ARENSBAK - Process

Something is brewing

It all starts with tea. Tea is the essence of ARENSBAK and our teas are carefully selected by one of the leading tea sommeliers in Europe, Alexis Kaae and Pu from VAKKA. All tea leaves are handpicked from tea trees with deep roots into the soil and the trees’ terroir contributes with unique regional characteristics and a rich flavor profile.

The chosen teas

ARENSBAK is based on three different teas. A fresh and elegant green tea - Wuniuzao Longjing tea from the Zhejiang province in China. A floral and citrusy white Oolong tea called Monkey Picked Tie Guan from China’s Fujian province. And finally a smoked and fermented black tea named Gong Ting Palace Shu Puerh from China’s Yunnan province.

Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin tea, Fujian province, China

In the Fujian province of southeastern China, you will meet terraced fields carved into the mountainsides. And this is here, 900 meters above the ocean, where our Oolong tea is harvested. The tea is slowly dried and oxidized, adding gentle floral notes. The high-altitude gives a sweet taste and along with the tea’s floral aroma and citrusy taste, it composes a perfect base for ARENSBAK White.

Gong Ting Palace, Shu Puerh tea, Yunnan province, China

The Shu Puerh tea grows at more than two thousands meters above sea level in the Yunnan province in the southwestern part of China. The leaves are picked from trees that are between 60 and 100 years old and have roots deep into the soil contributing with a unique regional character. Shu Puerh tea is smoked and fermented, and the tea itself is earthy, sweetish and with a hint of vanilla. An excellent foundation for ARENSBAK Red.

Wuniuzao Longjing, Zhejiang province, China

The Wuniuzao Longjing green tea is harvested at the foggy hilltops of the Zheijang province. The tea itself has a fresh and elegant taste with hints of flowers and dried grass, a touch of sweetness and dry final note. This tea makes the base of ARENSBAK Rosé and Effervescent.

The mother Scoby

For the first fermentation the scoby kickstarts the fermentation process and the creation of kombucha. The yeast consumes the sugar in the brewed tea and creates organic acids and carbon dioxide resulting in an elegant fermented flavor.

Building flavors with whole botanicals

In the second fermentation we layer flavors to give it the complexity and well-balanced taste known from wine. We work with whole botanicals and infuse kombucha with natural ingredients such as marigold flowers, gooseberries, lemon grass, juniper berries, sour cherries and dried mushrooms depending on the ARENSBAK we are crafting.