The Humm Story
Humm began with a conversation at a kitchen table in Bend, OR.
It was 2008 and founders Michelle and Jamie were chatting, laughing and drinking Michelle’s homebrewed kombucha, a recipe she’d learned from her mother-in-law and spent years perfecting. Jamie took her first sip and the next words out of her mouth were, “This is amazing! I can sell this to everyone!” The homebrew had a taste like nothing she’d had before, and the healthy qualities of the beverage, full of vitamin B and antioxidants, made them feel exuberant. If they could be this happy and feel this great, why not share it with the world!??They began brewing in Michelle’s kitchen and named their company Kombucha Mama. They delivered gallon glass jars of kombucha door-to-door (like the milkman used to) in a Toyota Prius. Customers would leave an empty gallon jug on the doorstep with $20 under the mat and come home to find a full one waiting. That summer, Michelle and Jamie brought their brew to the Bend Farmer’s Market and started developing new flavor combinations to try alongside their original brew.
As much kombucha as they produced, people wanted more, so they moved into a tiny brewing facility and hired a small and dedicated staff. The gallon jugs were replaced by kegs, the Prius by a delivery van, and it wasn’t long before demand, now extending across Oregon, necessitated another move, this time to a 5,000 square foot facility.
Though they loved being (and still are) the “Kombucha Mamas,” Jamie and Michelle decided it was time to find a name to match their aspirations. Something more universal and inclusive. So with the move came a change in name, to Humm, and the hiring of dozens of ‘Humm-sters’ to work at this semi-large scale brewery. They found people who shared not only their passion for brewing excellent kombucha, but also the optimism and love of life the company was founded on.
Two women shared a dream of bringing kombucha to the masses, and every day since then has brought them closer to the fulfillment of that dream. Today, just a few short years after that fateful kitchen conversation, Humm is available in 50 states as well as Sweden and Guam, with further expansion ahead. Five thousand square feet of production has turned into 40,000 square feet, still in Bend, and a the number of Humm-sters is now close to 100.
