An Ode to the Magical and Mystical Kombucha Buzz

I don’t remember how it started. It can be a bit of an acquired taste. I do remember the first time I felt it. I was at work, at my desk mid-afternoon. I thought to myself wow – I am in an unreasonably good mood right now. High energy levels, happy mood, feeling friendly, clear minded, pretty much ready to do anything. This is rare, I thought. Then I realized it was the Kombucha I had just chugged.

The Kombucha Buzz is magical to me. It’s now a base level addiction. I need to be within striking distance of a kombucha or have them in the fridge at any given time. The benefits are unpalpable. Now, I don’t know the sciency details behind it, but I do know what I’ve experienced:

Energy Boost: Kombucha contains caffeine. The energy boost is somewhat slight, maybe similar to having a tea that’s not super strong. I can be a little sensitive to caffeine, and this is a more even experience. It’s not like an espresso jolt.

Light Carbonation: Kombucha can taste slightly like a soda, slightly like an alcoholic bev. The slight carbonation makes it taste more like a treat.

De-Bloating Effect: There are probiotics in Kombucha which after drinking one, always leaves me feeling my stomach is slightly flatter.

Magic Effects (The Kombucha Buzz): This is the overall effect of the Kombucha experience. There are trace amounts of alcohol in Kombucha, so maybe the buzz I am mentioning is an actual micro buzz. After having a Kombucha I generally just feel great. It seems like there are a lot of new varieties of Kombucha coming out now, so I try to switch it up. I don’t have an allegiance to specific brands, but some I like better than others.

When Selecting a Kombucha, Watch Out For:

Sugar Content: I was at an airport once bragging about Kombucha when my sister sugar shamed me on the contents of my prized beverage. “What are you talking about?” I said. “There are 8 grams of sugar in this, that’s not bad.” She pointed out that was per serving, so really there were 16 grams in what I was drinking. I looked like a fool in front of some pals, so beware of the sugar amounts you are working with. I’ve seen ones with as low as 4 or 5 grams, that seems to be the best case scenario. Because of the nature of the drink, if there were any less than 4 or 5 grams something else would probably be off.

Sugar High: I only experience this with certain brands of Kombucha (generally those higher in sugar) but at times I experience a bit of a sugar high which can result in a very small crash when it wears off.

Taste: Many can be off-put by the taste at first, but give it a couple of times. It is fermented, so it can have a strong vinegary type taste.

Price: One Kombucha can set you back $4.00 – $5.00, so it’s kind of like getting a latte or other specialty beverage. I haven’t figured out a cost efficient scheme for bulk purchasing as of yet. When I see them on sale at the grocery store, I’ll try to grab some of them. At Whole Foods, they have Kombucha on draft and large bottles you can re-fill, but I’ve done the math and it seems to be the exact same price. They also have large pre-filled bottles for sale, but those also don’t appear to be any cheaper. I’ve attempted to order a case online, which hasn’t panned out. Also want to check out Costco’s or BJ’s if they are in bulk there, but they aren’t that I’ve heard of.

Brewing Your Own: We have brewed our own Kombucha, which ends up being cheaper and is a fun process. Check it out here.