A bottle of ice-cold hard Kombucha after a long tiring day is truly rewarding. Hard Kombucha or alcoholic Kombucha is an adult beverage that is known to contain traces of antioxidants, probiotics, and lower sugar and calories. Despite this, hard Kombucha is not a sin-free adult drink as it also contains alcohol that can cause adverse effects on health and wellness.
Hard Kombucha contains 4.5% to 8% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) depending on the length of fermentation and the amount of sugar used. The ABV may also be influenced by adding yeast to the hard Kombucha ferment. Hard Kombucha’s alcohol content is between that of beer and wine which has 5% and 12% ABV respectively.
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Fermentation Process of Hard Kombucha
Hard Kombucha is a popular fermented alcoholic drink that is typically made from tea, sugar, starter tea, and SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). It undergoes two to three fermentation processes that take more than 30 days.
The first fermentation of hard Kombucha takes about 6 to 10 days depending on how tart you want your Kombucha to be. During this time, the SCOBY converts the sweet tea to Kombucha. After the first fermentation, Kombucha undergoes second fermentation to increase its alcohol level. This can take 7 to 14 days depending on desired taste and alcoholic level. When the hard Kombucha completes the second fermentation, it is ready to drink and enjoy.
The third fermentation of hard Kombucha is optional. This is done to give hard Kombucha its fizzy texture and enhance its flavor. It typically takes 3 to 10 days depending on desired Kombucha taste.
Essentially, the longer you brew hard Kombucha, the stronger its taste becomes and the higher alcohol it can contain.
Sugar in Hard Kombucha
Besides the length of fermentation, the amount of sugar added to Kombucha can also influence its ABV. During the second fermentation of hard Kombucha, brewers add sugar to boost yeast activity and increase the alcohol content.
The yeast is responsible for the alcohol content of Kombucha. During fermentation, the yeast feeds on the sugar and converts it into alcohol. The more sugar to convert, the more alcohol the yeast can produce.
The sugar is typically added during the second fermentation. Adding 1 cup of sugar increases the alcohol level of hard Kombucha by 4%.
Yeast in Hard Kombucha
As we have explained above, yeast plays a key role in producing the high ABV of hard Kombucha. While hard Kombucha has natural yeasts, some may opt to add more yeasts to boost alcohol production. Usually, the yeast is added during the second fermentation of Kombucha.
With added yeast and sugar on the second fermentation, Kombucha is likely to become alcoholic in 7 to 14 days.
To add yeast to Kombucha, simply dissolve 1 cup of organic sugar in 1 cup of warm water. Once it cools and the sugar has fully dissolved, add ¾ to 1 teaspoon of dehydrated yeast. After a few minutes, you will see that the mixture will start to foam. This is because the yeast has been activated.
Once, you’ve confirmed that the yeast is active and healthy, add the mixture to 1 gallon of Kombucha. Next, stir the mixture. Then, let the bottle undergo second fermentation for 7 to 14 days. After the second fermentation, you may opt to bottle your Kombucha and let it undergo third fermentation for extra flavor and fizz.
Does Hard Kombucha Count as Alcohol?
The straight answer is yes. Hard Kombucha counts as alcohol. It contains 4.5% to 8% ABV which is considered alcoholic by the US Tax and Trade Bureau. According to them, once the ABV exceeds 0.5%, the beverage is considered alcoholic.
Since Kombucha is deemed alcoholic, drinking too much of this beverage can also cause the same side effects as other intoxicating drinks. These include the following.
- Hangover symptoms such as nausea and dehydration
- Inflammation
- Organ damage particularly the liver
- Digestive problems
- Learning and memory difficulties
Drinkers of alcoholic beverages like hard Kombucha are advised to always drink in moderation. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks for men.
If you live in the US, take note that the minimum legal drinking age is 21. If you are under 21 years old, you are not legally allowed to drink. When it comes to purchasing alcoholic beverages, the legal age may vary from state to state.
Is Hard Kombucha the Healthiest Alcohol?
