I first interviewed Lucas in 2021, when he shared his opinion on why kombucha has become so popular in Brazil and the rapid growth of the industry from 2019 to 2021.

He is the founder of Fermenta Com Ciência (Fermenting with Science), where he teaches courses, gives lectures, and provides consulting services. He is also the organizer of Conakom (Conferência Nacional de Produtores de Kombucha).

His central role in promoting kombucha in Brazil is evidenced by his social media presence: 277,000 follow him on Instagram, 55,000 on Facebook, and 153,000 on his YouTube channel, which has 279 instructional videos.

To work on cultivating the culture of fermenting probiotic beverages and functional fermented foods—bridging ancestral knowledge with the most current scientific foundations—and to teach, in a clear and practical manner, how to prepare these items safely and healthily, catering both to those who wish to produce them artisanally at home and to those looking to scale up and commercialize their products.

Lucas Montanari is a biologist specializing in fermentation, holding a postgraduate degree in Nutrigenomics and Functional Foods. He is also an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach certified by the IIN (NY, USA) and a faculty member in the Functional Gastronomy postgraduate program at FAMESP.

In addition to Fermenta Com Ciência, and organizing Conakom, the Brazilian Kombucha Festival. He serves as the Technical Director of ABKOM (Brazilian Kombucha Association) and conducts research on the health benefits of kombucha and methods to optimize its large-scale production.

He first encountered kombucha in Australia in 2013; after refining his expertise, he began his work with kombucha in Brazil in 2015. Since then, he has trained thousands of “Kombucheiros” through in-person courses, online programs, and consulting services for commercial production. He has played a key role in the development of numerous nationally successful brands, including Tchá Kombucha, Puro Verde, Aviv Kombucha, Mr. Bolt Kombucha, Kombucha Libre, and Lich Kombucha. Furthermore, he has collaborated with leading companies to develop specialized fermenters, equipment, and raw materials specifically designed for kombucha production.

Their consulting service is designed for those who wish to delve deeper into the science of kombucha fermentation to gain greater control over their production process, develop market-friendly flavors, achieve better product standardization, and ensure more consistent carbonation—all while confidently scaling up production. Students learn how to serve kombucha “On Tap,” thereby increasing cost efficiency and sustainability in their business. Discover the equipment and methods utilized in various industrial kombucha production facilities worldwide, and identify the next steps needed to turn dreams into reality!

The consultancy focuses on the production of kombucha for commercial sale—specifically:

Lucas teaches courses for both home brewers and commercial operations.

This course is composed of seven modules:

Additional resources include downloadable instruction booklets, group mentoring sessions with over 1,000 experienced brewers, and much more.

This course comprises nine modules:

Bonus material includes lifetime access to a video library, an Advanced Study Group on Telegram, home to a community of over 700 commercial kombucha producers, and a course on registering your kombucha brewery with MAPA, taught by Stela Patrocínio — one of the experts I interviewed for the initial posting in my series on kombucha in Brazil.

Lucas has connected with leading members of the worldwide kombucha community, including several prominent international figures in the field of fermentation, such as Sandor Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation, Sébastien Bureau, the founder of Mannanova, and Nick Robertson from Rare Combinations. He has attended kombucha conferences in the United States and Europe. He’s also been featured in past editions of SYMBIOSIS Magazine (which I edited). I was pleased to see him prominently display a copy of the magazine in one of his instructional videos.

Readers who want to go deeper can listen to the podcast interview with Lucas, where we discuss his courses, the challenges and opportunities for commercial production in Brazil, and the future of the industry.

Uma tradução da entrevista para o português está disponível para download.

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