JUNESHINE: ENDLESS BUMMER
We all want to live our best lives. For many, that means a life filled with healthiness, happiness, fulfillment, and perhaps activity & adventure. In order to achieve our happiness, health, and fitness goals we work hard and seek all the help we can get. Self-help books frequent National bestseller lists. Personal Trainers, workout boot camps, and latest iteration of fitness classes are in high demand. We watch what we eat. We take up hobbies that help us become the best we can be. Some of us even pursue spiritual paths to better our lives. Some of the advice out there is helpful, but a lot of it is click-baity or sponsored faux-polls, fake-scientific “research,” or junk-medical reports grant warrant to the vacuous. Warrant to be a conduit of amplification and echo through those social channels (online and IRL).
Sometimes, it seems the answer to all of life’s problems is in a singular magic bullet (not the blender, but we are on the same page) of a Lifestyle Brand. Lifestyle Brands sell more than just an item or service. They make you “Think Different,” like Apple. Sometimes they tell you to stick jade eggs in your vagina. Hey, it is on the internet, it MUST be true.
Despite the pressure to be perfect perpetually bombarding us from our phones, ads, TV, computer, friends, family, and coworkers, there are some simple common-sense rules to living a decent life. These are some of mine:
Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
Be honest and genuine.
Be patient.
Don’t date people at work.
Don’t shit where you eat (or drink). (See number 4.)
Don’t step on people in order to gain success.
Treat everyone with respect and honesty. We are in this together.
Use “please”, “thank you”, and “you’re welcome” liberally.
Remember you’re not entitled, but privileged to have anything in this world.
Always use your blinkers while driving. (See numbers 1, 6, & 8)
Give a courtesy wave to anyone letting you into to a lane or being nice to you. (See numbers 1, 7, 8, & 9.)
By this point you may be asking, “But Brian, what does any of this have to do with the craft beverage industry? I came to your blog to learn about beer and fermentables!”
I will tell you that businesses are made of people and should be held to the same standards of decency outlined above. Take Brewery Igniter spaces for example. They have been difficult business endeavors to make work for a number of reasons: expensive footprint leases; stocking the building with expensive equipment; a business model to prove a brand’s worth; and the ability to respect your neighbors.
In February, 2018 San Diego Brewing Co. left their North Park, El Cajon Boulevard Igniter space, shared by breweries Eppig and Pariah. The beer void left by San Diego Brewing Co. was soon filled by a horse of a different color, JuneShine.
JuneShine is an active Lifestyle Brand of “Hard kombucha” that was “Born from a desire for an alcohol we can feel good about drinking” from 4 friends; The Silent Investor, Forrest Dien, Greg Serrao, and Josh Makler. After months of hard work, they held the Grand Opening on Saturday, June 9th 2018.
Solace Interior‘s Katie Gebhardt presented a newly transformed space awash in chillaxed-vibes, as loungey tuneage of modern-pop standards & remixes thereof, and spitzy semi-dry crouching kombuchas with hidden alcohols poured for the #thirstyaf. Outside a fenced-in fest area and inside tasting room was packed to the gills with people patiently awaiting to taste the new kids on the block. Their tasting room, albeit packed, was comfortable as the open roll-up door, facing Lips, danced sunbeams off of cascading plants and various hipster knick-knacks. The space was an airy feminine hipster sunroom cum millennial/gen z bedroom sanctuary.
Overheard references to Pigment were bountiful and germane.
The kombucha board was listed as 6% ABV, but the flavor and aroma indicated (read: Beer-Wise) a 2% ABV.
Overall, everything at JuneShine was cleaner, crisper, and lighter than any other kombucha-hol I’ve had in the past. Healthy Hard kombucha with natural alcohol is how the team and employees at JuneShine refer to what they make.
The smoothness and lower tartness/funk as well as the light color is curious to me as something not really kombucha based, but rather jun based.
JUNE SHINE DOES NOT MAKE HARD KOMBUCHA. JUNE SHINE MAKES HARD JUN.
Jun is an ancient beverage, similar to kombucha, but instead of fermented black tea or a blend of teas and sugar, jun is strictly fermented green tea and honey. Both beverages use a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) to ferment (or primary ferment). The real difference is what food you serve this zoological mat. Jun might be a difficult sell to the common consumer because they are less familiar with it, so JuneShine placed an “E” at the end and came up with “June”; a word that evokes an easygoing Endless Summer.
The SHINE part of their name stems from a secondary fermentation. Once the primary probiotic fermentation reaches the natural end of its life cycle, JuneShine adds lots of sugars and pitches some new yeast. This secondary fermentation is what creates alcohol.
