It seems not a day goes by that we don’t get questions regarding kombucha alcohol content. This is a valid concern for many people but is especially common with pregnant women, recovering alcoholics, and parents concerned with their kids drinking kombucha. Before diving in, essentially, we can divide kombucha into three categories – store-bought, homemade, and hard. Hard kombucha is becoming more and more common in bars, restaurants, and grocery stores. These are obviously alcoholic, so I’m not going to patronize you and explain any further. So let’s discuss kombucha.
Yes, kombucha does contain trace amounts of alcohol, as with all fermented beverages, but it’s nearly always considered non-alcoholic by definition. So, in short, the alcohol content of kombucha is low enough not to have any intoxicating effects like alcoholic drinks; it’s similar to a non-alcoholic beer.
The alcohol percentage of kombucha typically ranges between 0.25%-1.00% A.B.V., sometimes a bit higher. This range is typical of homemade kombucha. Store-bought kombucha in the U.S. must be 0.5% A.B.V. or lower. In fact, here in the states – all drinks, including store-bought kombucha, are required by federal law to be at or below 0.5% A.B.V. to be considered non-alcoholic. For example, non-alcoholic beers like O’Doul’s contain 0.5% A.B.V. Anything higher than this, 0.6% A.B.V. and above, are considered alcoholic, and regulations come into play. Commercial kombucha breweries in the U.S. take great care to ensure the alcohol content of their kombucha is below this threshold. In fact, the law requires that it not go above this threshold at any point during the entire shelf life of the product and is subject to testing at any given time.
So let’s break this down;
If you’re trying to get drunk off kombucha, you’re going to need to add liquor. No worries; we have a few hard kombucha recipes to get you started.
Commercial kombucha generally contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). If it goes above this limit, it would be classified as an alcoholic beverage in the United States.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in the U.S. regulates the alcohol content in kombucha. If the content exceeds 0.5% ABV, it is considered an alcoholic beverage and subject to different regulations.
The alcohol content in kombucha is influenced by the yeast, the amount of sugar, temperature, and the length of the fermentation process. Generally, the longer the fermentation, the lower the alcohol content.
Sugar is a critical ingredient in kombucha as it’s the primary food source for the yeast during fermentation. As the yeast metabolizes the sugar, it produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Bacteria in kombucha, particularly Acetobacter, convert the alcohol produced by yeast into acetic acid. This process helps to limit the alcohol content and also gives kombucha its signature tangy taste.
