TRADITIONAL BREWING

Kombucha originated in China over 2,000 years ago using primitive techniques and methods, spreading across the country and further afield as people felt the benefits associated with the drink.

Large commercial producers have processes very far removed from the origins of production. Kombucha is brewed in huge vats with thousands of litres brewed at a time. 

Some kombucha brands pasteurise their booch (heating for a set period of time at a set temperature) which kills all the healthy bacteria which makes it last longer on the shelf, doesn't impact the taste but loses all of the potential health benefits associated with the drink.

Some producers don't even brew their own kombucha, they buy in a kombucha concentrate which has been brewed for around 6 months and can't be consumed as it is given the high levels of acidity. To this they add sparkling water, sweeteners and flavouring and call it Kombucha. 

These products have a place and are popular with a lot of consumers, but passionate small scale producers, like Guttzee, brew with more traditional methods and on a much smaller scale.

In recent years the craft beer movement has grown significantly, with many consumers moving away from the huge global beer brands to explore and support smaller producers. They often look for locally produced drinks, too. 

I think this is like kombucha (with booch being on a much smaller scale, of course!). You can go to your supermarket and dip your toe into kombucha with one of the low cost, mass produced liquids but more discerning consumers will look to find good quality, small batch local producers to support.

You expect to pay more for a small batch hand crafted ale compared to a tin of fizzy Carlsberg - the same is true with kombucha.

Guttzee is produced using the tried and tested method that has been around for over two thousand years. Brew tea, add sugar, leave to cool then add some liquid from the previous batch. 

The healthy bacteria will be happy in their new home and get busy consuming the sugar and caffeine to transform the liquid into a fresh new batch of delicious kombucha within around 14 days. 

Since it's a live product no two batches are the same and there are checks for taste and pH levels throughout the brewing process to determine when it's 'done'.

Products like Champagne have protected status - you couldn't rebadge a bottle of Prosecco as Champagne and expect to get away with it.

Sadly there are no such controls or protections (yet) around kombucha. So small batch, authentic brewers who don't pasteurise or use concentrate end up potentially competing with multi national beasts who use shortcuts in production and still put a kombucha label on the can.

The only real way to overcome this, I believe, is through education and awareness.