Choosing Kombucha Brands

So you’ve decided to hop on the kombucha bandwagon. While this health trend is increasingly popular, that popularity is leading to many up-and-coming kombucha brands, both local and otherwise, which also leads to some confusion when you’re at the grocery. Which brands are right for you?

Kevita Master Brew Kombucha

Kevita is a pretty popular kombucha brand easily found on many store shelves. While it’s 100-percent organic and only 70 calories per bottle, there are a few downsides (or upsides, depending on how you look at it). For those needing something a bit sweeter, like someone new to the ‘bucha craze, Kevita has a little added sweetness via Stevia. Kevita also increases the caffeine in its brews with green coffee bean extract.

Health-Ade Kombucha

Health-Ade is a crowd favorite. With many different varieties to choose from, it ticks a lot of boxes that you might not find is the case with every national brand — it’s brewed in 100-percent glass, naturally fermented, raw and with no probiotic count on the label. If there’s a probiotic count on the label, it may mean probiotics were added, instead of all occurring naturally.

BluePrint Organic

BluePrint is known for its juices, and now it’s making its foray into the kombucha world. These varieties have more calories and sugar per bottle (up to 90 calories and 24 grams of sugar). It’s also not totally clear if it’s entirely raw, but it is more palatable to newbies.

Locally Made

If you’re at your local farmers market, it’s likely you’ll come across a kombucha vendor. How can you know if they’re legit? First, check to see if they’re using the four required ingredients for kombucha — water, tea, sugar and culture. Sugar-free kombucha does not exist. Also, ask them if they brew in 100-percent glass. Fermenting in other vessels can lead to a poorer taste and reduced health benefits.