Times Union- A primer on kombucha, a darling of Dry January

Deanna N. Fox | Jan. 19, 2021

Blame the influencers when it comes to kombucha. Whether it was the mid-aughts homesteading bloggers who convinced readers to infect their iced teas with good-for-you yeast and bacteria or latter day Instagram health gurus that tout the benefits of drinking kombucha, this slightly fizzy fermented drink is one of the fastest growing trends in the beverage world. In the first month of the year, when “dry January” promises are made and New Year’s resolutions include healthy eating and weight loss, kombucha’s many accolades make it primed for increased popularity.

Kombucha is a beverage form of ethanol fermentation, starting with brewed tea leaves and a little sweetener (in the form of sugar, fruit, juice or honey), then inoculated with something called a SCOBY, an acronym for, “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.” Everything percolates and ferments together until sugars are converted into ethanol (a type of alcohol) and carbon dioxide. The process is similar to those of wine, cider, beer and spirits production, but kombucha is typically considered non-alcoholic, only having trace amounts of less than half of a percentage point of alcohol.

This makes kombucha (sometimes called kombucha tea to differentiate from the “kombucha” fungus used to ferment the beverage) a suitable alternative for those looking for booze-free drinks. While the practice of making kombucha dates back two millennia to China, it has only started to appear on conventional grocery store shelves in the last five years and its popularity has soared. According to a report by SPINS market research group, U.S. sales of refrigerated kombucha and similar fermented beverages have increased by 2.4 percent between July 2019 and July 2020, bringing total domestic sales to $703.2 million. A 14 percent annual growth rate is predicted through 2023, especially with international beverage conglomerates acquiring kombucha makers for a hefty sum. (PepsiCo purchased the KeVita kombucha brand for $200 million in 2019.)

The other prominent claim on the benefits of kombucha comes from a focus on health and wellness. While there are few studies that confirm with concrete certainty that kombucha delivers measurable health benefits, those who make or consume it say the nutrients produced from the fermentation process and the microflora of good-for-you bacteria and yeast improve gut health and aid in digestion. “From a wellness perspective, it can be part of your fermented food and beverage palate. It offers good bacteria for the gut,” said Yiyi Mendoza, co-founder of Yesfolk Tonics in Troy. Mendoza said the wellness aspects of kombucha are not part of Yesfolk’s marketing campaign, but her customers generally incorporate her line of single origin, organic, whole-leaf kombuchas as an alternative to alcohol or more sugary products.

The founders of Seek North Kombucha, based in Kingston and sold throughout the Capital Region, do not list health benefits on the packages but do insist on the benefits of kombucha on their website. Phillipe Trish, co-founder of Seek North, said “kombucha is super low in sugar and packed in essential vitamins and nutrients.” His partner and co-founder, Julian Lesser, said, “Kombucha has effervescences and sweetness, but it is an extremely natural product. It has healing qualities for your body and your soul.” The pair founded Seek North after Trish started making kombucha for Lesser to introduce natural probiotics into his digestive system after he was diagnosed with neurological Lyme disease and underwent intensive antibiotic treatment. Many other kombucha companies and probiotic companies rely on synthetic probiotics made in a lab, Lesser said, and Seek North’s kombucha is unpasteurized and unfiltered, keeping all naturally occurring beneficial bacteria and yeast in the drink.

“It’s hard to make any claims (on health) because we can’t test every bottle. There’s not a set standard for how many probiotics you are getting,” said Laura Ligos, a registered dietitian and founder of the website www.thesassydietitian.com. She said she personally incorporates kombucha into her own diet and gives it a green light for her readers and clients, provided it does not include excess added sugar. The USDA’s food products database lists commercially made kombucha contains 30 calories and between 2 and 8 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving, on average.

“I like the idea of kombucha being an alcohol alternative,” Ligos said, adding that she has seen it on brewery tap lists more regularly in her travels outside of the Capital Region. Mendoza said before the pandemic, Yesfolk had several keg accounts at restaurants, bars and breweries in the area, but most sales in the past year have been for canned kombucha and a growler fill station for Yesfolk’s kombucha at Honest Weight Food Co-op. “There is an increased desire to have non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks,” Mendoza said. Yesfolk adds additional carbonation to kombucha, which Mendoza said offers “a sense of having a fun, social and festive drink.”

Trish and Lesser said to be sure customers reap the most benefit from kombucha, it is important to buy refrigerated products that have not been filtered or pasteurized, which remove living bacteria. “If it is on the shelf and not refrigerated, it’s a bad sign that it’s not a living drink,” Trish said. Sediment is a good indicator that there are living bacteria in the kombucha. The term “kombucha” has become a trend piece that gets slapped on products as a marketing gimmick, and Trish said the industry group Kombucha Brewers International is working to introduce legislation on a federal level for a formal definition on what can be called “kombucha.”

It might not be the cure-all some social media celebrities claim it to be, but it definitely has more of a healthy tinge than many other store-bought beverages offer. Ligos said the primary factor is that kombucha increases hydration and offers a flavorful alternative to plain water but warns that the probiotics in kombucha may aggravate symptoms of Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome. Lesser said it is those very elements that make kombucha a great option for other individuals. “A healthy gut is a healthy person,” Lesser said, and it is only one reason why kombucha is primed for increased demand as a regular beverage at home and while dining out.