For many, it's a bottle of kombucha a day to keep the doctor away.
Long a libation among the homeopathic set, the iced tea fermented with live cultures of bacteria and yeast is gaining popularity beyond raw foodists.
Here's what I found by sampling the leading national brand and a variety bottled in Central Ohio.
Tea: Kombu-Tea Kombucha Kvass
Flavor: Blueberry
Brewed in: Worthington
Cost: $3.49 for 13-ounce bottle
Color: A beautiful, light maroon
Carbonation: Wildly effervescent, with a thick lavender head and tiny bubbles that continue to march up the glass 10 minutes after pouring
Smell: Light, airy notes of vinegar, almost like a lambic, with berry aromas underneath
Taste: Invigorating sourness gives way to slight blueberry taste, though it's not at all sweet.
In short: Central Ohio kombucha king Bob Munley has crafted a quality beverage for those who want a simple, straightforward version of the tea.
Tea: GT's Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha
Flavor: Botanic No. 9 (bilberry, honeysuckle and red clover)
Brewed in: Beverly Hills, California
Cost: $3.99 for 16-ounce bottle
Color: Purple with dark cultures swirling about
Carbonation: Pours without a head, though miniscule bubbles continue to rise rapidly after pouring
Smell: A slight sour smell is followed by spicy herbal aromas, including chamomile, clover and lavender.
Taste: An obvious sweetness bears fruity notes and those of herbal tea.
In short: This version of GT's was tasty and not too intimidating for the first-time partaker.
