was more of a life-giving substance than originally understood. Full of antioxidants and electrolytes, Kombucha is now a sought after drink for everything from sports recovery to making cancer treatment a bit more bearable.

Originally inspired by a need to help their daughter, On the Fence is now one of Colorado’s foremost Kombucha producers, helmed by Lauren and Jed Wilson. Today on the program, we explore the health benefits, environmental impact, and processes behind making this wonderful beverage in their classic On the Fence style.

A lot can change in 12 years, which is especially true in an industry that moves as fast as craft beer. This is a lesson Michael Memsic, Co-Founder of Sanitas Brewing, knows well. As one front range’s most innovative breweries, Sanitas has developed not only an iconic line of beers, but an ever expanding, inclusive community as well.

As one of the first canning employees at the famed Oskar Blues Brewery, Michael developed a love for the industry very early on, and left there not only with a passion, but a plan to someday open his own operation.

After nearly a decade at Boulder Beer, he had the experience to match the ambition, and in 2013, Sanitas Brewing was born in the craft beer capital of Boulder, Colorado. Nestled into the mountains, it’s a perfect place to sip and consider your next adventure. In 2023, the expansion to Englewood began, with Lafayette quickly following the next year. As Michael says, Sanitas is “on a tear” opening new locations, an effort they don’t see ending anytime soon.

Find one of the signature taprooms, find your drink of choice, alcoholic or not, and raise a glass to community.

Welcome to Spell Books, Littleton’s smallest bookshop. At a mere 800 square feet, this location is no Barnes and Noble, but for what they lack in space, they make up for in personality.

Owner Corey Dahl has always dreamed of owning a bookshop, and after their corporate job demanded a return to the office after the 2020 pandemic, they decided it was time to make a childhood passion a reality. Host Nicholas Young joins Corey just after the one-year anniversary of Spell Books opening for a long-form conversation covering the triumphs, struggles, and lessons learned.