The yeast converts some of the sugars to alcohol, most of which is consumed by the bacteria and converted into acetic acid (explaining the slightly vinegary taste) and other organic acids. To make traditional kombucha, firms typically brew tea, add sugar, and then ferment the mixture with a kombucha culture or 'SCOBY' (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). What is kombucha and why does it contain alcohol? “The most important thing to me is to present this information to consumers about all the different kombuchas that are out there and let them decide which version they want,” he said.
Synergy kombucha alcohol code#
He also welcomed the long-awaited code of practice from trade association Kombucha Brewers International (KBI), which defines what kombucha is and how it is made, and encourages the use of on-pack terminology it claims provides consumers with more clarity about ingredients or manufacturing processes, such as ‘ added probiotics,’ ‘pasteurized,’ ‘sterile filtered' , ‘carbonated,’ or ‘dealcoholized' (although it allows flexibility in the exact wording used). “ I f you take away the things that make kombucha special - its rawness, its vinegary flavor, its natural effervescence, its visible strands of the culture, the way it’s made with an authentic kombucha SCOBY - then we have to ask ourselves, what are you actually making?" added GT, who started his company, now the market leader in a multi-million dollar category, in his mother's kitchen as a teenager in the 1990s. However, the bigger issue for GT’s is preserving the integrity of the kombucha category, which he argues has been compromised in part by pressure to keep alcohol levels consistently below 0.5% throughout the shelf-life, prompting firms to deploy a variety of techniques from heat pasteurization to kill off residual yeast, to micro-filtration to remove yeast and prevent secondary fermentation in the bottle, to spinning cone technology to remove alcohol. It also means that we can only sell to distributors that are licensed to sell beer, and they can’t sell across state lines." Preserving the integrity of the kombucha category If GT's Classic Kombucha is no longer effectively classified as beer, he said, "it could have a much broader distribution opportunity.”Īs the Classic line skirted the 0.5% threshold, he added: “We had to become a licensed brewer and pay tax not only to the feds but also state tax. One of the main reasons we want this act to pass is that right now, a product like Classic can only be distributed by beer distributors, who rarely have refrigeration." “We would probably reassess the brand and product positioning as it would not have to have this age restriction. If the KOMBUCHA Act passes, it would no longer have to be marketed effectively as an alcoholic product, and would not be subject to excise taxes, he said.
GT’s Classic Kombucha is the original brew GT began bottling in the 1990s, which like many traditional kombucha products skirts the 0.5% threshold and can contain up to around 1.25%.
GT explained: “ I have spoken with legislators and this act has been received incredibly well they understand the logic behind updating the law to allow businesses and a health product to continue to thrive. 892), which would amend the internal revenue code to ensure kombucha is exempt from excise taxes and other regulations imposed on alcoholic beverages, has been reintroduced to Congress by Rep. The KOMBUCHA Act (‘Keeping Our Manufacturers from Being Unfairly taxed while Championing Health Act’ H.R.
Carbohydrates and fibers (sugar, starches).Plant-based, alt proteins, precision fermentation.
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