Hard kombucha is kind of genius, right? Everyone wants to feel a little better about drinking alcohol, and kombucha is a health beverage that often contains trace amounts of alcohol as it is, so it’s a perfect candidate for “hard”ening. The best hard kombucha is truly the best of two worlds!
But what is hard kombucha? How do they make it hard? It’s basically kombucha—aka a fermented tea beverage—that was brewed with additional sugar and yeast to up the alcohol content. When we set out to find the best hard kombucha brands and flavors, we were looking for drinks with that signature kombucha vinegary tartness, creative (and identifiable) flavor combos—and bonus points if we could actually detect tea in the flavor profile. Here are the six best hard kombucha brands we tasted, just in time for a not-so-dry January.
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- Jiant Taco Tuesday
I lost my mind when I took a sip of this hard kombucha flavor. Jiant hard kombucha wound up really winning us over with its unique and sophisticated line-up of jun-style hard kombuchas (they’re brewed with green tea and honey rather than black tea and cane sugar). The Taco Tuesday is also flavored with jalapeño and pineapple—it’s a little sweet, a little savory, and a lot delicious. For real, I can’t imagine a better bev to go with a plate of al pastor tacos (if you’re in the L.A. area, try Leo’s!). At 5% ABV, it’s pretty sessionable, too. I know it’s the dead of winter, but I’ll be over here pining for the day I can crack open a can of this on the beach on a sweaty Saturday afternoon.
Credit: Liv Averett / Jiant
- Jiant The Original
Yup, another Jiant flave made our list of the best hard kombucha. The brand’s “original” flavor is “passion fruit & elderflower,” which seems way more exciting than most “original” flavored things. Honestly, I probably couldn’t identify elderflower flavor in the wild, but here it adds a floral note to the fruitiness of the passion fruit and the earthiness of the green tea. It’s not perfumey; promise. In my notes I wrote, “This is just so motherf*cking pleasant,” and I love when something is so pleasant it makes me curse.
Credit: Liv Averett / Jiant
- Kyla Lavender Lemonade
If you like your canned hard bevs on the sweeter side, this Lavender Lemonade from Kyla is the best hard kombucha for you. Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t all sweetness. The lemon adds some tartness and tang that pairs well with the natural astringency of the kombucha, and the lavender adds just a touch of floral herbaceousness. These are all nice, mild flavors, but don’t be fooled. This kombucha has 6.5% ABV, which puts this closer to IPA territory than light beer territory, where many hard kombuchas dwell.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine & Spirits
- JuneShine Pineapple Orange
Juneshine hard kombucha is one of the bigger and more available brands of hard kombucha, so it pleases me to report that it’s good, particularly this Pineapple Orange flavor. I love what they did with the orange flavor; there’s definitely tartness to it, but it reminded me more of a floral orange blossom flavor than a straight-up fruit flavor. And at just 4.2% ABV, this is an excellent slow summer sipper. It’s the best hard kombucha if you grew up in Florida and have fond memories of the smell of orange blossoms wafting through the air.
Credit: Liv Averett / Whole Foods
- Booch Craft Ginger Lime
Booch Craft strikes me as a ‘booch brand that set out to not offend people. Like, when I first took a sip of this, I immediately felt a little let down by its subdued tang—but I’m a person who likes a big, bold, vinegary kombucha flavor. Basically, this is a great sip for hard kombucha beginners. And what it lacks in kombucha vibes it makes up for with a bold ginger flavor that burns as it goes down (in a good way). The fizz level is excellent, too. If you like ginger beer, you’ll like this—plus it’s packing 7% ABV!
Credit: Liv Averett / Drizly
- Flying Embers Spicy Mango Mosaic
Flying Embers hard kombucha is another big name in the ‘booch world, and this particular flavor is part of the brand’s Tropical Hops variety pack (along with Guava Citra and Passionfruit Simcoe). Each of the kombuchas in this pack was brewed with a different variety of hops, and the results are terrific. The floral, citrusy flavor of hops goes so nicely with the tart effervescence of hard kombucha. If you love a super hoppy IPA, this is the best kombucha for you. In addition to the hops and the juicy, authentic flavor of mango, this particular kombucha also has a little bit of habanero pepper in the mix, which brings a little heat as it’s going down. I feel like so many of these are summery, but the heat here makes this a perfect winter warmer.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine & Spirits
Best of the Best
Best Floral
Best Sweet
Best Citrus
Best Spicy
Best Tropical
Other products we tried: Booch Craft Apple Jasmine, Flying Embers Passionfruit Simcoe, Flying Embers Guava Citra, JuneShine Blueberry Lemonade, JuneShine Hibiscus Lime, JuneShine Strawberry Watermelon, Golden Road Kombucha + Passion Fruit, Jiant Guavamente, Jiant Mai Tai, Jiant Hicamaya
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Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!