Whether you’re a new hard kombucha drinker or an old hand, we’ve gathered the best hard kombucha brands on one tasty page.
Hard kombucha is one of the newer “non-beers” you can find. Yet, this newcomer to the world of alcohol doesn’t back down for anyone. It’s brave, bold, and refreshing.
Kombucha has numerous reported health benefits that its proponents swear by. While the clinical evidence to support these claims is somewhat lacking, those who’ve been drinking it swear by its reparative effects.
The 5 Best Hard Kombucha Brands (Our Review)
Hard kombucha is fast gaining in popularity. It’s quickly become a favorite drink among adults. This drink’s appeal lies in its original, healthy brewing methods and the wide variety of flavors.
This brave and bold drink comes in various tantalizing flavors that set it apart from other liquors. With so many options available, it can get quite tricky to pick out the best brands.
So, we’ve gone through the effort of picking the best hard kombucha brands available. Why did we do this? To save you time and get you relaxing with your new favorite and healthy drink faster. This one is on us. Bottoms up and enjoy.
1. Juneshine Hard Kombucha
The Juneshine brand is no stranger to brewing some of the most exciting hard kombucha flavors around. They’re particularly well-known for their popular Midnight Painkiller brew. This exciting, hard kombucha is based on the traditional Painkiller but comes with a fun, hard kombucha twist.
Juneshine also avoids using excessive amounts of refined sugar when brewing and fermenting their signature drinks. Instead of cane sugar, they brew all of their drinks with honey.
Doing this means they have a lower sugar content than other competing brands. You’ll also find that the honey makes the hard kombucha smoother and gentler on your palate and gives it a pleasant nuttiness.
It’s not just the honey in their kombucha that makes it a healthier choice. Juneshine only ever uses organic ingredients in their hard kombucha. Their kombucha is made with only green tea, honey, Jun kombucha, and flavored organic juices and spices.
We were pretty pleased to learn that Juneshine Hard Kombucha is dedicated to sustainability. Every year they donate 1% of their annual revenue to sustainable non-profit foundations certified through their 1% For the Planet initiative.
Not only do you get to enjoy a variety of exciting, complex kombucha flavors, but you also get to support sustainability when you buy a Juneshine hard kombucha.
Pros
- Various exciting and unique flavors
- Lower sugar content than other kombucha brands
- Sleek design and branding
- Delivery is available in 43 states
Cons
- Only five primary flavors to choose from
- Complicated returns and refund procedure
Read our full Juneshine Kombucha review here.
2. Flying Embers Hard Kombucha
Our next hard kombucha brand is focused on providing kombucha fans with a vegan, gluten-free drink. The Flying Embers brand is an excellent option for health-conscious hard kombucha fans.
Even among hard kombucha, it isn’t easy to find a sugar-free drink. Flying Embers addresses this by providing a tasty Pineapple Chilli hard kombucha that’s entirely sugar-free.
Flying Embers is still a young company, but they’ve already made some significant steps into solidifying their presence as a hard kombucha brand to keep an eye on.
The founders, based in sunny California, have taken substantial steps to play their part in preventing local wildfires. They also support California’s diverse ecosystem through a variety of noble causes.
A portion of every purchase goes to fund these endeavors. What does this mean for you? You can also support some worthy causes by drinking your favorite new hard kombucha. How easy is that?
As for variety, Flying Embers offer hard kombucha fans only 4 different flavors. You get to choose between favorites, such as Black Cherry, Grapefruit Thyme, Watermelon Basil, and of course Pineapple Chilli.
Pros
- A vegan and keto-friendly range of hard kombucha drinks
- A sugar-free hard kombucha is available
- Low in carbs
- Local delivery is available
Cons
- Only four different hard kombucha flavors
- Slightly more expensive than other hard kombucha drinks
3. Strainge Beast Hard Kombucha
There’s nothing strange with our next entry into the list of best hard kombucha brands. Strainge Beast is a hard kombucha brand that offers fans of this drink 6 fantastic flavors to indulge in.
From Watermelon and Sea Salt to Grapefruit and Raspberry, their exciting infused concoctions offer a fantastic variety, and each flavor combination is well-balanced. We find that this excellent variety ensures that there’s something for a variety of folks.
As with some of the bigger hard kombucha brands, Strainge Beast only uses organic ingredients when crafting their drinks. Using these ingredients makes it a gluten-free, healthy drink.
When reviewing the Strainge Beast brand, we discovered they offer a handy guide to using their hard kombucha to make your own variety of mojitos, cocktails, and even margaritas. Doing this is a clever way to introduce new hard kombucha drinkers to this versatile and fun drink, showing that it’s so much more than just a refreshing sipper.
