The Great Kombucha Debacle—Again

A few years ago, the Foods For Living staff was drunk almost every day. What was the culprit behind this Dionysian disregard for propriety? Did the Board of Directors start a speakeasy next to the office? Were terrible conditions pushing dozens of employees into the bottle? Quite the opposite, actually.

OK, maybe no one was drunk. But crates of questionably-alcoholic Kombucha had become unsaleable overnight, and the staff reaped the benefits.

GT Dave's Synergy and GT's Kombucha product lines had long been popular at FFL. At that time, Kombucha—a vinegary, fermented tea—had not yet seized the mainstream. Kombucha was available in health food stores and co-ops, and that was about it. GT's Kombucha enjoyed a polarizing reputation, due to its incomparable unique flavor. This flavor was largely a result of fermentation within the drink.

As anyone who has done serious time knows, fermentation produces alcohol. It was always understood that Kombucha contained trace amounts of alcohol. But conventional wisdom said that the amount of alcohol was so small that it didn't need to be listed or considered. Then, in 2010, a consumer protection investigator with the Maine Department of Public Health called that into question.

Randy Trahan was at a Whole Foods in Portland, Maine, when he noticed some leakage on a bottle of the 'booch. Officials performed tests on a few bottles of the stuff at a food science lab, and found that alcohol was present in each, ranging from .5 percent ABV to 2.5 percent ABV. (This is just shy of the 2.8% ABV of MGD.)

An unregulated alcoholic beverage lying in wait, in coolers across the nation? This wouldn't do. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (which sounds like about the most fun-ruining, squarest bureau in the world) got involved, as they do when a beverage's ABV is above .5 percent. Soon after, Whole Foods voluntarily pulled their stock of GT's Kombucha, deciding the risk wasn't worth it. Other retailers followed suit. While customers nationwide went crazy without their favorite elixir, the back rooms of health food stores everywhere devolved into deranged 'booch-fueled bacchanalia. Or rather, people consumed single bottles of the stuff over hours and experienced no detectable effects.

GT Dave, the mastermind behind the GT's brand, personally oversees Kombucha production to this day. He says that he drinks between 1.5 and 2 gallons of Kombucha a day, testing every batch to ensure quality. I can only imagine how much he drank while reformulating his signature brew to reduce the alcohol content.

After much investigation into their brewing process, the folks at GT's discovered that changing the ratio of various probiotics used in production would reduce the alcohol content. GT's rolled out a new product line called "Enlightenment." The resulting product was a bit smoother than the original. While many found it to be deliciously different, there were those that fumed over the brand's new flavor.

Meanwhile, Whole Foods lost nearly $75M in sales due to the Kombucha debacle.

Refusing to compromise the product that made them famous, GT's quickly followed up the Enlightened product with a "Classic" formula. The new labeling clearly identified the product as containing alcohol. As an officially-sanctioned alcoholic drink, the Classic formula is less widely available than its smoother cousin. Is there really a noticeable difference in taste? You can buy one of each at your local Foods For Living, drink them back to back, and be the judge.

But now, in 2015, history is repeating itself. Many brands of Kombucha have successful wrestled some market share for themselves as the drink goes mainstream. But the mean old Bureau of No Fun has been testing again, and it looks like a few Kombucha manufacturers are over that .5% ABV line. This can result in fines, or even reclassification, which means no more selling in some grocery stores, and higher taxes.

Will Kombucha manufacturers be able to change their methods quickly enough for Uncle Sam, or successfully lobby for leniency? Time will tell. But since GT's had its Kombuchapocalypse years ago, they will be just fine.

Be well!