Determining whether hard Kombucha is the healthiest alcohol or not can be subjective. Although it does contain relatively lower sugar and calorie content compared to beer, wine, and alcoholic beverages, its alcoholic content makes it unhealthy for the body. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a way to cut down on sugar and calorie while drinking, hard Kombucha is a good drink to consider.
In addition to the low calorie and sugar, hard Kombucha is thought to be healthier because of its probiotics content. Probiotics are live bacteria that aid in digestive health and are commonly found in fermented foods. Hard Kombucha does contain traces of probiotics, however, they may not be enough to make significant benefits to gut health. Some probiotics cannot withstand the high ABV of hard Kombucha. ABV ranging from 5.6% to 7.6% is not ideal for probiotics. If you want to drink hard Kombucha with probiotics, we suggest opting for one with an ABV lower than 5.6%.
Can You Get Drunk Off of Kombucha?
The short answer is no. Regular Kombucha or non-alcoholic Kombucha only contains 0.5% ABV which is not enough to give you the same intoxicating effects as hard Kombucha or other alcoholic beverages.
Nevertheless, many alcoholic drinkers are switching to regular Kombucha because it offers the same bubbly and tasty savor as an alcoholic beverage. In addition to the similar savor, regular Kombucha can also help you relax and stay calm.
If you’re particularly sensitive to alcohol, the traces of alcohol in regular Kombucha may still affect you. Hence, it is wise to drink this beverage in moderation. Keep in mind the daily recommended amount of consumption for Kombucha is only 12 oz. daily. If you’re new to drinking Kombucha, only drink enough Kombucha that your body can tolerate.
Still thinking about getting drunk off of Kombucha? If yes, then you can opt for hard Kombucha instead of a regular one. As mentioned above, most hard Kombucha varieties, mainstream or homemade, contain 4.5% to 8% ABV. With 8% ABV, you can get drunk after about four to five drinks.
Can Kombucha Test Positive for Alcohol?
The results of alcohol content tests mainly depend on the alcohol level in your body. As you’ve probably already known, Kombucha has low amounts of alcohol that are not enough to intoxicate an individual. However, some tests can still detect the small amounts of alcohol in your system and yield positive results. Nowadays, there are many ways to test for alcohol content in the body. Below we discuss these tests one by one.
- Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer can detect alcohol in the mouth. Usually, you will test positive in this alcohol test if you drink Kombucha that has more than 0.5% ABV.
Most mainstream Kombucha brands offer Kombucha drinks with 0.5% ABV. On the other hand, homebrewed Kombucha varieties can reach 1% and more. Hence, if you drank homebrewed Kombucha, then you are very likely to yield a positive result. Although 0.5% to 1% ABV is not likely to affect you, this amount can accumulate in your mouth and can be easily detected by the breathalyzer.
- Saliva Test
Like a breathalyzer, a saliva test can also detect the alcohol in your mouth and is likely to give you the same results as a breathalyzer. Hence, if you drank Kombucha that has more than 0.5% ABV, you are very likely to yield a positive result.
- Blood Alcohol Content tests
Blood alcohol content tests examine an obtained blood sample for any alcohol. This test is deemed accurate and drinking Kombucha will not affect your result. Blood alcohol content tests do not usually test positive for Kombucha as its alcohol content is very low.
- ETG Alcohol Test
ETG alcohol test or ethyl glucuronide test is used by testing an obtained urine sample for any alcohol. This test is capable of testing traces of alcohol in the body from the last five days. In this test, Kombucha often yields a positive result, or a very low ETG result depending on how much Kombucha you’ve consumed.
How Much Kombucha Does It Take to Get Tipsy?
Kombucha contains 0.5% ABV. With this low alcohol content, it is very unlikely that you will get tipsy by drinking one bottle. You’d have to drink about eight bottles of commercial Kombucha to get effects similar to drinking a bottle of beer.
Drinking Kombucha to get intoxicating effects will lead to overdrinking this beverage. If you consume too much Kombucha in a short period of time, you may experience the following side effects.
- Bloating
- Digestive distress
- Excess calorie and sugar consumption
- Allergy reactions
- Headache
- Nausea
Take note that the recommended daily consumption of Kombucha is only 12 oz. a day.