A third and final sugar addition, in the form of juice, is added at the end of the process to cut the tartness (back-sweetening).
JuneShine is on tap!
JuneShine poured six varieties at the launch event. Here is a list in order from the Best to the Worst (read: least favorite):
Blood Orange Mint - 6%
The mint notes are subtle and take a back seat to the tart complex nature of blood orange. It was perfectly balanced in every way. Tart and refreshing! Very well made.
Carrot Orange (renamed “Mimosa”)– 6%
Carrot and orange play complimentary flavors to the spritzy semi-dry jun-ahol. This sings on your palate like a juice from Senior Mango’s.
Honey Ginger Lemon – 6%
The honey ferments all the way out and does not do anything for the body or sweetness. In fact it is just marketing as no more honey is used than the normal amount in all of them. However, the lemon and ginger add some zing and amount of delicate tannins. I wonder if the ginger still has the skin on with the type of tannins on this.
Cucumber Mojito – 6%
The balance is there with a cooling quenching drink x2. The cucumber aftertaste hangs around for long after it is gone. I had a beer at Pariah after drinking a half-pour of this and still had that cucumber in my mouth. No offense to folks who love cucumber in their mouths. In fact, if you are crazy about cukes, this one is definitely for you.
Beet Berry – 6%
Beets and berries. This addition adds some rugged tannins as well as the tang from the berries, which comes across as a sur lie cider or a wine with a pronounced earthy tone without the complexity of those.
Midnight Painkiller (Pineapple, Orange, Coconut, Nutmeg , Activated Charcoal) – 6%
Tannins and eugenolic compounds (the numbing tannic compounds similar to the dentists’ lidocaine pre-novacaine shots) combine to create a harsher ride throughout this one. This could be a winner with less confusion put forth in the glass. Although, there is a bit of amusement in the yin-yang of the detox of activated charcoal being used in a retox of alcohol. Be careful if you are taking medications, activated charcoal could block the effects.
Chili Mango (Mango Habanero) - 6%
If you can take any bit of heat, you can totally handle this. While the mango and habanero were both subdued, neither offered something complementary or contrasting at the levels that were presented. The habanero comes across as metallic pepper heat without any distinct character. This one could be improved with a pepper that harmonizes the note of the mango. Criolla sellas or Scotch bonnet peppers would better amplify the tropical mango notes, instead of trampling them.
ENDLESS BUMMER - JUNESHINE
JuneShine’s product is enjoyable enough. JuneShine’s lies are not.
I have returned to JuneShine several times since the launch party to see how their active beverage changed. The acetic acid (possibly lactic and wild yeast) increased greatly. Acetic acid is vinegary. A few of the hard juns seem to be back-sweetened more to compensate. I could only drink one full glass or two half-pours each time. I also noted some phenolic compounds coming through on the nose.
I’ll break down the innumerable problems using the path of least resistance, by quoting their own website.
JuneShine Website, “World’s First Hard kombucha Bar”
FALSE - Every pizzeria in everytown US of A, wants to be “the original”. Dean’s Zesty Booch out of Bozeman, Montana has been brewing and serving Hard kombucha for years before JuneShine opened its doors. Finally, JuneShine is an alcohol maker/brewery with a tasting room, not a bar.
JuneShine Website, “JuneShine was born from our desire to enjoy tonight...and tomorrow.
This led us to a simple question.
Why do we know so much about the food we eat and so little about the alcohol we drink?”
MISLEADING JUNK – We don’t know everything about what we eat and we don’t know everything about what we drink. Only if you are closely connected to all farmers and food sources and buy and cook or eat only that, then you can say that. It is the same with drinks. If you eat or drink out, all bets are off. Some of us care about “clean eating” and “clean drinking”. It is all about what makes you feel good about your life. “We will be the hummus generation and we'll decide for ourselves our degree of purity.” - Piebald - Sandpaper Steering Wheel
JuneShine Website, “We grew frustrated by the lack of honest transparent alcohol brands catering to our healthy active lifestyle and decided to start our own.
We created a team of adventurers, artists, and creatives who share our passion and want to leave a positive impact on the environment.”
LIFESTYLE BRAND/DISTRACTION – We like to feel like we can relate. Yes (or is it Yaass?), we want transparency. However, you might not be providing that for us beyond other alcohol makers and brewers. Your team reminds me a bit of another built to sell-out lifestyle brand in San Diego that rhymes with Taint Marcher.
JuneShine Website, “We fell in love with the refreshingly smooth taste of jun kombucha and made it our mission to brew the highest quality and healthiest jun kombucha.”
