Does Kombucha Taste Good?
Maybe you’ve sipped your share of craft beer, hard seltzer and the like, but lately you linger at the store’s kombucha section and wonder Would I like that? You should take the dive, and we’ll tell you why.
The foundation of kombucha is fermented tea. Hang on! We don’t mean a mug of Earl Grey before bedtime. Kombucha is packed with vibrant flavor and does a bubbly tap dance on your taste buds — traditional ho-hum tea it is not. It’s been around for centuries, and while it won’t grant you immortality as some lore goes, kombucha is a lowkey legend because its taste is so unique.
An anchor of kombucha flavor is the SCOBY, or Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria & Yeast. If you’ve seen DIY kombucha in action, the SCOBY looks like a slippery pancake. Where does it fit in? Well, first you steep tea, then stir in sugar — read: your basic sweet tea — then the SCOBY does its magic: transforming the sugar into alcohol, then turning that alcohol into natural, tangy acids.
Now it’s ready for any combination of fruits, herbs, and spices that sound tasty. The results are an experience, somehow both complex and easygoing. Like how our Ginger, Lemon & Hibiscus effortlessly flows from tart to floral to spicy — that ginger zip!
Kombucha’s Effervescence
A standout part of kombucha’s flavor is the effervescence. Like a brunch-time mimosa, kombucha has those fine, fizzy bubbles that make each sip a mini celebration. Any beverage with sparkle owes that to carbon dioxide gas, hence the term carbonation. While some drinks are “force carbonated” — infused with CO2 in a separate step — the fermentation process in beverages like kombucha creates natural carbonation; when yeast chomp on sugar, the two main byproducts are alcohol and carbon dioxide.
When you make your own kombucha, carbonation is something to watch closely. It’s possible to have too much CO2. (You want to drink the stuff, not clean it off the ceiling.)
Kombucha’s Flavor Notes and Complexity
If you can dream it up, that kombucha flavor probably exists. Recipes can go in so many directions, starting with what kind of tea you use. Strainge Beast flavors use a blend of organic green and black teas, but you can also find kombucha brewed with white tea, oolong, and others.
Then you’d be amazed by how many SCOBY options are out there, and how they can affect flavor — more or less acidity, subtle vs. punchy aroma. We test brewed with dozens of SCOBY cultures before our Strainge breakthrough. No one else has our SCOBY, and its aromas, flavors and balance are unmatched.
And once you start adding fruits, spices and herbs, each kombucha flavor becomes a thrilling playground, like cocktail mixology meets the local farmers market. Expect a dash of sweetness with kombucha, but it’s kept in check by a dry finish — the way champagne flashes off your tongue, leaving you eager for the next sip.
What Does Hard Kombucha Taste Like?
“Hard” kombucha means alcoholic kombucha, and it tastes super similar to regular kombucha. And while regular kombucha does contain a hint of alcohol (0.2%–0.5%), our Strainge Beast hard kombucha flavors top out at 7% ABV. Yup, big difference.
To make hard kombucha, there’s a second round of fermentation. In the first round, the SCOBY does its core job: creating the distinct acids that help define kombucha flavor. In the second round, yeast (that’s not part of a SCOBY) eats a fresh dose of sugar, converting it into alcohol. Well hello, boozy booch.
But let’s get practical. It’s happy hour, and it’s decision time. You’re weighing hard kombucha vs. hard seltzer, wine, and beer. Is taste your key factor? Hard kombucha’s refreshing tartness and depth of flavor might win out. Watching nutrition stats? Peep our 100-cal Watermelon, Sea Salt, Lime & Mint. Plus we’re gluten free and vegan friendly, so everyone’s in on this party.
Strainge Beast Hard Kombucha
Fermentation is a frenzy that either goes right, or goes right off the rails. Good thing we bring over 40 years of craft brewing experience to this Strainge domain. And with 100% organic ingredients — real, all-natural fruits and botanicals — each Beast is a guaranteed love triangle of delicious flavor. Why have you waited this long? Doesn’t matter. Let’s get Strainge.
