This vibrant new Tacoma taproom is alcohol-free, and it’s awesome

Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue is already full of colorful places and characters, each with its own distinct personality. Perhaps none, however, stands out the way Komadre Kombucha does.

The facade of 2914 6th Ave. has been splashed with oranges and blues, yellows and greens; leaves, fire, water and the visage of the Komadre herself, a goddess-like figure signifying you have found, so it seems, Mother.

Fermented beverage aficionados will heed the relation to the Scoby, or the mother yeast strain essential to creating kombucha. For owner Julie Davidson, it exemplifies the camaraderie and compassion she seeks to nurture at the cafe and beyond. As she explained to The News Tribune earlier this year, the name marries the Tagalog (Filipino) kumare with the Spanish comadre, both translating to “co-mother,” which in practice can be anyone from a godmother to “a woman who you would feel comfortable raising your children.”

One step into the cafe — taproom, community gathering place, a second home — immediately envelops you in the same warm and fuzzy feelings that emanate from an old family friend’s house, one where the proprietor lands treasures at antique stores but blends them seamlessly with mod chairs and Havana Minca tile.

You’ll notice the latter along the kombucha bar itself, previously the scooping counter of Ice Cream Social. They are real ceramic, not the inexpensive vinyl replicas splattered across Pinterest boards.

“It’s one of those joy sparking moments when you walk in in the morning,” said Davidson.

With Panamanian and Cuban heritage, she speaks fluent Spanish, and hopes to host conversation meetups at the cafe in the near future. The striking mural along the main wall was designed by Marisol Ortega, a first-generation Mexican American artist based in Seattle and Tacoma, and the shop also stocks jewelry, body scrubs and plant pots from Latino makers.

While the shop stocks sealed bottles of kombucha, the perk of the taproom model is that you can try before you buy. For $3, a flight of four flavors offers a tour of what Davidson has been working on as of late: Mora Lavanda (blackberry lavender), Sandia Lim (watermelon lim), Maracuya Mezcla (passionfruit, orange and guava), Piña Jengibre (pineapple ginger).

Each starts with a base of fermented oolong tea, which you can — and should — try on tap to understand how it all begins. Some dedicated customers buy the “OG” to add their own flavors at home, said Davidson, or simply mix it with water for an all-day sipper. I love how clean and crisp it tastes, just like a well-brewed but slightly effervescent cold cup. For flavors like the blackberry lavender, barring supply issues, she creates a puree from fresh fruit, straining it by hand with a mesh colander and a rubber scraper in the narrow galley kitchen behind the bar. That concentrate goes straight into the keg with the OG kombucha.

With negligible residual alcohol — under 0.5 percent by volume, per federal law lest the brewer wants to be taxed like beer, which might change under a bill proposed in May — none of Komadre’s teas are sweet. Unpasteurized kombucha is naturally low in sugar and retains its probiotic properties, said Davidson, something that most shelf-stable brands can’t claim.

The fan favorite so far seems to be the RBG, an energizing blend of rhubarb and ginger that’s also on tap at Alma Mater, one of 10 wholesale accounts Davidson has picked up this year.

As the only Tacoma-made kombucha right now (there are others in Olympia, Seattle and elsewhere in the Puget Sound), beer bars including The Red Hot, Beer Star and Peaks & Pints have added Komadre to their taps, while bottles are available at Primo Grill, Terra Cotta Coffee & Tea and Intentions Juice Bar in South Tacoma. She also became a vendor at Tacoma Farmers Market on Broadway and its Fresh Express mobile market.

After launching the brand with local delivery in 2020, Davidson looks forward to convincing one and all that kombucha deserves a spot in your beverage rotation.

Despite the signage clearly indicating a “kombucha taproom,” occasionally a customer will insist they just don’t want the stuff.

“I can’t enroll everyone,” said Davidson, but inspired by the bar’s former tenant, she said, heck, “Put ice cream in it!”

Find that kombucha float on the menu, with your choice of tea, and add an energizing key lime shortbread cookie, baked in-house with the help of her teenage son. Though it’s a reliable nonalcoholic option, Komadre Kombucha doubles as an easy, flavorful mixer.

If you discover you can’t live without the stuff, you’re in luck: refill a growler, or sign up for a subscription.

KOMADRE KOMBUCHA

▪ 2914 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-327-1010, komadrekombucha.com

▪ Details: kombucha on tap and in bottles, available to enjoy in a cafe setting or to-go

▪ Value: expected — $6 per “pint,” $11-$24 for a growler fill (depends on size and refill)

▪ Quality: excellent — locally made with care, plus house-baked cookies

▪ Atmosphere: vibrant yet comfortable, blending neighborhood bar familiarity with coffee shop vibes

▪ Returnability: When you don’t need another cup of coffee, or you’re on an alcohol-free date, it’s a cool, naturally-lit space to refresh and relax.

This story was originally published August 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.