“Keep calm and open another bottle,” suggests meme after meme while we’re all stuck at home. But can you get the same kick from another fermented favourite like kombucha? And more importantly, is it alcoholic? We find out.

This tart and sour, lightly carbonated drink is made by live symbiotic fermentation, the same process that produces sourdough or kefir.  The sugars in tea are broken down by a culture called the SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), the bacteria and yeast in the SCOBY ferment the sugar, and this creates carbon dioxide (the fizz) and acetic acid (the mild vinegary taste). Hello, kombucha.

As a result of the fermentation process, kombucha may contain traces of alcohol, but amounts of up to 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) are classified as alcohol-free by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. That’s an easy distinction to make if you’re operating commercially; not so easy if your “booch” is a DIY job at home, where alcohol levels can vary depending on factors like storage and fermentation time.

Sydney label Mailer McGuire makes hand-brewed, small-batch and non-alcoholic kombucha that looks (and often tastes) more like natural wine. Founder and brewer Rosie Morison began making kombucha in a bid to help elevate the non-alcoholic drinking experience. “We wanted to help people feel great about not drinking,” says Morison. “It’s a tasteful, complex and balanced non-alcoholic alternative to natural wine, craft beer and cider.”

The kombucha, which is made in their St Peters brewery with premium single-source teas, is available in 750ml wine bottles and beautifully designed. Flavours include the tropical-leaning Wild Hops, and a citrusy Jasmine Green Tea kombucha “which drinks like a Chablis or dry riesling,” says Morison. The brand collaborates with many independent producers on special releases, including T Totaler in Sydney’s Newtown for the “extroverted peachy, lemon sherbet and rose hinted” French Earl Grey blend; and Ryefield Hops, a family-owned business in Bemboka, New South Wales, who produce sustainable and spray-free hops for the Australian craft beer market.

According to a 2019 report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), at least 50 per cent of Australians have poor gut health and “experience unpleasant gut symptoms”. While kombucha is always celebrated for its supposed health benefits, there is still limited and contradictory research on its effect on our health.

But whether it’s ‘health tonic’ status is proven or not, these days there are still whole fridges dedicated to kombucha in mainstream supermarkets. While it’s relatively easy to distinguish the alcohol content of a commercial kombucha (anything above 0.5 per cent must be clearly labelled as alcoholic), it’s wise too, to check the ingredients before committing to a bottle. Many commercially made brands often rely on high levels of additives, sugar and fruit juice to sweeten, flavour and stabilise their brews.

For Mailer McGuire, making kombucha is less about health fads and more about creating an alcohol alternative made with minimal intervention and maximum thought. “We want to encourage people to drink well,” says Morison. “Mailer McGuire is named after my two strong and spirited grandmothers. Two women determined to get the most out of life, and their teapots.”

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