Hello, I’m Banu.

Living and working on a farm just outside Istanbul, I’m usually somewhere between the garden and the kitchen. What I see growing, what’s in season, or something I taste along the way can easily spark an idea for something new.

And fermentation has always been a big part of how these ideas take shape. For years, I’ve been learning how time, environment, and living cultures can completely redefine an ingredient.

At some point, I started wondering why drinks couldn’t be approached in the same way. I wanted to make something of my own — drinks with the same curiosity and depth I look for in food, but without alcohol being the point.

That is how Early May began to take shape.

The garden shapes a lot of it.  Herbs and flowers I grow myself blend into each brew, alongside carefully chosen teas and whatever else catches my attention.

It’s a very limited, hands-on production where every step still passes through my hands.

No two batches are ever the same. That leaves plenty of room for new ideas, new combinations, and the occasional surprise.

Hopefully, there’ll be something here for you, too.

Banu