HEALTHY ALCOHOL? – Sounds like snake oil with the healthy claims on your alcohol. That is something that is frowned upon (and more) by your alcohol manufacturing and serving license. Please, watch out with this statement. You are required by Prop 65 to have that signage up in a clear place that states ”Drinking Alcoholic Beverages May Increase Cancer Risk, and During Pregnancy, Can Cause Birth Defects.” I’m not sure if you do have this somewhere, but it seems well-hidden. Understandably, as it is against your healthy image.
JuneShine Website, “After many interesting test brews we found the perfect JuneShine recipe and elevated our abv through a secondary fermentation. This process uses organic sugar that is completely consumed by our brewers yeast and converted into alcohol - all sugars in our finished product result wholly from our fruit juices.”
KIND OF TRUTH – You ferment green tea and honey and honey. Then you add lots of sugar, sorry, Organic Sugar, yes that sounds a lot healthier even though it serves the zack’same purpose. Sugar is always consumed by yeast to make alcohol, it is what it does easily as sugar is simple food supply. Then you back-sweeten with juice. At this point you force carbonate? Those cans that you sell are ticking timebombs as any of that fruit sugar will get consumed and drive the pressure and carbotation through the roof.
JuneShine Website, “We always brew JuneShine with organic ingredients, no added sugars,”
FALSE – You DO add sugars (for Secondary Fermentation) and you also add a good deal of sugars after the fact in your finished products in the form of fruit juices for your back-sweetening. Fruit juices that have plenty of sugars. It can seem like less sugar as it fights against the acidity reaching up to 3.5pH.
JuneShine Website, “and without the junk food found in most alcohols (coloring, GMOs, high fructose corn syrup)”
FALSE & BEING MALICIOUS - This is a vague and unjustifiable low-blow at San Diego Craft Beer. Coloring, GMOs, and high fructose corn syrup are NOT used by the many Independent Craft Brewers in and around San Diego and rarely anywhere. Stating this on your site in order to spread misinformation on the very brewers who setup the environment In which you now are able to prosper is complete B.S. If this applies to something, you need to clarify it. Saying “found in most alcohols” is a lie as it currently stands. Where is your data or fake study used to back this up? Please, understand that others around San Diego Brewing community have taken note. Please, play nice and don’t throw nice people under the bus, ok?
JuneShine Website, “- this makes JuneShine less toxic for both your body and the environment.”
FALSE – Again, watch talking about the intoxicant you provide as being less toxic for your body. Instead, you could have said you are Gluten-Free and give 1% to the environment.
JuneShine Website, “Our kombucha contains probiotics, antioxidants, vitamins, and of course, a good time.”
MISLEADING / FIBBING – Probiotics are present (but what does that mean? which?). Antioxidants are present in juices and in green tea. You could just as easily drink unfermented green tea to [possibly] get more of those antioxidants. Vitamins? Is this Vitamin A for Alcohol? A good time. Yes, drinking is that for many.
JuneShine Website, “Finally, an alcohol you can feel good about drinking.”
Transparency is important to you. At least you stated that, and yet you continually sound as if you are slinging some snake oil cure-all to hipster socialites for what ails ‘em.
As far as feeling good about drinking JuneShine. While the FDA does not recognize probiotics as being beneficial to your health, some of us have seen some feel good results (placebo or real).
MODERATION - Drinking (1) kombucha or (1) jun might be good for some, but drinking (4 or more) does not make it more better. It might be counter-productive.
Patrons of JuneShine have gotten wicked hangovers from drinking your products. Some felt ill and some got “the shits” the morning after.
All this does not support the “healthy alcohol” and the “active morning” claims. Branding v. Reality.
While it is easy to spout off false information in order to promote your Jun Alcohol for Healthy Active People Lifetstyle Brand, you should not do this by misleading or deceiving people. Alcohol is rough on the stomach, especially when combined with up to 3.5pH with acetic-centric drinks. Ouch! As an aside, here are some acidic pHs of some common things to give perspective (not that pH is not linear but logarithmic):
Root Beer 4.03-4.75
Coke Zero 3.18
Black Coffee 5.7
Beer 4.3-4.5
Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc 3.08
Monster Energy 3.49
Neutral 7.0
Enamel dissolves below 5.5
Drinking some active/living foods may be healthy, but drinking more than a glass of alcoholic sour jun is not. It is very rough on the stomach, teeth, and body. Unfortunately, some of your young (new to drinking) drinking crowd often find out the hard[jun] way.
WARNING: JUNESHINE BARF IMAGE WARNING BELOW.
