“Every day we can wake up and live an artful life,” says Holly Lyman, and she practices what she preaches. Her journey as fermenter and founder of Wild Tonic jun kombucha began in Alaska, in a log cabin her father built. “We lived in a communal-type living situation with a lot of artists and hippies,” she recounts. “My grandmother was an artist and fermenter, but I didn’t realize the impact on me until later.” She shares how her grandmother would make wine out of dandelions and blueberries that Lyman helped harvest. “My family lived in harmony with nature and showed a tremendous amount of respect for it, and as I grew up that imprinted on me.”
In the ensuing years, Holly would attend the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and manage the studio of renowned glass artist William Morris. She also worked in encaustic, an ancient art of painting with pigmented beeswax. During this time, she discovered Sandor Katz’s book, The Art of Fermentation, and developed a hobby which became a passion and new creative outlet. “I experimented with making milk and water kefirs and fermenting beers, and became fascinated with the idea that there was a whole living world within each ferment,” says Lyman. “It was a natural transition from my art made with beeswax to fermenting with honey, and I decided I had to bring this unique ferment to the world. It’s so energizing and so life-giving; I wanted to share it with a wider audience.”
Jun (“it rhymes with fun” says Lyman) is a fermented beverage that differs from traditional kombucha. It’s made with honey and green tea instead of sugar and black tea. “It doesn’t have the vinegar overtones of normal kombucha,” explains Lyman. “It’s considered the champagne of kombuchas and has a beautiful flavor profile.” What began as a 3,000 square foot space expanded quickly to the current 36,000 square feet brewery in Cottonwood, Arizona. Lyman credits her hard-working team. “It’s a wonderful community of people who are so passionate about what they do every day. I couldn’t do it without them; they’re the soul behind the business.”
Delicious flavors range from best-sellers such as Blueberry Basil and Raspberry Goji Rose, to seasonal specials of Chai Pear and Rosemary Lemon. “We source ingredients in a very mindful way,” says Lyman. “Our tea is from a farm in Bangladesh that supports a whole community of women, and our organic honey is from a family in Brazil who have been beekeeping for generations and treat their bees with respect.” Wild Tonic also has a line of hard (alcoholic) kombucha at 5.6% and 7.6% ABV. “It’s a whole new focus on a better-for-you beverage. And I was curious and couldn’t stop experimenting,” laughs Lyman.
In addition, Lyman grows flavoring components on a 40-acre organic farm on the banks of Oak Creek in nearby Sedona. Planted alongside grapevines, herbs, ginger, and turmeric plants are 2000 heirloom apple trees. “We use our tea leaves as mulch in our orchards,“ she adds. “Having a farm roots us to the earth, roots the drink to the earth, and gives us a truly local flavor in so many ways.”
What does the future hold? Currently available in restaurants, shops, and grocers such as AJ’s Fine Foods, Safeway, Albertson’s and Whole Foods, Wild Tonic can now be ordered on-line and shipped directly to your door (including the hard versions if you live in Arizona). Look for the upcoming release of a new caffeine free energy drink made with rare botanicals. “It’s exciting,” says Lyman. “It’s made with adaptogenic herbs that are incredibly good for the body and you get an incredible buzz.”
“It’s a huge responsibility for businesses to help people understand the importance of sourcing their food,” notes Lyman. “I love being able to bring this wonderful ancient ferment to the world and helping people feel better through its health benefits.”
“In the beginning, it was a dream,” says Lyman, “and now that dream is living me.”
Written by Christina Barrueta & Photographed by Luke Irvin