Forget the messy home-brewing and the risk of explosive 'burping' bottles. The UK's supermarket shelves are now brimming with a vast array of ready-made kombuchas, offering a sophisticated, fizzy alternative to alcohol and sugary soft drinks. But with so many options, which bottles deliver a truly extraordinary taste experience and which ones leave you feeling a bit flat? We put a range of popular brands to the test.
The Rise of Ready-Made Fermented Fizz
Once an obscure health drink, kombucha has firmly entered the mainstream. This fermented tea, created using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), is prized for its tangy flavour and natural effervescence. While homemade versions are a fun project, the commercial market has exploded with high-quality options, many positioned as complex non-alcoholic alternatives to wine and cocktails.
Nutritionally, kombucha is generally lower in sugar than most fizzy drinks, as the fermentation process consumes sugars. Most tested products contained between 2-3g of sugar per 100ml, a stark contrast to cola's 10.6g. However, some brands achieve a sugar-free status by using sweeteners like steviol glycosides and erythritol, pushing them into the ultra-processed category and, in our tester's view, compromising the authentic flavour.
The Taste Test Winners and Losers
Our comprehensive tasting, conducted with all drinks served chilled, revealed clear favourites and a few disappointments. The top spot for best overall kombucha went to Holos Ginger & Hibiscus Organic Kombucha (£3.20 for 330ml at Waitrose). Praised for its delicate sourness and homemade feel, this fizzy organic blend uses four teas and supports a social impact programme.
For those watching their pennies, the best bargain was awarded to FIX8 Kombucha Ginger Turmeric (55p/100ml at Tesco and Sainsbury's). This lively, sparkling sencha tea drink is fortified with vitamin C and offers a subtle warmth from ginger and lemon.
The title of most extraordinary splurge went to LA Brewery Sparkling English Blush Kombucha. At £1.33/100ml from Ocado, this B Corp-certified drink was described as a perfect sparkling wine mimic, elegantly flavoured with hops, elderflower, and fruits like rhubarb and lychee. It stands out as a great alcohol alternative.
Other high scorers included Equinox Organic Sicilian Lemon, Momo Organic Ginger-Lemon, and the uniquely minty Plants Ginger, Lime & Mint kombucha.
Where Some Brands Fell Short
Not every bottle impressed. While offering incredible value, Nexba Kombucha Ginger and Lemon (35p/100ml) and Remedy Ginger Lemon Kombucha (42p/100ml) were marked down for their use of sweeteners erythritol and steviol glycosides, which were found to taint the flavour. Similarly, One Living Ginger Kombucha with Turmeric suffered from a noticeable sweetener aftertaste despite being B Corp-certified.
The market also offers novelty infusions, such as Hip Pop Passion Fruit & Guava CBD Kombucha, which provides 15mg of cannabidiols (CBD) at a budget-friendly 45p/100ml from Sainsbury's, earning a solid three-star rating for its clean, fruity twang.
The verdict is clear: UK shoppers no longer need to ferment at home to enjoy a top-tier kombucha. With options ranging from budget-friendly daily drinks to special-occasion alcohol replacements, there's a perfectly crafted, ready-made bottle out there for every palate—no burping required.
