Near the entrance of the newly-expanded outlet store of Vaisakh Gardens, situated at Kuravankonam, in Thiruvananthapuram, two refrigerators are placed on the ground with multiple levers on top. They are labelled passionfruit kombucha, dragon fruit kombucha, mango kombucha, and so on, connected to a 10-litre metal keg inside the cooler. Pull down the black lever; a vibrant, fizzy beverage gushes down the metal tap, foaming in a paper cup.
This beer keg-inspired apparatus mainly aims at first timers, who are “hesitant” to try the subtly sour beverage made from naturally fermented tea, says Anu Vijayan, who runs the outlet store.
“Some people are doubtful about trying a kombucha, so they might not want to buy a 300 ml bottle. Now they can try 30 ml of one flavour for free and decide whether they want to buy more or try another. This was our thought behind this concept. . And we have different flavours every week,” says Anu. The idea also focuses on reducing bottle wastage, she adds. “Our customers who already have our bottles can refill them here. We provide them with a reusable cork.”
Kombucha from tap at Vaisakh Gardens store
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Spanning across 35 acres, Vaisakh Gardens, a fruit plantation at Thannichal, 40 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, is founded by retired naval officer J Vijayan. The plantation cultivates exotic fruits such as the red-fleshed dragon fruit, mangosteen and rambutan, among others. They recently had their first harvest of durian — a spiky fruit infamous for its pungent odour, indigenous to Southeast Asia.
Shobhan Vijayan and J Vijayan with dragon fruit kombucha and dry dragon fruit slices
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
In 2018, Vaisakh Gardens launched kombucha to utilise surplus dragon fruit yield from the farm. “Many people make jams, smoothies and squashes; we wanted to do something different,” says Anu, one of Vijayan’s three daughters. “All brands have their own identity when it comes to the kombucha, and ours is in making it with our fruits.”
Soon, they expanded to other seasonal flavours such as mango, passion fruit and blue pea flower or shankhupushpam. “The blue pea flower has been gaining attention recently for its stress-relieving qualities.”
Kombucha on display at Vaisakh Gardens
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen
Kombucha is prepared by fermenting a tea sweetened with cane sugar using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). These are gut-friendly bacteria that give the drink its pro-biotic qualities. This mixture undergoes secondary fermentation, feeding on natural fruit sugars, which are used to flavour the beverage. “We imported our first batch of SCOBY from the US in 2017. The microbes expand to cover the top layer of the fermenting container, irrespective of its size. The SCOBY is replenished and reused a few times before it is used as manure in the orchard,” says Anu.
“We still educate people that it is a pro-biotic drink, and you should consume it in the same manner you have curd, that is after a meal. You can have a kombucha after a heavy meal, and it will help you feel lighter,” Anu says.
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The newly-expanded outlet also serves snacks such as sweet potato cheese balls, fish cutlets, blue pea–charged kinnathappam (steamed plate cake), among others, which pair well with a fresh cup of kombucha. Other products, such as dry dragon fruit slices, chia pudding with and without whey protein, seasonal fruit concentrates, and an in-house granola coated with honey and cinnamon, are available at the store.
Blue pea–charged kinnathappam available at Vaisakh Gardens
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“Currently, we are focusing on gym-goers and people who are into diets. We are planning to start a salad bar and a cloud kitchen facility, serving bites that complement kombucha. We are also expanding our production and looking to start outlets at Vizhinjam and Kazhakkoottam,” says Anu.
Kombucha on tap is served at ₹105 for 250ml at Vaisakh Gardens outlet store at Kuruvankonam, Thiruvananthapuram.
Published – July 31, 2025 05:09 pm IST
