Unleash your inner mixologist with kombucha, the fermented tea that's taking the world by storm!
Kombucha, a cousin of vinegar, is crafted using a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), often referred to as 'the mother'. Imagine a blob-like creature from the depths of the ocean - that's your SCOBY! Making kombucha at home is an exciting adventure, and incredibly cost-effective, requiring just sugar and tea. However, it's a skill that demands precision; over-fermentation can lead to vinegar, or worse, an explosive mess during secondary fermentation if you forget to release the built-up gas.
While DIY kombucha is fun, the market offers an extensive range of high-quality, ready-to-drink options. Some brands even position their kombucha as non-alcoholic alternatives to cocktails and wine. Naturally lower in sugar than most sweetened drinks, the fermentation process reduces sugar content, but the final amount depends on fermentation time. Some kombuchas are sugar-free, but beware of those sweetened with steviol glycosides and erythritol, which, in my opinion, compromise the natural flavor, despite their natural origins.
Now, let's dive into the best supermarket kombuchas I've tasted and rated:
Best Overall: Holos Ginger & Hibiscus Organic Kombucha
Price: £3.20 for 330ml (97p/100ml)
Rating: 5/5 stars
This organic kombucha is incredibly fizzy with a delicate sour note, reminiscent of a homemade brew. Crafted with a blend of four teas (green, earl grey, yerba mate, and rooibos), it's flavored with ginger juice and a hint of hibiscus. The Holos Foundation, behind this brand, runs a social impact program, providing paid work opportunities for survivors of exploitation and trauma.
Best Bargain: FIX8 Kombucha Ginger Turmeric
Price: £5.50 for 4 x 250ml (55p/100ml)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
A lively, sparkling sencha tea kombucha, infused with ginger, turmeric, and black pepper extracts, and fortified with vitamin C. The ginger provides a subtle warmth, complemented by underlying lemon extract. It's a great value, tasty, and extremely fizzy option.
LA Brewery Sparkling English Blush Kombucha
Price: £10 for 750ml (£1.33/100ml)
Rating: 5/5 stars
An exceptional green tea kombucha, elegantly flavored with hops, elderflower, rhubarb, peach, strawberry, and lychee. Perfectly carbonated to mimic sparkling wine, it offers a complex yet subtle flavor profile, with floral, bright, and fruity notes. Slightly sweeter than others, but not overly so. It's an excellent alcohol alternative or indulgent treat. Certified by B Corp, this is my go-to splurge.
Equinox Organic Sicilian Lemon Kombucha
Price: £2.07 for 275ml (75p/100ml)
Rating: 5/5 stars
A raw chun mee green tea kombucha, beautifully flavored with lemon juice and lively carbonation. Certified organic by the Soil Association, it's also B Corp-certified and has a strong green policy.
Momo Organic Ginger-Lemon Kombucha
Price: £3.90 for 330ml (£1.18/100ml)
Rating: 5/5 stars
This is a completely unfiltered, raw kombucha, crafted with tea, apple juice, ginger, and lemon juice. It's wonderfully fresh, zesty, and warming, thanks to the ginger juice. B Corp-certified, Momo also donates 1% of its revenue to charitable causes, and it has a Great Taste one-star award.
Plants Ginger, Lime, and Mint Kombucha
Price: £2.20 for 250ml (88p/100ml)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Intensely minty with a frothy, micro-bubble carbonation, offering a unique taste experience. Made slightly differently from other kombuchas, with concentrated apple juice and flavored with lime juice concentrate and extracts of lime, ginger, and mint. It has a Great Taste one-star award, and I can vouch for its deliciousness, as I finished the entire bottle!
Hip Pop Passion Fruit & Guava CBD Kombucha
Price: £6 for 4 x 330ml (45p/100ml)
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
A subtly sweet-and-sour green and black tea kombucha, with a clean passion fruit and guava flavor. It has a very subtle, enjoyable spritz and is great value, especially considering it contains 15mg of cannabidiols (CBD).
Nexba Kombucha Ginger and Lemon
Price: £3.50 for 1 litre (35p/100ml)
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
An oolong tea kombucha with a strong, ginger beer-like taste, which transitions to a lemonade flavor halfway through. Sweetened with erythritol and steviol glycosides, it's still an incredible value and B Corp-certified.
Remedy Ginger Lemon Kombucha
Price: £5.50 for 4 x 330ml (42p/100ml)
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Raw, slow-fermented kombucha, made with black and green tea, and flavored with ginger and lemon juice. Sweetened with erythritol and steviol glycosides, but I found the flavor less overpowering than in the Nexba version. It's frothy, widely available, popular, and good value.
One Living Ginger Kombucha with Turmeric
Price: £5.25 for 4 x 250ml (53p/100ml)
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Raw and unpasteurized kombucha, made with sencha tea and fortified with B vitamins. Flavored with ginger, turmeric, and pepper extracts, and well-carbonated. Sweetened with steviol glycosides, which is noticeable in the taste. B Corp-certified and decent value.
For more non-alcoholic drink options, check out our guide to the best low- and no-alcohol drinks.
