Drinking kombucha

A glass of curiosity, craft and a little of Verena's favourite drink

There are things that happen very slowly. A sourdough that grows. A good inn that matures over generations. Or a drink that needs time to become what it is. That's roughly how our story with kombucha began too. Not as a business idea. Not as a trend. But simply because Verena was curious.

A toast with homemade lemonade at the Gellnwirt

Kombucha brew with fresh strawberries in a jar

A young guest enjoying homemade lemonade

Homemade syrup being poured into a glass

Sometimes it all begins with a first sip

At some point this glass appeared. Lightly sparkling. Not sweet. Not sour. Somewhere in between. A drink that tasted different from everything else. Fresher. Livelier. More exciting. And honestly: it was love at first sip. Today kombucha is an almost natural part of Verena's everyday life. Not because it happens to be fashionable. But because she simply finds it incredibly delicious.

Verena brews every kombucha herself

In our small inn microbrewery the kombuchas are made by hand. Every batch. Every bottle. Every label. Accompanied by Verena herself. Sometimes the brewery smells of herbs. Sometimes of the forest. Sometimes of berries or blossoms. Because that's exactly what we love about it: kombucha changes with the seasons.

The Lungau in a glass

In spring, spruce tips find their way into the kombucha. Or something else still in the freezer from last summer. In summer come herbs from the garden. Lemon verbena for sure. In autumn berries or fruit. And sometimes ideas only arise on a walk through the forest. That's exactly why kombucha suits our philosophy so well. We forage. We experiment. We ferment. We trust the process. That way no industrial product comes about. But a drink with provenance.

No sugar rush. No soft drink.

What Verena especially loves: kombucha is not a classic sweet drink. Light. Refreshing. Complex. During fermentation, most of the added sugar is processed. What remains, above all, is flavour. That's exactly why she now reaches for a glass of kombucha rather than many other drinks.

Can you feel the health benefits?

Honestly? Verena says: yes. Whether it's the fermentation. Whether it's the naturalness. Or simply the good feeling of drinking something home-made. She feels a difference. But something else is even more important: it does her good. And she looks forward to it every time. Sometimes not everything needs to be explained scientifically. Sometimes it's enough for something to have become part of your own life.

Kombucha and an inn?

For us that goes together surprisingly well. An inn has always been a place where things were made by hand. Baked. Pickled. Fermented. Refined. To us, kombucha is nothing different. Old craft in a new form. Curiosity in a bottle. And perhaps also a little hint of how we understand cooking. Tradition and experiment are allowed to sit at the same table.

Our Gellnwirt tip

When you're with us: just try it. Not because it's supposed to be healthy. Not because it's currently fashionable. But because it tastes good. Perhaps you'll discover your new favourite drink in the process. Just as Verena did back then. And perhaps you'll then understand why there's always a kombucha fermenting away somewhere in our kitchen. Very quietly. Very patiently. And full of life.