If you’ve never tried hard-kombucha, the fruit-medley creations from Strainge Beast could be the best place to start.
Pros
- Well-balanced flavors
- Gluten-free
- Organic ingredients
- Great variety of fruit-inspired medleys
Cons
- Sweeter than other brands
- Only available in 6 packs
4. Boochcraft Hard Kombucha
Next up is a famous hard kombucha brand. Boochcraft offers hard kombucha fans a wide range of different flavors to choose from.
It’s clear to see why Boochcraft is so well-regarded as a reputable and favored brewer. Their innovative team isn’t afraid of experimenting. This continued innovation means that hard kombucha lovers can enjoy an almost infinite variety of flavors.
Boochcraft has 6 standard fruit-inspired hard kombuchas, 3 seasonal kombuchas, and even 4 heritage flavors that come at a premium price but are well worth the price of admission. Our favorites, though, all come from the Liquid Art Lab label.
The Liquid Art Lab range contains 8 different flavors. Every can of hard kombucha under this label is a masterpiece and offers additional, new twists that show off exactly how versatile hard kombucha can be.
The brewing team believes in infusing their drinks with probiotics and plant-based ingredients. So, even though they may experiment, your hard kombucha will always be a kombucha at heart.
Boochcraft also has a fantastic blog that teaches kombucha fans everything they ever need to know about their favorite drink. Some tasty tips teach you how to pair your hard kombucha with food and snacks for the ultimate flavor experience.
Boochcraft aims to run its brewery with the lowest possible carbon footprint. The company is straightforward and open when releasing reports on how they are achieving their environmentally-friendly vision.
We think Boochcraft is lightyears ahead of the competition. They know what we want when looking for the perfect hard kombucha.
Pros
- Extensive range of different flavors
- A well-written blog with handy tips and tricks
- Reputable brewer known for their quality drinks
- Organic and gluten-free ingredients
Cons
- Pricey
- Some of their hard kombucha drinks are seasonal, making them difficult to get
5. AllKind Hard Kombucha
Last, but not least, on our list of stand-out hard kombucha brands is AllKind Hard Kombucha. AllKind is a young company with only three hard kombucha flavors. You can explore its varied flavors in either Juicy Citrus, Super Berry, or Tropical Turmeric.
Despite only having three flavors, they cover a wide range of tastes, and there should be something for everyone in this brand.
While they’re a relatively new company, they do just as much, if not more, than some of their more established competitors. Right from the start, they’ve been focused on sustainability, kindness, and offering hard kombucha fans the opportunity to support a brand that’s funky and young.
While they lack the extensive blogs and extras that other brands offer, we can’t help but fall in love with their quirky videos and branding. If you want a simple, true-to-the-heart hard kombucha brand, AllKind is the brand for you.
Pros
- Three great flavors
- Their organic ingredients are some of the best
- Probiotic and gluten-free
- Organic ingredients
Cons
- A limited selection of hard kombucha
- No extras, such as tips or fun DIY recipes
Hard Kombucha FAQs
What is hard kombucha?
Hard kombucha contains more alcohol per volume than regular kombucha. It’s made by brewing green tea, adding sugar, and then fermented with yeast.
This brewing method brings healthy bacteria and probiotics to the drink. These are great for your immune system and also help with digestion.
How much alcohol is in hard kombucha?
The alcohol levels in hard kombucha vary greatly and depend on the brewer and brewing process. Generally, hard kombucha contains anything between 4.5% to 8% ABV. This alcohol level makes it similar to common craft beers.
Is hard kombucha good for you?
It’s important to remember that despite the fun flavors, hard kombucha is still an alcoholic drink. Always enjoy hard kombucha responsibly and in moderation.
That being said, hard kombucha has fewer calories and far less sugar than other similar drinks. It also contains helpful probiotics that have some great benefits for your digestive and immune systems.
How many carbs & calories are found in hard kombucha?
Generally, most hard kombucha drinks contain anything between 5g and 13g of carbs. A regular 8 ounce can have around 100 calories. However, we advise that you always look at the label to determine the exact amount of carbs and calories found in hard kombucha.
Conclusion
Hard kombucha may be a newcomer in the world of alcohol, but it’s here to stay. If you’ve never tried it before, then our list of the best hard kombucha brands is an excellent introduction to exciting new flavors and aromas.
Hard kombucha brewers have the opportunity to experiment and constantly integrate new bold flavors and fun twists. There’s something here for everyone. Hard kombucha can add some fun to your next party.
