Fermented or brewed soft drinks are an expanding category in the Australian beverages industry.

Fermented drinks, such as kombucha, ginger beer, kefir and kvass, can contain low levels of alcohol as a by-product of fermentation.

Kombucha

While kombucha has gained significant popularity in Australia in recent years, the origins of kombucha are believed to have started in China more than 2000 years ago where it was consumed for its detoxifying and energising properties. As trade routes expanded, kombucha found its way into Russia and then into other eastern European areas, appearing in Germany around the turn of the 20th century.

The fermented tea is now readily available in most Australian supermarkets, convenience stores and bars, and it is often offered as an alternative to alcoholic beverages.

Kombucha is a fermented tea made from either black or green tea leaves. It is prepared by placing the kombucha culture (tea fungus) into a tea broth made with sugar for fermentation. If the kombucha culture is cultivated according to the standard recipe with black tea, sweetened with sugar, it turns this substrate into a refreshing beverage.

Kombucha contains many health benefits, including:

• Live cultures (promotes gut health)
• Organic acids (regulate appetite, provides energy source, regulates cholesterol and blood sugar)
• Antioxidants (immune boosting)

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