Still, not all fruit-flavored kombuchas are high in added sugar. ![]() As alcohol content varies, avoid giving your kids homemade or unpasteurized kombucha.Īs you can see, sweetened varieties may pack up to 46 times more sugar than unsweetened versions and 11 times more sugar than most sweetened sodas. SummaryĪlcohol is a natural byproduct of making kombucha. Read the label carefully to check for pasteurization status. Only pasteurized store-bought products, with their negligible levels of alcohol, are safe for kids. Thus, avoid giving your child homemade or unpasteurized store-bought kombucha. These higher ABVs are comparable to some light beers, the consumption of which is discouraged for anyone under the age of 21 due to the risk of intoxication and brain damage ( 10, 11). Similarly, home-brewed kombucha, which has unregulated levels of alcohol, may contain as high as 3.6% ABV ( 9). This may occur in unpasteurized brands - those not exposed to heat to denature the SCOBY after fermentation - because the live yeasts continue to ferment even when bottled ( 8). However, a Canadian study revealed that some store-bought kombucha brands tested above the regulatory limit, even in excess of 3% ABV ( 9). This small amount of alcohol is no different than what’s naturally found in foods like yeast bread, so store-bought kombucha should be safe for young children over age 4 ( 5, 8). And, similar to how its non-alcoholic offerings set the bar for that category, these products help set a high standard for other “hard kombucha” offerings.Kombucha is made by fermenting sweetened black or green tea for 7–10 days with a special blend of microbes called a symbiotic culture of bacterium and yeast (SCOBY) ( 3, 5, 6).ĭuring the fermentation process, the SCOBY feeds on the added sugars and naturally produces some alcohol.įood industry standards require that store-bought kombucha maintain less than 0.5% and 1.1% alcohol by volume (ABV) in the United States and Canada, respectively, to be classified as a nonalcoholic beverage ( 7). Overall, GT’s Classic Gold Kombuchas are very well executed products that do a great job of showcasing the company’s capabilities. Otherwise, the labels are intuitive, cleanly designed, and easily identifiable as part of the GT’s family. GT’s has taken to using this bottle for it’s “over 21” products, which, aside from helping to protect the raw kombucha that’s inside,look the part of the beer category (which is how it’s legally classified anyway). On the outside, these products look very much like GT’s core non-alcoholic packaging - aside from the amber glass bottle. The product is sweet and spicy, with the pepper ultimately winning out as you continue to drink your way through the bottle. It features raw kombucha, cold-pressed pineapple and turmeric juices, habanero pepper, and cinnamon as its primary ingredients. This one blends seven different hops, peach juice, and a base of raw kombucha, which results in something that tastes somewhat like a beer.įinally, there’s Pina Paradise, which was inspired by Mexican tepache. While this isn’t the first hopped kombucha that we’ve ever sampled, it is quite possibly the best. Second is Heavenly Hops, which was our favorite of the bunch. ![]() It definitely tricks your palate into thinking that you are drinking something that contains wine, but it very much has the bite of kombucha in an otherwise smooth finish. It’s made with aronia berry and blueberry juices and there’s also a touch of vanilla to the finish. There’s a slight note of alcohol at the finish, but fortunately this does not take away from what are three really well formulated products.įirst up is New World Noir, which is a fruit-forward kombucha that features a slightly oaky flavor (one of the ingredients is “oak blend,” but it’s not clear what this actually is just from looking at the label). The Classic Gold lineup includes three flavors: Heavenly Hops, New World Noir, and Pina Paradise, each of which have 3 percent ABV and are packaged in 16.2 oz amber glass bottles.įrom a taste perspective, we’d describe these products as being slightly richer in flavor than GT’s flagship Synergy or Kombucha offerings. ![]() Since GT’s was the brand that created the kombucha category in the first place, it seems only appropriate for its Classic Gold to be the first alcoholic kombucha product to be reviewed on BevNET.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |