Welcome to our very first #HappyBrewCrew edition where YOU will be the main star! When we started offering kombucha online in Manila, it was important to us to maintain a "face and personality" behind our brand.
We are people's people and love how kombucha connects us all. Creating a community of health conscious kombucha lovers in the Philippines is our goal!
Everyone, meet Ria
Today we are very excited to feature Ria on our very first Happy Brew Crew interview starring YOU!!!
Ria is a digital strategist who recently revived her interest in photography. Through writing she hopes to finally make her long overdue passion projects come to life.
We are excited to be able to catch up with her recently during the Manila ECQ and we had a few friendly questions in store for her...
So tell us, where is home?
My family and I reside in Quezon City, but I've practically spent the past 6 years living independently (ish) at a condo in the middle of the Makati CBD.
How was that like?
This experience has been all kinds of awesome and stressful, but I wouldn't have had my formative mid to late 20s any other way!
Sige! Totally understand! We have been friends on Instagram for a while but I've noticed you have been very busy during this lockdown. What have you been up to?
There has been so much going on, and I have really tried to step out of my comfort zone. It all started with making some smaller, individual healthy choices that eventually lead to a very enjoyable routine.
I've started focusing on how to eat healthier. I've lost 4.5lbs and counting, mainly because I get to follow a routine and consume actual adult food prepared by my mom... and no matter how busy some days get, I still find myself having some free time so there is no more excuse to delay or postpone working out!
Wow! That is awesome, you must be feeling much better now?
Definitely, it was something I always wanted to achieve and now I am getting there.
I've also immersed myself into the practice of yoga, particularly the yoga of awareness that is kundalini.
As a supplementary or occasional alternative to functional workouts, I've been finding it helpful because it focuses on your breathing (and chakras, if you're into that). The exercise can literally send good vibrations to your body, enabling you to find your rhythm.
Yeah I saw some posts of you doing yoga with Patricia too.
Yes that was great, we did it online as part of our fundraising efforts for
Anawim Lay Missions Foundation and P.A.R.T. I've come to appreciate the power of crowdsourcing (and funding). I've always been keen and willing to help out and donate if need be, but I was so surprised by the support you could possibly get if and when you actually launch your (barkada's) own fundraiser efforts.
Love that idea! It's great to give back to those who need it the most. What was your inspiration behind it?
My college friends and I studied at the premiere State University where tuition fee was subsidized by people's taxes, more so at the very campus located beside the Philippine General Hospital in Ermita, Manila — a very busy area where poverty is very apparent, where seeing snatchers running around with stolen cellphones and bags and wallets was pretty much a norm.
So, if we didn't come out willing to serve the people and give back, grounded and aware of our privileges, we would be too dense and naive for the real world. Haha.
We were inspired by people who were doing their own bit, and the efforts of our own loved ones and friends. We figured, we had stuff to let go so why not let them go for a cause? It was timely, not to mention meaningful.
But as days went by, we realized the online garage sale was becoming secondary to the willingness of people to simply donate! Bulk of the money we have raised came from Pat's yoga get-together that had a pay-what-you-can component, and mere donations wired to us!
For the first batch, we chose the Philippine Animal Rescue Team (PART) no-kill animal shelter and Anawim Lay Missions Foundation home for the abandoned and poor elderly, because our hearts are the softest for these two sectors — animals and seniors! There are 11 of us in the barkada (group), and we all have our respective pet and lolo/lola-related story (or hugot) to tell.
That's really amazing and generous! So question, in a perfect world and if everything lined up, what is your biggest goal/dream you would like to achieve?
Simple and lowkey - I'd live in an island close to the beach, where the community is self-sustaining... and the internet infrastructure is stable haha.
While at it, I'd run a small, sustainable business aligned with whatever my role is gonna be in that community, and push through with the various creative pursuits and passion projects I have with friends.
Of course, this goes without saying that ideally, all the said efforts should have an advocacy component, specifically one dedicated to education. And if it's not too much to ask, it would be nice to have a Jeep Wrangler to drive around! Just have to have space for Chase in the front!
Haha we cannot forget about him! Tell us something about this cute dog of yours?!?
Chase is more of a human than a dog, I strongly believe his smart ass self also thinks so. He's the more favored child, between us two.
He's a Tito (Uncle) at 12 y/o (turning 13 in human years on June 4, please greet him!), but he's very much fit and strong and macho, going on two 40 to 60-minute walks a day with his dad — one in the morning, and another in the afternoon.
He starred in a Spanish film, where he portrayed the role of Fito, a dog that caused panic for his human family... this film got a (UP Manila Spanish 2 class) grade of 1.25, if I remember correctly. Hahaha!
Haha a movie star in the making! Maybe next movie will be ready and worthy of an Oscar!
So, it is inevitable that we talk about kombucha, it is after all how we became friends! So how did you hear about Happy Brew Kombucha initially?
The person I initially ordered from stopped their operations in Manila, so I had to find another kombucha supplier. I reached out to brands recommended by friends who drink kombucha while also reaching out to those I found online (Facebook, specifically)...
Fortunately, Happy Brew replied to me quickly, and the vibe was just UN-transactional. At first (and this is the first time I'm telling you this, Gabby & Jerry!), I was honestly quite hesitant because back then (around mid-October 2019) the Happy Brew didn't have as many reviews and posts yet, probably cos you were also still relatively new?
