Local Business: How This Bird Was Born
Park Hill Teacher-Turned-Microorganism Farmer Now Brews Kombucha Full Time
By Greg Davis
For the GPHN
Sara Lemmon and her husband Kyle always knew their son was unique. Upon receiving the news that he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the Park Hill couple were not necessarily surprised. However, the pressure of raising three young children, the youngest having special needs, was overwhelming.
“We received a lot of advice on how to proceed, yet none of those paths felt quite right for our family,” said Lemmon. Faced with a new set of challenges and through self-exploration and research, she discovered a fulfilling and otherwise unperceived pathway forward in life through commercially brewing kombucha.
Kombucha has been consumed for centuries, but it has only recently gained in popularity in the United States. The fermented tea is created when a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY) is introduced into a sugared tea. As the culture consumes the sugar, it allows for the growth of beneficial bacteria in the tea. Knowing that children with ASD often have a distinct population of gut microbes, Lemmon first explored using kombucha for her son as a way to improve the biome of his beneficial gut bacteria.
She wasn’t particularly keen on kombucha, as her husband had previously brewed it at home, and she thought his was particularly disgusting (kombucha historically has not had a reputation of being delicious). Her son wasn’t keen on the commercially available kombuchas, with a decided lack of kid-friendly flavors.
Lemmon began brewing her own, and, after a time, has adopted a new role: microorganism farmer. Hers is an ideal background for brewing. As a science teacher at McAuliffe International School, one of her first units was on the microbiome. It was in this unit that she taught of the brain-gut connection and the importance of different bacterial species in the gut. Almost immediately, she was able to hone her craft and create some flavors more to her son’s liking. Her friends expressed interest in her kombucha and she found herself selling at the Horseshoe Market in Globeville.
Slowly, the business expanded, and Lemmon obtained a lease for commercial space at the Denver Commissary, an industrial commercial kitchen used by food entrepreneurs and others near downtown. She had no plans for growing a business, but in all the time spent brewing, she realized the process helped her to focus on her own mental health. With this renewed sense of purpose, Lemmon, who had previously considered herself a lifelong teacher, decided to go into brewing kombucha full time.
This is how 3rd Bird Kombucha was born. The kombucha is now on tap in many local establishments, including Infinite Monkey Theorem, Rivers & Roads, Curtis Park Deli, Honey Hill, Trellis Wine Bar, and Longtable Brewhouse. During season, it is available at City Park Farmer’s Market. Significant expansion is proposed and includes businesses in River North, Edgewater, and Lakewood. One unique facet of the 3rd Bird Kombucha is home delivery. Akin to a modern-day milk delivery service, door-to-door delivery is available monthly on a subscription basis. Lemmon embraces the delivery service as a way to connect with her customers directly and plans to continue to expand home delivery services beyond the metropolitan area.
What started as a casual interest has turned into a full-time endeavor, a lifelong passion, and a way to provide exposure to the nonprofits providing services to people with ASD. 100 percent of the monthly profits from 3rd Bird Kombucha are provided to different nonprofits on a quarterly basis. One recent month, profits went to REVEL (revelinlife.org), which creates a community for teens and adults of all abilities – inspiring them to live a life they are passionate about through new experiences and friendships.
The name of the drink was derived with a double meaning. Specifically, the 3rd Bird refers to Lemmon’s third child, for whom the idea for brewing kombucha was derived. However, Sara Lemmon also thinks of the name in terms that things are not always black and white: there is always a third way to evaluate any situation or challenge that you are confronted with. For the family, an autism diagnosis and a subsequent full-time job brewing kombucha were never expected to be in the cards, but a third way presented itself.
For more information on 3rd Bird Kombucha, visit www.3rdbirdcollective.com.