Hastings brewery inks kombucha partnership deal with 1890 Initiative
HASTINGS, Neb. – A fermented tea beverage, better known as kombucha, is driving big business at a local brewery in Central Nebraska.
"We had to teach people to say the word 'kombucha,' let alone why it was good for you to drink. There was a steep learning curve." said Jessi Hoeft.
Jessi and Nathan Hoeft are the co-owners of First Street Brewing and Ensign Beverage Inc. in Hastings which makes both beer and kombucha, and is the only brewery in Nebraska to make both drinks under the same roof.
Like its fermented counterpart, kombucha takes about 3-4 weeks from start to a finished product.
Both beer and the kombucha are sold at First Street Brewing in downtown Hastings on tap and in cans.
Nathan says as a brewery, it’s important to have a tasty non-alcoholic option for certain guests.
"I have several friends right now doing Sober October, and Dry January," said Nathan. "There are times when they still want to go out and have a drink with their friends, but they don't necessarily need to have an alcoholic beverage."
One batch of kombucha made by the Hoeft’s and the Ensign Beverage crew yields about 360 gallons, but with a new partnership deal in place, that number could soon be rising.
Nebraska’s NIL program, the 1890 Initiative, has inked a partnership with Ensign Beverage to be the official kombucha of Husker athletes.
Ensign has provided its specialty drink to the Husker Training Table in Lincoln since 2020, but Jessi and Nathan are excited for their product to begin its next chapter and continue being part of a healthy routine for Husker athletes and coaches.
"The athletes are already familiar with it, it's already a part of their nutritional regiment," said Nathan. "It was something that once introduced, it was easy for them to be like 'yes, this is a great product."
Husker athletes have access to a tap of Ensign's kombucha at the training table as well.
"Athletes are drinking it, we know that. But the coaches are drinking it too," said Jessi. "They're real excited about it, and so we always get compliments from the coaches when we go in, because we have to keep them healthy as well."
The new flavor of kombucha under the 1890 partnership is 'Champions Cherry Limeade,' which the idea for came from a certain Husker team.
"The Volleyball team. We were standing around one time, and we were talking to them, and they were like 'cherry, cherry, do cherry.' So there we are." said Jessi.
With each unit of the 1890 kombucha sold, a portion of the sales go directly to the 1890 Initiative to support all Nebraska athletes.