Kombucha is a popular drink that many people enjoy, but, how much alcohol is in Kombucha?
The amount of alcohol in kombucha can vary greatly. Most kombucha you find on shelves at the store usually has less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), which makes it non-alcoholic for most purposes. Homebrewed kombucha, on the other hand, can have much higher alcohol levels. Some homebrews contain up to 3% alcohol or more.
Is Kombucha Considered An Alcoholic Drink?
While kombucha does contain alcohol, most of the time, it isn’t considered an alcoholic drink.
Kombucha is made with fermented tea, and alcohol is a by-product of fermentation. Alcohol is naturally produced during the brewing process and cannot be avoided. The quantity of alcohol generated during kombucha fermentation varies considerably and is determined by several factors.
The brew’s length will determine the alcohol content. The longer kombucha ferments, the more alcohol it generates. The amount of alcoholic yeast in kombucha is also a factor. Lower-alcohol fermenting yeast produces a lower-alcohol beverage.
Do You Have To Be 21 To Buy Kombucha?
Because commercially produced kombucha has under 0.5% of alcohol, you don’t need to be 21 years of age or older to buy most of them it.
With that said, there are some variants on the shelves that have more than 0.5%, in which case you will need to be at or above the legal drinking age. These are usually in darker bottles which makes it easier to differentiate.
If you’re in the beer aisle and see kombucha, these are most certainly alcoholic and you would need to prove you are over 21 before buying it.
Can You Get Drunk Off Of Kombucha?
Technically, drinking a whole lot of kombucha may make you intoxicated. You’d have to down about eight bottles of commercial kombucha to get the same effect as one beer, which is kind of extreme and not recommended.
If you decide to drink that much kombucha, you’ll almost certainly experience some unpleasant digestive side effects like bloating and gas. So, you could do it, but it probably wouldn’t be worth it.
Let’s also remember that kombucha can have a lot more alcohol if it isn’t commercially brewed. There is also “alcoholic kombucha” sold in the beer aisles of stores which can contain 8% or more alcohol, which is quite a bit and you would likely feel it after just 1 can of those.
