How Much Alcohol is in Kombucha Tea, Anyway?

Wait kombucha has alcohol in it?

Kombucha tea has taken the world by storm, and you don’t have to consider yourself a hippie to appreciate the health benefits of drinking it. Kombucha is rich in probiotics and minerals, is naturally gluten-free, and according to an article from Healthline, it may have the same benefits as drinking green tea. Think: lower risk of breast and prostate cancer and a positive impact on cholesterol levels, to name a few. We’ll take it! But how much alcohol content is in a Kombucha tea? Should we be avoiding kombucha in the morning or worried before we get behind the wheel? Hold it right there, not so fast.  

A brief lesson on how kombucha tea is brewed:

Yes, kombucha contains alcohol, thanks to the natural fermentation process of the bubbly beverage. But why? This is because Kombucha is naturally fermented. The process of brewing kombucha requires a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast). The scoby is combined with a sweetened tea and the magic quickly ensues. The yeasts from the SCOBY begin to eat the sugar that was added before fermentation. Then, the culture begins to produce ethanol, which is a naturally occurring alcohol, along with carbon dioxide to produce those delicious bubbles you know and love. So, the bacteria from the SCOBY has a field day consuming the ethanol, producing plenty of healthy acids, and the alcohol is just a natural result of the fermentation process. If you ever decide that you want to brew you own check out our post on DIY High Alcohol Kombucha.  

So, how much alcohol can you expect to find in a bottle of kombucha tea?

By law, non-alcoholic beverages can only contain up to 0.5% ABV. This means that you can grab a bottle of your standard kombucha and drink without any of the negative side effects of your typical alcoholic beverage of choice. Of course, if you’re sensitive to alcohol, you may wish to avoid kombucha. We are not medical professionals at Boochcraft and can’t cure any condition or disease, so it’s always best to consult with your healthcare provider to know what’s best for you. Keep in mind, if you want to keep the alcohol content of your kombucha tea stable, you’ll want to keep it refrigerated. If your kombucha gets warm, the fermentation process can kickstart, causing the alcohol content to rise. Let’s not forget, Boochcraft is a high alcohol kombucha beer - meaning that we take the fermentation process a step further to increase the alcohol content in our booch. Our flavors of hard kombucha beer contain approximately 7% ABV. So while you may choose to sip your standard bottle of kombucha tea any time of day, please drink Boochcraft responsibly.  

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