Kairi, with a kombucha kick: What you need to know about this new brew

Representation pic

Every year, his landlord would give them the first crate of kairis - raw mangoes that had fallen early and couldn't be sold. That small, generous gesture sparked the idea of creating a new flavour of kombucha around this humble fruit for the team at Umami Brew.

Tangy, spiced, this fizzy kombucha brings back childhood memories

"Kairi is deeply nostalgic for many of us. It takes us back to school days when fruit vendors outside the gates would sprinkle red chilli powder on the slices to balance the tang and give us that thrilling jolt down the spine.

Cyriac Thomas

Inspired by those memories, we decided to pair raw mango with green chillies - adding a spicy aftertaste to every gulp, just like back in the day," says Cyriac Thomas, Founder of Umami Brew.

Spiced Kairi

On a recent trip to Mysore, we tasted Umami Brew's Honey Jun and Ginger Ale flavours at SAPA Bakery and found their taste to be very sharp and crisp. Last week, the Kairi Kombucha came home. It is like summer in a bottle - tart, tangy, and refreshingly effervescent. Made with raw green mango (kairi), it captures the sharp brightness of the fruit while balancing it with the natural fizz and funk of small-batch fermentation. It's a playful twist on nostalgia, blending traditional Indian flavours with modern gut-friendly brewing.

Umami Brew is nestled on a sprawling seven-acre farm near Pune. Thomas tells us it was an intentional choice rooted in the ethos of the drink and the values his brand stands for - it's all about staying natural, embracing the slow life, and finding joy in the little things. Just like we did in our city life, sipping the brew on the balcony.

PRICE: Rs 250
TO BUY: umamibrew.com