A friend reports seeing kombucha back on the shelves at Whole Foods today, following a long absence due to FDA concerns about fluctuations in trace amounts of alcohol found in the beverage.
Hooray! (I’m too lazy to brew my own, so I’ve just been drinking vinegar mixed with grape juice all summer.)
There’s a nice place that makes some in Fremont, right across the street from Lenin, every Saturday.
Thank goodness! I’m glad I’m not the only one who wondered what happened to GT Dave’s Kombucha. I had to make do with some kombucha drink available through Madison Market.
I’ve been making do with raw apple cider vinegar + honey, or Vitamin C powder + filtered water, or lemon juice + stevia + filtered water.
It was all Lindsay Lohans fault-
she claimed Kombucha set off her alcohol sensing ankle bracelet, so all Kombucha had to be tested for alcohol.
Hurrah! $4 hipster mushroom soda!
(sips quietly)
Thank God, I can finally stop chugging mouthwash and Cheratussin. I like Kombucha, but I was actually kind of glad it was out of my impulsive sight.
Also, the story printed on the GT’s bottles alluding to the fact their product may cure cancer really rubs me the wrong way, in a big way. Way more egregious than the claims against Vitamin Water.
That stuff is so nasty.
High Country Kombucha is my favorite brand. It’s awesome goodness.
I’m glad the FDA wasn’t stupid about it for very long.
So, what’s that “kombucha” stuff I’ve been drinking from the QFC? I’ve been suspicious of it, since it doesn’t have the amorphous clouds of culture lurking around in the bottles, and doesn’t make any mention of “trace amounts of alcohol”. Is it fake, or pasteurized or something?
or, does the end of Kombucha Drought 2010 mean the return of more instances of yeasty blindness?
discuss.
oh, wait i need to go buy some tainted eggs.
I’m confused. Lots of products contain trace amounts of alcohol through fermentation with wild yeasts. Orange juice, for instance.
Make your own. It’s not hard.
I’m shaking my Joe’s ice cream in frustration!
As far as I know, GT has yet to reformulate their many, many flavors of ‘booch. There is no ETA at this time, either. But I could be wrong. Madison Market has been carrying some out of Portland all along and a couple weeks ago resumed carrying High County and another brand called “Rejuvenate.”
That said, I don’t drink the stuff because beer tastes so much better. And Fnarf, there’s more alcohol in ‘booch than there is in OJ and many other things.
@9: yeah, that “wonder drink” stuff is bunk. Dead bucha.
@11, I heard/saw some report which stated some sampled bottles had as high as 5% alcohol which is a hell of a alot especially considering they come as 16oz bottles.
It really is incredibly easy to make it at home. You make tea with a lot of sugar in it and throw the giant booger in. And you get to let it ferment exactly to your taste AND feel extra righteous about it.
I don’t care about health claims I am just happy to have a very helpful appetite suppressant while I a trying to shake the last 15lbs of my weight-loss goal off. Come back Kombucha, come back.
And it makes me poop without blowing out my insides. I’m looking at you, coffee.
They’ve been selling a different brand at Sidecar in the U-dist during the drought, and you can make your own with a starter from Mother Nature’s in Uptown. Personally, I’ve never tried it and I’d like to keep it that way.
Since GT’s wasn’t around I started drinking BAO. its local in NYC and tastes better
I bought some at PCC in Fremont two weeks ago, also Chaco Canyon in the U District sells home-brewed kombucha.