The Kombucha Is Back

NBC11 ^ | Wed, Aug 4, 2010

[nickcarraway]

Kombucha lovers rejoice! Your favorite fluid is back on shelves at Whole Foods.

Kombucha maker Vibranz on Wednesday said that its product, also known at Synergy, is back in stores. Whole Foods Market Inc. removed all varieties of the drink from shelves in mid-June over worries they contained too much alcohol.

The retailer and regulators are concerned that some bottles have more than 0.5 percent alcohol -- the legal limit for a drink not to be considered alcoholic. The drink, which some call Chinese fermented tea, in its most popular form is raw and unpasteurized, meaning it ferments and the yeast inside produces alcohol.

Kombucha contains live bacteria and yeast, similar to yogurt. The company's website clearly states it's not a tea, plant or a mushroom -- and that it's not fermented. It's cultured, the site states. People who like the bubbly drink say it has health benefits such as improving digestion.

The government since June has tested hundreds of types of kombucha to determine if it should be labeled like beer or wine. Distributors and retailers removed raw kombucha from stores, saying they won't restock until they know more. Vibranz said it has a new formula that reduces alcohol to fall within the limits. Its kombucha, which it first started making in April, is now back in Whole Foods stores in Northern California, near its headquarters. The company said it has more orders from around the country. It would not say how much alcohol its drinks had previously.

Whole Foods, which is based in Austin, Texas, did not return messages left seeking comment.

G.T. Dave, CEO of the company that makes category leaders GT's Kombucha and Synergy, said Wednesday his company is close to relaunching new products within weeks.

The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which has not issued a recall, has been testing samples and plans to come out with new guidelines when testing is complete. It said Wednesday that it did not know when that would be.

[nickcarraway]

'Bout time. I was just starting to get the DTs.

[TomasUSMC]

If it was cocaine, obambi would let it go.

[surroundedbyblue]

WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

I missed you, kombucha!

I must admit, though, that the old stuff would give me a teeny tiny buzz. So there was definately more than 0.5% ETOH. But who cares?

[McGavin999]

Good stuff, glad it’s back, just wish it would become more popular so the price would come down a bit.

[goseminoles]

I’ve just recently heard of this stuff. Taste good? Positive health benefits?

[martin_fierro]

Kombucha

Gehsundheit.

[radiohead]

I’m on some raw food boards and do green smoothies, so there isn’t much I haven’t tasted and lived to tell about, but kombucha always sounded 1) weird and 2) like a lot of hype. Any truth to either one?

I hear this is one of those things that you either like or you don’t. What’s it actuality taste like?

[sjmjax]

Chicken???

[McGavin999]

It's an acquired taste but once you get used to it you love it. The health benefits are incredible. It tastes a bit like flavored vinegar with a slight fizz. Hard to describe.

It's got a lot of good bacteria, almost like yogurt on steriods and there are all kinds of claims for it. I just know that I feel a lot better when I'm drinking it on a regular basis.

[sleddogs]

Make your own, it’s easy. Sort of like making homemade root beer. Plenty of recipes on the internet and Ebay has the starter kits.

http://getkombucha.com/reforkotea.html

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=kombucha+starter&_sacat=0&_odkw=kombucha&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313

[goseminoles]

Thanks!

[goseminoles]

I know it can be homemade, but I’d end up with C Dif and kill myself if I tried. What’s the price for a serving? How much do you drink a day?

[sleddogs]

Kombucha Health Benefits

http://www.kombuchacultures.com/kombucha_health_benefits.html

[radiohead]

I’m with you. I don’t need to be fermenting anything in the basement. I’ll give it a try if some reputable manufacturer has it in a bottle.

[McGavin999]

It runs about $4.00 a bottle here. I drink a half bottle a day when I think I'm coming down with something or after I recover from flu etc. It strengthens the immune system.

Definitely drink it if you have to take anti-biotics for anything!!!!!

[McGavin999]

Oh I know, but I don’t like the whole idea, it’s like making Greek Yogurt, you can do it but sometime it’s better if you don’t. Shoot, I can’t even make a decent biscuit and I’ve had the best southern cooks in the world try to teach me......hockey pucks!

[goseminoles]

The only reason I asked was because I’m on iv cubicin for 6 weeks due to MRSA infection in my lumbar spine. Three surgeries in 18 months.

[sleddogs]

LOL, I currently have 5 gallons each of cherry, blackberry, & apple wine fermenting. When they are done (2-3 weeks) I will start 10 gallons of sour mash. I don’t distill it I use at 22-24% alcohol for weak brandies. After Oct I will make 10 gallons of Black & Tan similar to Killian’s Red. And I just bottled 5 gallons of peach wine.

[McGavin999]

You need it bad then. I would still start out on a half a bottle a day for the first week and see if you can build up after that. It's wonderful.

I had a sever lung infection a few years back and they gave me anti-biotics that were incredibly strong. I ate yogurt, took pro-biotics, nothing helped. Then I heard about Kombucha and started drinking it and it's amazing how fast it brought me around. Do try it.

[goseminoles]

Thanks! Sorry for the back and forth. I’m willing to try something new. I will scoure the local lib grocers. If not, ill get some online. Again, thanks for the information.