How to choose a good kombucha: what to read on the label

Walk down any kombucha shelf and the bottles all promise the same things: raw, organic, natural. The label is where the differences show up. Here is what we read, in the order we read it.

What should the ingredients list say?

A good kombucha has a short ingredients list you could picture in a kitchen: water, tea, the sugar that fed the culture during fermentation, and a flavour that comes from real fruit, juice, spice or botanicals. If the list is long, or the flavour comes from unnamed "natural flavourings", it is worth asking what is doing the work.

Is it raw and unpasteurised?

Pasteurising heats the drink, and heat changes the flavour. A raw kombucha has never been heat treated, which is why it tends to taste brighter and more complex. Look for the words "raw" and "unpasteurised" on the label. If neither appears, assume it has been heated. We cover the difference in the difference between raw and pasteurised kombucha.

What tea is it made with?

Kombucha is tea first, so the tea matters. Many drinks use the dust and fannings you find in most teabags, because they brew quickly and cheaply. Whole leaf tea gives a rounder, cleaner flavour. A brand that cares about its tea will usually tell you which one it uses, and whether it is whole leaf. Ours is whole leaf tea, fermented on French oak.

Does it use sweeteners?

Kombucha is made by fermenting sweetened tea, and the culture uses up most of the sugar along the way. How much is left depends on how long it ferments. Some brands add sweeteners such as steviol glycosides (often listed as stevia) or erythritol after fermentation so they can print a lower sugar figure. They are legal and widely used, but many people can taste them, and you may want to avoid them. Read the ingredients rather than the front of the pack, and compare the nutrition panel per 100ml, not per bottle, because bottle sizes vary. What happens to sugar during kombucha fermentation explains the process.

Is it organic, and who says so?

Organic is a certified term. Look for the certifier's logo and code on the label, such as the Soil Association symbol, rather than the word on its own. Ours is certified organic by the Soil Association.

Glass or can?

Neither changes the taste on its own, so this is mostly about what you prefer to recycle. Our kombucha comes in 330ml glass bottles.

Who makes it, and where?

Small batch makers can usually tell you exactly where and how a drink is brewed. We brew in a railway arch in Glasgow, and we are a certified B Corp. If a label gives you no clue about who made the drink, that tells you something too.

A quick checklist

• Short ingredients list, with real fruit, juice or botanicals for flavour
• The words "raw" and "unpasteurised"
• A named tea, ideally whole leaf
• No added sweeteners, if that matters to you
• An organic certifier's logo, not just the word
• A maker you can find and contact

If you would like to see how ours measures up, we make five flavours: Original, Ginger, Lemon Lavender, Lime Sea Salt and Black Cherry. Browse the kombucha range.