On Sunday, May 20, Cultured South, a fermentation company from Melanie Wade of Golda Kombucha, will open its much-anticipated kombucha taproom and fermentation marketplace on the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail. Cultured South will offer fermented foods and beverages—including kombucha tea, kefir, Jun, drinking vinegars, wild ferments, cold brew coffee, vegan cheeses and other probiotic-rich offerings—to taste and take home. The warehouse space is located in the new Lee + White food and beverage district at 1038 White Street.
Launched by Melanie Wade in 2013, Golda Kombucha is Georgia’s “first and finest kombucha company” that helped pioneer the popularity of kombucha in the state. This year, Melanie founded Cultured South as the parent company encompassing Golda Kombucha, Pure Abundance Cashew Cheese and other forthcoming probiotic-rich, fermented fare. The first-of-its-kind in Georgia and one of only a few kombucha taprooms in the Southeast, Cultured South will offer fermented foods from its own line along with goods from other like-minded businesses. The space will also be home to educational classes about health and fermentation and will offer hangout-friendly seating with a large garage door opening to the BeltLine’s Westside Trail.
In conjunction with the grand opening of Cultured South, the company will host the 2nd annual Atlanta Fermentation Fest on Sunday, May 20th from noon to 6pm at Lee + White. Now in its second year, the festival was created to grow awareness about fermentation and educate the community about the history and health benefits of traditional fermented foods. Attendees can expect to explore around two dozen local and regional producers offering fermented products, including coffee, vegan cheeses, beer, cider, honey, sourdough crackers and breads and more. Farm Burger and the popular food truck Roti Rolls will be offering bites all afternoon with live music performed by local acts Tall As Pine, Casey Hood and Devon Heath. During the event, at-home fermentation pros are encouraged to bring their own cultures for a ‘culture swap’ and enter their ferments in a “Home Fermenters” competition judged by local chefs and business owners. All attendees will enjoy live chef demos from Golden Eagle and Community Farmers Market (CFM) and are also invited to partake in a series of educational talks and activities, including:
- Georgia State University’s Science Corner
- DIY Ferment Station
- Cherokee Moon Mixology vinegar-making demo and lecture
- Bread is Good sourdough demo and lecture with founder Sarah Dodge
- Second Self Beer Company alcohol and beer fermentation talk
- Hungry Heart Farm and Dietary Consulting lecture
Seasonal kombucha on tap and kombucha mocktails will also be available, in addition to complimentary Honeysuckle gelato, Montane sparkling water and fresh peaches from Pearson Farms.
A portion of proceeds from Atlanta Fermentation Fest will be donated to Community Farmers Markets (CFM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the growth and sustainability of a diverse local food culture. General admission tickets are now available for $10 online here (kids under 15 may attend for free with an adult). Libation Glass Passes can be purchased for $15 and include a souvenir tasting glass and five tasting tickets redeemable from any beverage exhibitor at the festival.
