The Down Low: Kombucha and Caffeine

The Down Low: Kombucha and Caffeine

What it is, what’s it got to do with booch, and what you wanted to know.

The world’s favorite drug, is not the favorite of some. We decided to speak on the science, your concerns, and general curiosities all in one place.

You think you know it well, but let’s formally introduce you. Methyltheobromine is consumed in amounts of about 300 milligrams a day by more than half of all Americans, but goes under the much much friendlier name, caffeine. For reference purposes on how much 300mgs is, consider that one 8oz cup of coffee has about 95 mgs of caffeine, although this figure can vary wildly based on multiple factors - so many, that it could be a whole article in and of itself.  

So many are so very in love with it not only because it comes in all kinds of delicious formats such as tea, coffee, chocolate, as well as some really great herbs like mate, guayusa, and guarana, but because it’s a natural stimulant that works on the brain and nervous system, making us feel more alert and increasing brain activity. It even releases some neurotransmitters well-known for making us feel incredible, dopamine and norepinephrine. And just as on-the-go as those drinking it, this drug only takes about 20 minutes to start exerting its effects. It is widely available, and unregulated. This stuff pretty much sells itself.

While we’re starting to find that caffeine isn’t as bad for us as we once thought, even containing some benefits like improvement of mood and brain function, metabolism, and possibly, some protection to your liver, some people need to avoid it for health reasons, or have concerns about some of its other bodily effects.

One of kombucha’s central elements involves tea, a beverage also naturally containing caffeine. While tea contains significantly less caffeine than coffee (usually, it can depend), at about 40mgs per cup, this is enough to cause some unwanted effects in some people, or way too much for others who are trying to simply avoid it.

While it’s true, that kombucha is brewed by putting a SCOBY in to a large amount of black or green tea, there are two factors to consider. If you’re buying a bottle off of the shelf, that large jug of tea goes on to make multiple bottles of kombucha, often with delicious fruits, juices and herbs added on a second ferment. You’re not getting the caffeine kick from a full bottle of entirely tea. Secondly, during the fermentation process, the caffeine content gets cut down on top of this, leaving you with a fraction of the caffeine that the tea started with.

When you’re talking caffeine, actual figures can indeed vary depending on plant types, brew times, water temperatures, etc., but if we’re looking at kombucha in general, we would be looking at, on best estimates, about 10-15mgs of caffeine in your bottle. That’s less than the amount of average decaf coffee. If the brew uses strictly, or mostly, green tea, the number could potentially go down much more.  A small number of people are also triggered by decaf coffee, so if this is you, and you still want a booch fix, you needn't drink an entire bottle at once.

Kombucha will be fine, opened but sealed, as long as it’s kept in your refrigerator, and finished within 5 days. A half a bottle of kombucha will only yield negligible amounts of caffeine, but we also have a secret for you. Seek North is very conscious during all stages of brewing, so not only are we all the cool things like organic, artisan, and small batch brewed, we also try to control the amount of caffeine present by using a specific tea blend in our base, including more delicate Chinese green teas, to cut down on this too. Yes, we did think of everything.

We want as many people to be a part of our journey as possible. We want you to be able to drink Seek North, and not have to worry about alcohol, or lots of caffeine, to end up in a yoga class with one of us, to share our love of where you live regardless of it being deep in the Upstate country, or an apartment overlooking Times Square. We’re in this with you. And while we may be personally, highly caffeinated, we want room for you on our path in the spaces most comfortable for you.

Here’s to staying awake and seeing where we go next.