Last summer White Claw was the it-drink, but hard kombucha is the drink we’re seeing everywhere in Summer 2020. Kombucha can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store and it’s a fermented sweetened tea that uses SCOBY (symbolic culture of bacteria and yeast). SCOBY starts as a residue on the surface of the tea and then it grows to fill the diameter of the jar while getting thicker. Kombucha’s popularity is partly due to its gut-healthy probiotics and immune-boosting benefits.
Hard kombucha, is brewed like kombucha, but for longer. It’s made by brewing tea with active cultures, sugar, and yeast for fermentation. To add flavor, fruits and herbs like ginger, lemon, blueberry, and hibiscus are added in. Kombucha is usually made with black or green tea, but it can also be made with yerba mate.
As for the taste, it’s similar to hard cider, but a bit more floral, herbal, and fruity. Regular kombucha has a small bit of alcohol in it and hard kombuchas are brewed to around 6% alcohol by volume. They’re also gluten-free and vegan.
In regards to the health benefits of hard kombucha, unfortunately, the probiotics found in regular kombucha are lost in the fermentation process, since they don’t like alcohol. Each of the ingredients found in kombucha has its own health benefits, so just read the labels to see what’s in the drink.
If you’re looking to hop on the hard kombucha trend, check the refrigerated beer and wine section of your local grocery store and they’ll probably be near the hard shelters. They’re a new product, so their location in stores will vary.