New? We barely launched! You really were our very first customer! What made you decide to give us a try then?
It was the way you guys conversed with me, your passion and knowledge about kombucha pursuaded me to try.
I thought, if I were to get my supply of kombucha — a drink that is currently not regulated by the local FDA — I needed to be confident with my source. And you guys at Happy Brew Kombucha made me feel that — that there was some authentic, passionate human behind the Happy Brew Facebook chat thread.
The rest - history. The moment these guys started bouncing off ideas via chat, and then over wine and awesome food, I knew I'd get my supply of kombucha, exclusively, from you [my new friends!]
We love hearing that from our customers! And yes, love what we do! Was our brew the first time you tried kombucha?
I first heard about (and actually tried) kombucha in Manila, from some friends who do and teach yoga, but I got hooked when my family went to the West Coast in late 2019 where I got to try various brands, flavors, and levels of rawness!
By the time I got back to Manila, I think I was already able to acquire the taste (and smell) of kombucha, that I thought I had to find a good source here.
Unfortunately, the person I initially ordered from stopped operations. Fortunately, I found Happy Brew!
My first impression was meh. It was okay - I didn't really LOVE it right away, but I didn't dislike it either.
Research-based claims and lots of data say it's healthy, so I stuck with that thought. I guess I was fortunate enough to start with more flavored ones that weren't (too) pasteurized, so I was able to ease in and find my way into the craze.
We hear that a lot all over the world! When you try kombucha for the first time it is known to be a bit of a shock haha. So tell me, and I probably already know but what is your favorite flavor?
For the longest time, it has been Midnight Lychee but I must say that my more mature kombucha-drinking self's favorite is Jazz Notes! For every 2-3 bottles of Jazz Notes, I'd love to drink Midnight Lychee and/or Green Goddess.
Now I am curious! What flavor would you like to see us brew next? It can be anything, from obvious to near-insane!
Okay, I'll go from realistic to ~insane.
Firstly, not sure how it'll taste like but having a caffeine-induced kombucha flavor would be interesting, not to mention efficient.
That means I don't need to drink my black coffee in the morning, and kombucha soon after or around lunchtime anymore. It's a 2-in-1!
Also interesting would be a flavor that will have some hint of watermelon in it. Haha, that's my favorite fruit, next to mango although I cannot imagine mango tasting good with all the carbonation. Unless of course, you could surprise us with such haha
Thirdly, a whisky or wine-induced kombucha!!!
These are not too insane at all! Once we get back to normality in the Philippines, we will launch a few limited kombucha flavors and these might make the list!
Finally, why would you recommend Filipinos and others to drink kombucha?
People always say trust your gut, but how can you trust it if it ain't clean?
On a more serious note, kombucha has helped me with digestion and cleansing of my gut. That's all I'm gonna say. Hahahaha!
I would recommend for others to at least give it a shot for the right reasons, meaning they want to start living healthier — in mind, heart, and habit.
All disease begins in the gut - Hippocrates
We can't expect this drink and this drink alone to make us lose weight or have healthier guts and stomachs, so I'd recommend - to the extent of giving one a bottle for free - if the willingness to start living healthier comes from them.
Also, I think the flavor of your first kombucha would matter. That zero moment of truth. I think if it's too raw, they might get overwhelmed.
If it's too sweet, they might think kombucha is just some sort of carbonated juice drink. I therefore conclude, a bottle of Midnight Lychee might be a good sampler! Haha.
We wholeheartedly agree, our Midnight Lychee is our best-selling kombucha flavor by far!
Ria, it has been an absolute blast having you here! We loved hearing some new and interesting facts and are delighted our paths have crossed!
THANK YOU RIA!
Ria is a digital strategist who recently revived her interest in photography and writing (ish), hoping to finally make long overdue passion projects come to life. After the lockdown, she plans on going to the beach asap and immersing herself more in hiking, scuba diving, meditation, and a bit of yoga.
Follow her on Instagram @rialandingin
Reachable via email at rvmlandingin@gmail.com
#HappyBrewCrew on Spotify
See Ria's 5 favorite songs added to our Happy Brew Spotify Playlist:
1. Don't Want To Be - Gavin DeGraw (from my ultimate favorite series, One Tree Hill) 2. Elevation - U2 (I watched their concert live in Dec 2019, it's crazy amazing! The band and what they're fighting for are too awesome!) 3. Stolen - Dashboard Confessional 4. Indak - Up Dharma Down 5. Day 1 - Honne Close 6: Radio Ga Ga - Queen Close 7: Location Unknown - Honne
Her favorite books:
Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
TODAY'S FEATURED CHARITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES
Anawim is a small facility for poor and abandoned elderly people founded by Catholic lay preacher Bo Sanchez in Rizal Province, Philippines. Anawim Lay Missions opened its doors in 1996 to rejected and abandoned elderly who are roaming the streets. Its purpose is to provide a home, a sanctuary, to those poor and abandoned elderly who have nowhere else to go.
Please support our fundraising as we continue to help the animals grossly affected by this crisis. To date, we feed hundreds of hungry strays daily, sent food to four shelters and hundreds of families with furkids and sponsored medical needs for a number of pets who can not afford it.
Please help us continue with our mission of compassion because in the best of times, animals in the Philippines barely survive and in times of crisis, without your support, death will be their fate.
