Yugen

The story of Yugen starts in 2013 in the United States where Yannick drank his first kombucha as a natural hangover cure. Historically people have been drinking kombucha because it can support the digestion, detoxify the liver and enhance the immunity. Intrigued by the peculiar taste, the eerie history and the claimed health benefits, Yannick quickly learned how to brew his own. Shortly after arriving back in Belgium in 2016, a tiny pop-up container was transformed into the first herbal kombucha brewery. At that time, Chris joined Yannick and together they brewed tea, juiced fruit and filled bottles by hand. Every Sunday they organized tastings and sold every bottle they could fit in their tiny fridge. The response to their kombucha was so positive that Yannick and Chris decided to quit their former jobs and dive head first into this exciting new adventure. In the summer of 2017, they found their current spot in Ghent where they installed bigger brewing tanks, fridges, tons of other equipment, and... a tasting bar! In September of 2017, they officially launched YUGEN, with a bang! In the unique location of the brewery, they experiment with new flavours, organize events, create interactions between people and culture, while expanding the love for kombucha. The many happenings, revolving around Art, Music and Planet Earth, and meaningful connections that arose from it, gave them both the insights and the energy to keep working hard on a daily basis to establish the YUGEN brand. In 2019, after a profound R&D collaboration with the University of Ghent, Yugen is able to scale production while maintaining its dedication to quality and authenticity. Leading up to this point, Peter joined the crew, and together with the rest of the motivated team, Yugen continues its journey forward towards a more sustainable and healthy future.