Kombucha, a fermented sweet tea, can be enjoyed unflavored or with added fruits and spices. Here you’ll find 36 of the best kombucha flavors you can make yourself or find wherever you buy kombucha.
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Which Is the Best Kombucha Flavor?
The best kombucha flavor is the one you enjoy!
Everyone has personal taste preferences and enjoys different flavors. If you prefer sweet treats, opt for a fruit flavor. If you enjoy tart drinks, try cranberry or ginger kombucha.
Store-bought kombucha comes in many different flavors, so you are bound to find one you enjoy. If you brew kombucha at home, try the combinations below and find your favorite flavor.
Does Unflavored Kombucha Taste Good?
Unflavored, raw kombucha tastes tart with a hint of sweetness. It’s fizzy and sharp. Some say it has a bite and may take a few sips to get used to the intense flavor.
It smells and tastes slightly vinegary since it has high levels of acid. Many people enjoy the taste of raw, unflavored kombucha. Others prefer it with added fruit, herbs, or spices.
8 Common Kombucha Flavors
Kombucha comes in several familiar flavors. Store brands like Synergy, KeVita, Remedy, or Health-Ade sell these standard flavors and unique creations.
If you brew kombucha at home, you can find inspiration from the common and creative combinations.
- Cranberry
- Ginger
- Gingerade (ginger with tart fruit juice)
- Mystic Mango
- Passionfruit
- Pomegranate
- Turmeric
- Watermelon Mint
10 Creative Kombucha Flavors
Kombucha lends itself to many different flavor combos. Look for these flavors at your local grocery store or online:
- Blood Orange Carrot Ginger (Health-Ade)
- Guava Goddess (GT’s kombucha)
- Hibiscus Ginger (GT’s kombucha)
- Hopped Grapefruit (Humm)
- Chia seed (GT’s kombucha)
Try making these unique flavors at home with frozen or fresh fruit:
- Blueberry Vanilla
- Cinnamon Ginger
- Lychee Mint (use lychee puree)
- Pineapple Cayenne
- Rosemary Grape
Getting creative is half of the fun of brewing kombucha. You can create a unique batch using flavors in your pantry, including cinnamon, ginger, mint, vanilla, spicy pepper, or fruit juice.
18 Seasonal Kombucha Flavors
During different seasons of the year, you can find or create unique flavors of kombucha, such as:
| Winter | Apple cinnamon chai, apple cider, orange ginger, peppermint patty |
| Spring | Bubbly rose, lime lavender, pineapple ginger, strawberry vanilla |
| Summer | Cherry vanilla, cucumber lime, island bliss, peach basil, tropical punch |
| Fall | Pear ginger, persimmon cayenne, pink lady apple, pumpkin spice, toffee apple |
What Influences the Flavor of Kombucha?
Kombucha tea is a living food full of probiotics and antioxidants. Each batch of kombucha tastes slightly different because of slight differences in the tea leaves or the air during fermenting. The taste of your kombucha is also influenced by the following:
The length of fermentation: The longer you let your brew ferment, the more acidic it will taste and the less sugar it will have.
The type of tea: Different tea varieties bring different tastes to your kombucha. Green tea is slightly tart. Black tea is earthy. White tea is tangy. Oolong tea is earthy and grassy. Use different tea types to add subtle flavors to your kombucha.
The type of sugar: Using different types of sugar can also affect the taste of your brew. White table sugar and molasses both bring a hint of sourness. Brown sugar and evaporated cane sugar are rich and sweet. Maple syrup and honey are both very sweet.
Kombucha needs white table sugar in the first fermentation. During the second fermentation, you can experiment with other types of sugar.
Your SCOBY: Each SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) has a different balance of yeast, microorganisms, and bacteria. Mature SCOBYs are stronger and tend to ferment your kombucha more quickly.
Fruits, herbs, and spices: Flavors added during the second fermentation enhance the base flavor of your kombucha. Intense flavors can take over, hiding much of the acidic or tart taste. Subtle flavors blend with your kombucha, keeping the tart flavor.
How Is Kombucha Flavored?
Kombucha is flavored during the second fermentation. The first fermentation typically lasts between 7 and 21 days. After the first fermentation is finished, kombucha begins the second fermentation.
During the second fermentation:
- Transfer the kombucha to airtight glass bottles or another large glass brewing jar with an airtight lid. Your goal is to infuse the kombucha with flavor and create carbonation—this can only be done if the oxygen supply is cut off.
- Mix fruit, herbs, or spices with the kombucha. These additions give the yeast culture more sugar to feed on, making the kombucha bubbly.
- Leave the bottles at room temperature for 2-5 days. After this time, move the bottles to the fridge to stop fermentation. Storing fully fermented kombucha at room temperature may cause too much carbon dioxide to build up, making the bottles explode.
- If you add honey or molasses during the 2nd fermentation, plan to leave your bottles out for 7-14 days. Both honey and molasses ferment slowly and require extra time.
At the end of the second fermentation, you can filter out the pieces of fruit or herbs if you prefer. You can also leave them in as a matter of personal preference. If you plan to store your kombucha in the fridge for an extended period, it’s better to filter it before storage.
Gently pour your kombucha through a piece of cheesecloth and then transfer it back into the bottle before putting it in the fridge.