Better for you beverages is our business..
Founded in 2015, we started as a small basement kombucha brewery located on the West Side of Buffalo, NY. The founders- Jeff Empric, Heather Lucas and Todd Salansky worked out of a 400 square foot shared kitchen and sold their kombucha at a weekly market. They quickly gained a loyal following and as they grew the business worked with New York State to produce guidelines on producing and selling raw, unpasteurized kombucha.
In the years proceeding, the partnership between Jeff, Heather and Todd ended but, Jeff and Heather continued with the production of kombucha and expanded their offerings under the parent company- Buffalo Fermentation. Buffalo Fermentation expanded its focus to create and produce products for many national and regional beverage brands. With the expansion they now sell and produce both shelf stable and fermented beverages for companies throughout the country.
Today Buffalo Fermentation is located on the East Side of Buffalo in a new building where they still brew Bootleg Bucha along with a copacking portfolio of many diverse beverage brands including teas, frescas, carbonated waters and kombucha. With new market opportunities and the ever-changing landscape of the beverage industry Jeff and Heather have remained committed to making beverages that are better for you, using high quality ingredients and partnering with companies that share their vision for healthy, great tasting products.
Bootleg Bucha products can be found throughout New York State at Tops Markets, Wegmans, Dash’s Markets, the Lexington Co-ops and in bottles and on tap at Farmers and Artisans.
Jeff Empric- President
Heather Lucas- Vice President