When temperatures rise and the sun shines brighter, there's no better way to unwind than with a glass of something cold, refreshing and delicious. And if you fancy a drink that's healthy and takes the heat out of youAnd! And! AndLifestyle, meet your new favorite summer Sipp:Kombucha shop. It's exactly what it sounds like: the higher-alcohol version of regular kombucha, afermented tea known to contain gut-friendly probiotics.
"Kombucha is brewed with either green or black tea, which brings to the table a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that boost immunity and aid in digestion."Dice Christa Brown, MS, RDN, a New Jersey-based nutritionist. "Hard kombucha goes through a few more weeks of fermentation, bringing the alcohol content closer to that of beer," typically between 4 and 7% on average. There's not enough research to determine whether or not probiotic levels are affected by higher alcohol levels, Brown says, but not all of the benefits that are good for you are lost because the vitamins and antioxidants remain intact. Hard kombucha is tooless sugarthan mixed drinks because a lot of it disappears during the fermentation process, and it's also lower in calories and carbs if you're someone who pays attention.
But just because it has better properties for you doesn't mean you can sip hard kombucha on a whim. It's still an alcoholic beverage, meaning you should drink it in moderation, like you wouldWein,Bieror alcohol to avoid your risk of the harmful effects that excessive drinking can cause: heart problems, organ damage, addiction and even some cancers. "However, hard kombucha is still better than sugary cocktails or beers that lack nutrients, and hard kombucha doesn't trigger the same type of inflammatory response as alcoholic beverages with higher sugar and alcohol content."Würfel Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, chief nutritionist at UCLA Medical Center, assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and author of the new booksurvival recipe.
If you enjoy a can or two, look for hard kombucha brands with zero or less than 5% of itDaily Value of Added Sugaradds Brown. And since most kombucha flavors tend to be fruity, pouring that can into a pretty glass and then adding some fresh fruit for more goodness is the perfect excuse.
Ready for a taste test? We found some of themThe Best Hard Kombucha Brandsout there.
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Whatever flavor you choose from this woman-owned company, it's sure to tickle your taste buds and give you a little buzz. don't you believe us You are truly unique! Choose from Orange Persimmon Smash, Hibiscus Lavender, Ginger Lemon, Palo Santo Blueberry, Lychee Lime, Prickly Pear Punch, Grapefruit Jalapeno and the newest version, Raspberry Rose. The company uses yerba mate, a type of herbal tea native to South America, as a base, and each can contains 5g or less of sugar.
Believe it or not, this chewy kombucha's journey to your tummy began in a small apartment in Santa Monica, where the founders tinkered with their formula until they came up with the perfect combination of Dragonwell Green Tea (one of the world's most prized), Honey Acacia (from the Himalayas) and many real herbs, fruits and plant substances. Don't worry, now the preparation takes place in a place much larger than an apartment!
You'll want to sip Flying Ember's Hard Kombucha for more than one reason. The flavors are fabulous (Orange Passion Mimosa anyone?), you can choose from a range of ABVs (4.5% to 7%) to find one that suits your tastes, and it's zero grams of sugar. Oh, and a portion of the company's proceeds are diverted to its philanthropic arm, the Embers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting first responders, wildfire prevention, and response and recovery efforts has.
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This Maine-based brewery specializes in mixology, and by that we mean they found a way to ferment beer with fresh peaches and then blend it with kombucha for bubbly, fruity perfection. It has a lower ABV of 3.5% and comes in at just 100 calories.
This hard kombucha is brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and all ingredients used are natural, organic and carefully selected. Each can has great flavor but few calories at only 100 per drink.
This San Diego-based company makes delicious, handcrafted hard kombucha with green tea. It draws on only real, natural ingredients to infuse exciting flavors like mango, grapefruit, acai berry and more with just 3g of sugar.
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Made with organic and all-natural ingredients (meaning no artificial sweeteners or additives!), you should try all of Boochcraft's flavors. And the company prioritizes more than quality ingredients: a portion of gross sales is donated to fund sustainability projects that benefit communities and the planet.
A lot of passion goes into every batch of hard kombucha brewed at Odell Brewing Co., a Colorado company. Black and green tea are used for the base and it is flavored with real fruits, juices and purees.
The team at Local Roots searches the world for the high-quality ingredients that make up their Hard Kombucha. Teas come from India and China, for example, and ginger from Peru. And every can is USDA Organic certified.
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You can count on the hard kombucha this Oregon-based company makes to be top-notch: the team has been brewing and fermenting for 30 years, and you can get cans with ABV as low as 4.5% and as high as Find 7, %.
A newcomer to the hard kombucha scene, Hooch Booch was launched in March 2020 and contains no added sugar. It also achieves a higher ABV of 8.5% to offer a bit more bang for your buck.
Drinking this hard kombucha can be like sharing a drink with a relative or close friend. That's because the company was founded by two brothers who use their aunt's signature, SCOBY, to brew artisan kombucha in Nashville, Tennessee.
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With just 5g of sugar (and 0g of added sugar!), this Brooklyn-made hard kombucha comes in bright, refreshing flavors that are perfect for a day at the beach or a backyard barbecue.
The makers of regular kombucha, Aqua ViTea, make this alcoholic version using only organic and natural ingredients and no added sugar.
The makers of this original brand of hard kombucha waste no time: they stay true to the simple, traditional method of brewing kombucha, then rely only on organic fruits and herbs for flavor. And best of all, it contains no added sugar!
Alyssa young
editor-in-chief
Alyssa is Senior Editor at Hearst Health Newsroom, where she has written research-backed health contentprevention,Good housekeepingjwomen's Daysince 2017. She has over 13 years of editing and reporting experience, having previously served as Research Director atReader's Digest, where he was responsible for the health section of the website and edited health content for the print magazine. He has also written for Chowhound, HealthiNation.com, Huffington Post, and others.