Let’s Talk About Alcohol in Kombucha
If you’ve ever sipped a bottle of kombucha and wondered about the alcohol content, let’s discuss…
The Short Answer: Yes, There’s Alcohol in Kombucha
Kombucha is made by fermenting tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, lovingly known as a SCOBY. During fermentation, the yeast breaks down sugars into alcohol, and the bacteria then convert much of that alcohol into organic acids (like the ones that give kombucha its tang).
Most kombucha you find on shelves contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, which is legally considered non-alcoholic in many countries. For reference, that’s about the same as what naturally occurs in some fruit juices or overripe bananas.
But that tiny trace can matter—especially if you're sensitive, sober, pregnant, driving, or avoiding alcohol for any reason. So it’s worth being clear.
A Living Process (With a Mind of Its Own)
Because kombucha is unpasteurised and continues to ferment slowly in the bottle, the alcohol content can shift depending on storage, temperature, and time. Warm conditions = faster fermentation = potentially more alcohol. That's why proper storage (and short shelf lives) matter.
At Left Field, we work with traditional, small-batch fermentation methods and loose-leaf tea. We don’t pasteurise our kombucha, because we believe in letting kombucha be what it is: real, living, complex. But it does mean a small trace of alcohol comes with the territory.
We regularly lab-test to make sure our booch stays below the legal 0.5% threshold, and we’re transparent when it comes to questions about how it’s brewed, stored, and handled. If you ever want to ask, please do.
The Rise of "Hard" Kombucha
In the last few years, another trend has emerged: hard kombucha. These are intentionally brewed to have higher alcohol levels—closer to beer or cider (around 4–7% ABV). They’re fermented differently and labelled accordingly, so they’re easy to spot.
Hard kombucha is a different beverage altogether: fermented, yes—but not quite the gut-loving health tonic we’re talking about here. It’s kombucha’s louder cousin, out for the night, not your everyday ferment.
So... Should I Be Concerned?
Probably not. For most people, a bottle of kombucha won’t do much more than wake up your taste buds and maybe give your gut a little love. But for those who are sensitive to alcohol or avoid it completely for personal, medical, or spiritual reasons, it’s always good to read labels, ask questions, and trust your body.
Kombucha walks an interesting line—it’s ancient and modern, soft and sharp, fermented but not quite boozy. That’s part of its magic.
Got questions about fermentation, kombucha, or what makes our Yunnan taste so mysteriously mellow? We love talking about tea, bacteria and bubbles. Send us a note, or come see what’s brewing.