Kombucha: The newest major player in the beverage industry

According to a recent survey, 29% of Americans don't drink alcohol. What’s more, younger consumers are more health-conscious than previous generations and make food and drink choices with health in mind. 

So, what’s a brewery to do to cater to thirsty non-drinkers and health-focused consumers? Here's a drink to satisfy everyone. Non-alcoholic and healthy, not to mention tasty, kombucha is one of the hottest food trends of recent years. 

What is kombucha?

While it’s a relatively new trend, kombucha is anything but new. The drink is centuries old and may trace its origins back to China. It's made from tea and sugar, fermented using a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), to create a tasty beverage that also offers benefits for gut health.

Kombucha might be a surprising trend. It doesn’t seem like it would be everyone’s "cup of tea" with its astringent taste. Nevertheless, it continues to gain traction in the industry as its audience base morphs to include health- and flavor-focused consumers.

Trends in kombucha

Funky flavors

Though kombucha has been commonplace in grocery stores for around a decade, drinkers are asking for increasing variety. For example, a grocery store chain that carried 12 varieties of kombucha ten years ago might now offer more than 70.

Lots of small-batch kombucha brewers are popping up all over the country. These creative brewers are experimenting with unusual flavors and herbs to create kombucha that’s all their own. Some popular flavors include mango mint, verbena rose and passion berry.

Kombucha-beer hybrids

You might think that kombucha sounds an awful lot like another fermented beverage – beer. You wouldn’t be alone. 

The newest of the new trends pairs kombucha with beer for a wholly new taste. For example, a kombucha brewery and a craft beer brewery in Denver teamed up to produce a funky blend of barrel-aged saison beer with a prickly pear kombucha. 

The result is something like a radler or a shandy – a fruity, low-alcohol beer – but these kombucha-beer blends also offer something special: the digestive health properties of kombucha’s live bacteria.

Kombucha cocktails

Kombucha is also tasty paired with hard liquor. Some kombucha cocktails include the Swedish Tart, with green tea kombucha, dill simple syrup and vodka; and a kombucha-vodka highball with ginger kombucha and vodka. If you’re making a kombucha cocktail, remember to add the kombucha last to preserve its combination, like you would seltzer. 

Serving kombucha

Kombucha is certainly a smart choice to have on your menu. Whether you buy kombucha from small craft breweries or decide to brew your own, you’ll need these tools to simplify your kombucha service:

• Tap handles. Let your customers know you’re serious about kombucha by having it available on tap and with a custom ceramic tap handle to boot.
• Growlers. Many consumers are interested in drinking kombucha at home. Why not simplify the process for them by stocking up on growlers? 
• Bottle openers. Kombucha is generally stored in bottles. If you’re serving up plenty of kombucha, make sure to also stock up on easy-to-use bottle openers. 
• Coasters. Particularly if you’re aiming to spread awareness of your kombucha brand, an eye-catching coaster can let your customers know you offer this drink too. 

Kombucha is a healthy trend that isn't going anywhere. Why not consider the creative ways you can implement kombucha on your menu?