In Geneva, siblings Rafael and Jaira Guevara have created a vibrant, locally-made kombucha with a mission. Behind the brand Papa Booch is an artisanal vision of taste, health, and human connection—brewed on a small scale but driven by big ideas.
At Papa Booch, nothing is left to chance. Each bottle is the result of a meticulous fermentation process inspired by craft brewing. It all starts with an infusion of black tea and a generous helping of sugar to feed the SCOBY—a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast that transforms the mix into a rich, tangy, all-natural drink.
The first fermentation takes place in open vats, allowing the yeast to produce ethanol, which is immediately converted by the bacteria into organic acids. Then come the locally sourced flavorings: peach-ginger, apple-pear… “Each batch is unique, influenced by the temperature, the fruit, the natural cycles. You can’t control everything—and that’s what makes it special,” explains Rafael.
After a light filtration, the second fermentation happens in sealed bottles or kegs, creating the much-loved natural fizz. The result? A balanced kombucha—“not too sour, not too fizzy”—designed to appeal to both die-hard fans and curious newcomers.
Papa Booch is committed to offering a healthy, accessible kombucha—officially classified as non-alcoholic under Swiss regulations. “You can’t ferment without creating alcohol, but you can control it,” says Rafael. By closely monitoring residual sugar levels, acidity, and temperature, they keep the alcohol content below 0.5%.
Unlike some producers turning to hard kombucha, Papa Booch proudly sticks to a “soft” approach: “I want this to be a healthy drink, accessible to everyone—not an alcohol substitute.”
Making a raw, unpasteurized kombucha means grappling with tough logistics. “Like yogurt or carrots,” it needs to be kept cold—otherwise, fermentation continues. “That changes the taste, the texture, everything,” Rafael explains. But not all retailers have the right setup. “Not everyone has cold rooms to store products.”
To maintain freshness without sacrificing their values, the team has set up a flexible replacement policy: “If something passes the expiration date, we swap it out. We take the old ones back.” It’s a system based on trust, quality, and customer loyalty.
Still, the costs of small-scale production add up: limited supply chains, certified lab space, frequent deliveries… “I can only order one pallet at a time, which basically doubles the price.” And pricing remains a touchy subject in the retail world:
“When I name the price, they already start wincing… because they’re comparing it to a Coke bought for 80 centimes and resold for five francs.”
But as Rafael reminds us: “This isn’t a soft drink. It’s not iced tea. It’s a beverage that takes three weeks to produce—like beer.”
Long focused on B2B (cafés, restaurants, and outlets like Bains des Pâquis), Papa Booch is now branching into an ambitious B2C offering. “We’re doing subscriptions,” says Rafael. Customers can choose their format (6, 12, or 24 bottles) and frequency (once or twice a month) right on the website. Everything is delivered straight to their doorstep in the Greater Geneva area.
“It’s kind of like a veggie box… but with kombucha,” he adds. A dozen customers have already joined the pilot phase, and the team is now aiming to grow this offering—to build a closer, more regular connection with fermented drink lovers.
At the same time, Rafael is experimenting with 5-liter mini kegs, aimed at private customers for parties or events. “We’ve got the format—we just need to figure out the right system to make it plug-and-play.” For now, it requires a small CO₂ setup and a tap. “But I’d love to offer it like those mini beer kegs—only with kombucha.”
The format has already caught the eye of a few customers and could become a regular product—ideal for picnics, birthdays, or brunches with friends.
The name Papa Booch perfectly captures the spirit of the project: a playful nod to being the “kombucha dad,” and a wink to the English slang “booch,” a common abbreviation. The visual identity is just as thoughtful, created with a designer on the 99designs platform. The result: a lively, colorful label bursting with fruit, spices, and Swiss mountains. “We wanted bright colors, something that stood out,” says Rafael.
True to their sustainable values, Papa Booch operates with a deposit-return system: kegs are collected, cleaned, and reused. Each bottle also becomes a communication tool, thanks to a QR code linking directly to the website.
On the communications front, Jaira Guevara sets the tone. As head of communications and sustainability at Papa Booch, she brings a strong storytelling sensibility to the brand’s digital presence. “I really believe in this—because that’s when people are willing to pay the price, once they know the story.”
On Instagram, she shares the behind-the-scenes: equipment, raw ingredients, the vibe of the lab… “People love seeing how it’s made. They want the real thing, not something polished.” She’s also planning participatory campaigns, like a video series on how to pronounce “Papa Booch”—a fun way to build engagement and reinforce the brand’s authentic, local roots.
Rafael and Jaira grew up in the Philippines, on a sustainable farm founded by WWF. Regenerative farming, renewable energy, composting, self-sufficiency—this environment profoundly shaped their relationship with living systems. Returning to Geneva in 2009, Rafael later discovered kombucha and trained with a start-up before launching a microbrewery with his sister in 2024: Swiss Brew, and their brand Papa Booch.
Their mission: to offer a living, local, unpasteurized kombucha that respects nature, the human body, and human connection. In short, a drink as honest as the people who brew it.
With Papa Booch, kombucha becomes an artisanal manifesto: fermented with care, distributed with purpose, and told with heart. And in every sip—a little bit of Geneva, a touch of nature, and a lot of truth.
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Crédit photo : Papa Booch
Titulaire d’un master en Lettres, j’ai enseigné l’allemand et le français dans de nombreux établissements de l’école secondaire genevoise. En tant qu’enseignante, j’ai développé de nombreuses compétences telles que l’aisance à prendre la parole en public, le plaisir de partager le savoir, la capacité à aider les autres à apprendre. Passionnée par toutes les mythologies du monde, je m’intéresse aux récits qui parlent de l’être humain, de ses interrogations et de ses aspirations. J’aime tant les histoires que je suis devenue écrivaine et conteuse. En tant que rédactrice, j’utilise mes compétences rédactionnelles pour partager – encore – des informations, une réflexion ou des rencontres.