Kombucha has been hailed as a health kick, but have you heard the rumors? Technically, while legally sold as non-alcoholic, store-bought bottles do contain traces of alcohol. With an enforced maximum of 0.5% ABV, fear not, you won’t be wobbling out of your nearest health store any time soon. However, companies must label the bottles accordingly, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau emphasizes that failure to meet these standards risks enforcement penalties. While homemade kombucha can reach strengths of up to 3% ABV, the strict regulations mean there’s no cause for concern with commercial purchases.
Store-bought bottles stay just under the threshold, or at least, they should. Here’s the kicker: Inadequate storage can lead to am increase in alcohol levels. SCOBY continues to develop, gradually increasing the ABV if not refrigerated. If you’re set on enjoying it teetotal, budge the milk and cheese aside and make space for kombucha in your fridge. Be mindful of shelf-stored bottles in grocery stores too — room temperature is enough to get fermentation going again.
Alternatively, throw caution to the wind and sample some delicious kombucha cocktail recipes and ideas; its tart fizz is just too tempting a mixer. And with all its health benefits, the probiotic-rich beverage is a great compromise. Why not research the best kombucha brands to try for that upcoming dinner party?
Why is alcohol found in kombucha?
That diminutive ABV percentage in kombucha doesn’t come from nowhere. As a fermented drink, the recipe uses sugar to breed SCOBY (a combination of yeast and healthy bacteria). As these colonies multiply, the SCOBY imparts different qualities, including that delectable fizz thanks to a release of carbon dioxide. Its other primary byproduct? You guessed it: alcohol.
On a scientific level, the SCOBY transforms the sugar into glucose and fructose, completing a process called ethanol fermentation by metabolizing the two into alcohol. Adding that sweetener is essential in our step-by-step guide to making and caring for kombucha; the colony won’t grow without it. In fact, omitting sugar is one of the biggest mistakes to avoid with homemade kombucha. The alcohol’s presence is a natural sign that the yeast and bacteria are successfully multiplying, and it also acts as a valuable preservative. It’s like yin and yang. The best kombucha bottles perfectly balance SCOBY and ABV levels.
