Dr. Toby Feibelman, a former graduate student in our laboratory, used to keep a Kombucha culture growing in a 5 gallon, widemouth jar. When the first author joined our laboratory, Kombucha moved from laboratory mascot to experimental object. Jill Jarrell could indulge her interest in alternative medicine while working within the constraints of a mycology laboratory. Simultaneously, all of us had an opportunity to learn more about this bizarre life form and compare our culture with several others.