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Unless you've been on the booch train for the last few decades (like us!), there’s a pretty solid chance you don’t really know what kombucha is or what it’s made from.
That’s totally A-OK. Even though kombucha hit the mainstream way back in the early 2010s, it’s still seen as the weird hippie drink that tastes funny but might be good enough for you to make it worth it. Kind of like fish oil or ACV shots – you take ‘em because they’re meant to be good for ya, not for taste or refreshment.
If you know anything about Remedy, you know flavour is kinda our thing. There’s no point making a drink that may be good for you if you're scrunching your face up every time you take a sip. We spend a heck of a lot of time making our bevvies taste good, and it all comes down to the ingredients we use.
So, what ingredients are used in Remedy Kombucha, and how do we make this fermented drink actually taste darn delicious? Let’s break it down for you:
Kombucha Ingredient #1: Tea
Kombucha is fermented tea. If you know nothing else about kombucha, you’ll probably know this. So, to kickstart any kombucha brew, you need to start with brewing a big ol’ pot of tea.
We use organic green and black tea in our kombucha brews. Green tea has been known to have high polyphenol (AKA antioxidant) properties, while our black tea is known for its rich superior taste (with a side of polyphenols, too).
You can’t have kombucha without tea. You also can’t make kombucha without sugar.
Kombucha Ingredient #2: Sugar
You might be surprised to see sugar on this list, given that we’re kind of famous for our 100% natural, no-sugar kombucha.
Believe it or not, sugar is one of our key ingredients, but there is no sugar left in the finished brew. Let us explain.
After we brew our big ol’ pot of organic green and black tea, we add organic sugar. Sugar is what kickstarts the fermentation process. You can’t actually ferment tea without it, so like every other kombucha brew, sugar is added to get the ball rolling (or the brew… brewing). More on this later.
Kombucha Ingredient #3: SCOBY
SCOBY is the mother culture that turns sweet tea into kombucha. It's what we call a fermentation culture or a fermentation starter. We add the SCOBY to our sweet tea before we leave it to ferment for 30 days.
SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, which pretty much sums up what it's made of: bacteria and yeast. After our 30-day brew, the SCOBY has risen to the top of the teapots in our Brew Room, so we're left with the yummo, fizzy, fermented drink underneath.
Fun fact: We love our SCOBY, but we can’t lie—it looks pretty darn strange. It’s a floaty, wobbly substance that looks as weird as it feels. While it’s one of the key ingredients to kombucha, we 100% do NOT recommend you Google what it looks like, or it might turn you off kombucha for good (and we don’t want that!).
Kombucha Ingredient #3.5: Organic Acids
Okay, so why is this ingredient #3.5? Well, because it’s not really a new ingredient. Remember how we said our kombucha ends up being totally sugar free? That’s because we brew all the sugar out of our kombucha during the long-aged, 30-day brew. This sugar converts into healthy organic acids. These are also known as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the very same kind produced by our own gut bacteria to aid important body processes.
Organic acids can potentially help to:
- Provide an energy source for the good bacteria in your gut
- Regulate appetite
- Stabilise blood sugar levels
- Regulate cholesterol
- Prevent the overgrowth of bad bugs in your gut
Kombucha Ingredient #4: Natural Flavours
Are flavours ingredients? Kinda, kinda not. Kombucha is A-OK to drink after the 30-day brew, but we like getting crafty with our flaves and adding fresh ginger or natural raspberry or any of the other delicious, natural flaves we have on hand.
And yes, the flavours we use really are truly 100% natural. We take care to source only the best flaves that pack a punch, making sure we’re giving you the best-tasting booch goin’ around.
Kombucha Ingredient #5: Natural Sweeteners
If you’ve ever tried kombucha fresh out of a 30-day brew, you’ll know it can be pretty tart. A bit sour, even. Which might be your cup of fermented tea, but we know not everyone digs this kind of tartness in their bevs.
That’s why we balance out the naturally tart flavour of kombucha with 100% natural, certified organic sweeteners: stevia and erythritol. Now, before you run away swearing off Remedy for good, give us a second to explain. These two sweeteners are the most misunderstood ones out there.
Stevia is a plant. Yep, you heard us right. It's a plant that belongs to the chrysanthemum family, native to Paraguay and Brazil. It contains no fructose (AKA sugar derived from natural sources e.g. fruits), yet is 300 times sweeter than sugar!
Erythritol (AKA fermented glucose) is a naturally occurring (see!) nectar commonly found in pears, watermelons, grapes and other fermented products like wine, cheese and soy sauce. It's about 70% as sweet as table sugar (sucrose), but it has almost no calories and is non-glycaemic, meaning it does not raise blood sugar levels. This makes it a super popular choice among people with diabetes and those following low-carb diets.
We add a touch of both sweeteners at the end of our natural fermentation process to add a touch of sweetness and balance out the flaves.
Where can I buy kombucha?
Now that you know all there is to know about kombucha ingredients, you can shop up a storm at your local supermarket, independent grocer or online at remedydrinks.com.
If you’re a sweet tooth, we suggest taking the likes of Wild Berry for a spin. But if you’re a fan of the savoury side of life, the fiery hit of fresh ginger in Ginger Lemon has your name written all over it.
