The infomercial for Brewkery’s new alcoholic kombucha practically writes itself: “Now you can get buzzed while improving your gut health!” some well-coiffed, beaming lady would announce, bottle of hard Lavender Lemon Kombucha in hand.
But while regular kombucha—that is, fermented tea—does boast a powerful swing of probiotics and antioxidants, Brewkery owners Amy Goldman and Sean Galloway aren’t making any claims about the alcoholic version. It’s just a fun, tasty drink.
To make their boozy booch, Goldman and Galloway add grain-neutral spirits to their kombucha, which goes through a three-week fermentation process. The duo aim for Brewkery products to appeal to a wide range of drinkers, and the neutral alcohol ensures that the kombucha still tastes like, well, kombucha. The Brewkery brew has a nice tang to it—not too sweet and with a gentle kick from the vinegar. Current flavor offerings include hops with passionfruit, tart raspberry, lavender lemon and peach blossom. (All are good, but the hops and passionfruit is the standout.)
“It’s like a hard seltzer with way more flavor and body,” Goldman says. “Like a pleasant punch in the mouth.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Brewkey’s owners are veterans of the home-brew scene who started out selling at farmers markets.
GO: Brewkery’s hard kombucha is currently available in the taproom. The Brewkery, 1443 Swift Ave., North Kansas City. brewkery.com.
