Auspicious Brew Kombucha Brewery Opens in Dover

Auspicious Brew, a women-owned small business, is the first licensed kombucha brewery in the state of New Hampshire.

While working together in a restaurant, co-owners Bri Hehir and Helen Leavitt found that they shared a mutual passion for kombucha brewing. They are both trained herbalists, seasoned gardeners, brewers, and service industry veterans with over 25 years of experience.

They shared their homemade kombucha with each other and their coworkers. Eventually, their boss encouraged them to participate in a local food and beverage event, where their kombucha received very positive feedback.

“Everybody was asking when it was available or where we were making it, where they could buy it, and so it was super encouraging,” says Leavitt. “We just decided, at that event pretty much, that we would try to figure out what it would take to sell this product. It seemed like there was a need and a want for it in our community.”

Auspicious Brew is located in a mill building in Dover.

Hehir and Leavitt researched, developed, fundraised, and connected with other breweries and industry professionals. After over three years of hard work, in November of 2020, the brewery opened its doors.

The meaning behind the name Auspicious — something beneficial, favorable and lucky — aligns with their mission of offering a product that is beneficial to customers’ lives, says Leavitt.

The brewery, a colorful and plant-filled retail space, is housed in one of Dover’s iconic mills. Offering a variety of flavors both bottled and on draft, there is something for everyone.

Kombucha is an ancient Chinese beverage that has gained increasing popularity in the U.S. in recent years. It is made from fermented tea and often flavored by fruits, herbs and spices.

“Inspired by the seasons and the plants they bear, each batch reflects a specific place and moment in time,” their website explains.

The brewery has also launched a “Kombucha of the Month” club for Seacoast residents. For $65 per month, members can have 12 bottles delivered to their home. “Makes a great gift for yourself and all the kombucha lovers in your life,” they write.

They offer a rainbow of bottled flavors, from blueberry-lavender-elderberry “Lilac Rain” to matcha-spearmint-lime “Swamp Thing.” Additional flavors are available on draft, such as “Dolce y Picante,” a mixture of pineapple, cilantro, lime and jalapeño.

Leavitt explains that the natural kombucha fermentation process results in a beverage that is above 0.5% ABV, the legal limit for nonalcoholic drinks. Because of this, Auspicious Brew kombucha is licensed as an alcoholic beverage.

Two higher-ABV kombuchas are also offered — “Party Hard,” a sweet and tart drink featuring hibiscus, strawberry, tangerine, ginger, turmeric, lemon and lime; and “Hard Tellin’”, made with the flavors of blood orange, pomegranate, Thai basil, cranberry, lemongrass and tangerine. Each of their hard kombucha flavors are 5.5% ABV.

In addition to draft and bottled kombucha, Hehir and Leavitt have also crafted sparkling botanical water, elderberry syrup, a fire cider wellness tonic, and are working on other new products.

You can find Auspicious Brew kombucha in many local specialty grocery stores, restaurants and bars. Check out the full list here.

Leavitt notes that they are taking every precaution to make sure people are safe and feel comfortable during COVID-19. This includes social distancing, mask wearing, limited capacity, and options such as pay-ahead sales and home/curbside delivery.

Auspicious Brew’s retail space is open Thursday through Saturday, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and is located at 1 Washington St., Suite 1103, Dover.

“With joy in our hearts, we set our intentions to create a superior product that is made to be shared. Each batch is brewed with integrity and authenticity, auspiciously,” they write.