All-natural and low-sugar: Kombucha takes US by storm
THE recent US kombucha craze has been fermenting for decades. All-natural, low-sugar, and packed with supposed health benefits, the onceniche drink has invaded grocery stores, supermarkets and cafes.
US sales of the cloudy, bubbly beverage reached $412 million last year according to Nielsen data, up 42 per cent from the year before.
T he now-ubiqu itous fermented dr ink, whose exact origins are unknown, is even stocke d by t he A mer ic a n retail giant Walmart. Across the US, it’s not uncommon to f ind shops of fering up to 10 dif ferent brands.
For Alex Ingalls, who founded Pilot Kombucha in 2015, the buzzing popularity of the slightly alcoholic drink (the kind sold in stores only has 0.5 per cent alcohol content) is due to “a mix of things”.
A “hardcore base” that has drunk kombucha for years was likely drawn to its supposed health benefits, particularly for the digestive system, she said, though there has been no clinical study on the matter.
The claim is based on the fermentation process used to make kombucha, which contains probiotics: live microorganisms that can help the growth of intestinal bacteria.
However Ingalls mainly sees the kombucha wave as the result of its major advantage over sodas and even juice: low sugar levels.
“These days, everyone is very conscious about sugar intake,” she said.
“They’re trying to drink less soda and even less diet soda,” whose ingredients have raised eyebrows over the years.
“Since I don’t drink so much soda, when I settle on something flavour-y . . . I think kombucha is a pretty good alternative,” said Renata Ontman, after a class on kombuchamaking at the Brooklyn Brainery recreation centre.
The course was taught by Cher yl Paswater, founder of t he kombuc h a c ompa ny Contraband Ferments.
“I always try to eat as healthy as I can, and I think [of it] as a sort of snack in the afternoon,” said Sarah Gilberg, who also attended the class, adding that the fizzy beverage makes her feel “energized”.
‘Room for everybody’
Four yea rs a f ter fou nding her company, Ingalls produce s a b out 9 7, 2 0 0 g a l l on s (368,000 liters) of kombucha per yea r, which she sel ls at 4 0 0 d i f f e r e n t l o c a t i o n s throughout the area.
Hers was one of the first New York-area brands, and she will soon open her first office in Red Hook, Brooklyn, anticipating that her production levels will triple.
Pi lot Kombucha not on ly has competit ion f rom kombucha giants such as GT’S, an established probiot ic drinkmaker, but also from PepsiCo, wh ich boug ht kombucha bra nd KeV ita i n 2016, a nd Coca-Cola, which recent ly invested in kombucha maker Health-Ade.
“I think there’s enough room for everybody” in the market, said Ingalls, a former chef.
In her opinion, kombucha is going to be like craf t beer – which a lso took ba rs a nd super ma rket s by stor m – “where ever ybody has different va r iat ions a nd r i f fs on certain st yles.”
The homebrewing process for kombucha is much simpler than that for beer, though, and the rapid growth in sales has been matched by a proliferation of amateur fermenters across the US.
“I don’t want to spend money on it,” said Gilberg, who took the kombucha class, noting that bottles cost $3-$4 apiece. Rather than continue to buy kombucha twice a week, she wanted to learn how to make her own.
“We do a lot of community work s hops . . . c l a s s e s a t l ibra r ies, k ids cla sses,” sa id Paswater.
“People want to know more. People want to understand, whether they’re doing it themselves or not,” she added.
Paswater, who has been fermenting her own kombucha for more than a decade, does not necessa r i l y s e e a big d i f ference bet ween homemade a nd mass-produced kombucha.
“There are some things that are kombucha-like that are coming on the market that I question a little bit as far as ingredients or even some of the marketing . . . but there’s also a lot of amazing kombucha out there,” she said.