Our Story
The Tonica Kombucha story began in 2006 when Zoey Shamai, a traveling yogini, returned home from a yoga ashram with a new treasure – kombucha tea.
While teaching yoga abroad, Zoey came across kombucha tea and was amazed by the incredible digestive boost she got from this fermented tea.
Tucking the precious kombucha culture into a jar, Zoey tiptoed it all the way back to Toronto where she continued to brew her living bubbles.
She began to share her then named “fairy’s tonic” kombucha with friends and yoga students and soon the word spread about her healthy, sparkling beverage.
“Having grown up in a health food family, tagging along with my mom as she built one of the first hemp companies, I was no stranger to health foods. But I had NEVER had such an immediate energy buzz and digestive power as I did from kombucha. I was hooked.” - Zoey Shamai
In 2011, Zoey branded her kombucha, “Tonica”, a modern twist on an ancient tonic.
In 2012 Zoey successfully pitched Tonica to CBC’s The Dragon’s Den! Though she didn’t end up taking the deal, Dragon’s Den featured Tonica again in a Success Follow Up in 2016. Check us out on Dragons Den here and here.
Since then, Tonica has continued to grow as a company, shipping to over 2,500 retailers across Canada. Tonica is based in Toronto and made up of a loving crew of good people brought together from around the world to make you the best tonic ever.
“We are a happy little crew, working together to share our living bubbles with people everywhere!” - Zoey Shamai