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An alcoholic Kombucha – a new trend in the production of this magical drink!

For the market:

Kombucha with higher alcohol content is becoming increasingly popular. It is shown to be an interesting and desired alternative to beer and wine. And there is a reason for that. Drinking an alcoholic Kombucha brings you all the positive qualities of the standard drink – probiotics, yeast, enzymes and basic acids, but also an alcohol level of 5-14% vol.

An alcoholic Kombucha opens a new market niche – the one for fans of low-alcohol beverages

It is gradually entering the huge beer and wine market. Until now, this alternative market was occupied mainly by ciders, which can be purchased at any sale point. 

But remember how only ten years ago ciders were considered to be exotic. The ciders created a new era in alternative alcoholic beverages, and now the so-called “hard” Kombucha is the new big wave. 

Alcoholic Kombucha is addressed to consumers who are not extremely oriented towards a healthy lifestyle, but would still be interested in drinks that also have health benefits.

Some of the world’s largest Kombucha producers already have successful brands of alcoholic Kombucha

Only a year ago, they announced their intentions to grow the business by offering new flavours and striving to increase the number of consumers.

The good thing about alcoholic Kombucha is that it allows small, regional producers to develop, just as thousands of craft brewers do. The combinations between countless floral and fruit flavours and different types of yeast give unlimited possibilities to any producer who wants to surprise his fans with uniqueness. And the market is looking for just that.

 For the production:

The normal production process of Kombucha involves fermentation, due to which the finished product contains small amounts of alcohol. Usually, its levels are from 0.5 to 2%.

Through additional processes, raw materials and equipment used mainly in the wine industry, another fermentation is created, which increases the alcohol levels. All this creates other tastes and sensations.

Here are some quick tips on how to make an alcoholic Kombucha at home

First, of course, we have to make regular Kombucha. In an article here on the site I have already described how in a precise and clear way and therefore I will not dwell here in detail. Let’s call this “phase one”. Don’t forget to remove the sponge at the end of this phase.

 For the phase two we will have to add yeast. A variety of wine and brewer’s yeasts are available on the market. You can also make an alcoholic Kombucha with bread yeast, but then the taste will be breadier and will definitely not correspond to the rest of the taste and aroma composition.

It is best to use yeast for carbonated (sparkling) wines. For 5 litres of drink the following proportion is recommended:

  • Dissolve 200 g of sugar in 200 ml of warm water
  • Add 3/4 teaspoon of dry yeast. 
  • Stir well until the mixture starts to foam. This indicates that the yeast has become active. 
  • Leave the mixture warm for 15-20 minutes, then add it to the already prepared after phase one drink.

Pay attention to the fermentation processes in both phases. If in phase one the container should be covered with gauze in order to have access to the air, in phase 2 we have to “expel” the air.

This is achieved through a simple system used in the wine industry. The container you are using must have a cap. Drill the cap and install a water valve. You can buy it from any wine shop or make a simple system using a hose and a jar with water.

Leave the dish in a warm, dark place for a week or two. How long this secondary fermentation will last depends on how sweet and sour you want your alcoholic beverage to be. In the end, you will have the perfect drink. 

Bottle and refrigerate. You may not succeed the first time, but you will certainly want more and more experiments.

Good luck and… CHEERS!

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