Short answer:
Yes, Kombucha does contain some alcohol.
Longer answer:
Kombucha is a fermented drink. Wherever you have yeast + sugar, you will have a little alcohol, just like you do in bread, ripe fruit, kefir, kvass, and “non-alcoholic” beer.
But there’s a big difference between:
This guide explains:
So you can enjoy your booch with clarity and confidence—not confusion. And, of course, so that you can finally have all the answers when a newbie or a naysayer asks you: But isn’t there alcohol in Kombucha?
Kombucha fermentation is a partnership between yeast and bacteria living together in the SCOBY and starter liquid.
Here’s what happens:
So, alcohol is a temporary step in the process:
In other words, Kombucha makes its own training wheels:
as it matures, alcohol is largely converted away.
In the U.S. and many other countries, any beverage with:
is legally considered an alcoholic beverage and regulated as such.
That means:
So store Kombucha on the grocery shelf is:
Homebrew is more variable, because you’re:
Different studies and brewers suggest that most home-brewed Kombucha tends to land roughly in the 0.3%–2% ABV window, with many batches clustering around or slightly above the 0.5% mark at certain stages of fermentation, depending on:
Higher ABV “edge cases” (2%+):
For context:
Traditional homebrew Kombucha: typically far below those numbers.
Maybe you’re not here to find out how to keep the alcohol to a minimum and you’re here to party like it’s 1999. Fortunately, there is an entire section of the Kombucha industry dedicated to helping you party hearty while nourishing your gut health: Hard Kombucha.
Hard Kombucha is intentionally brewed as an alcoholic beverage, often landing around 4–7% ABV, similar to beer or hard seltzer.
Hard Kombucha:
Traditional Kombucha (what we’re dealing with here) is the low-alcohol version.
Legally in the U.S.:
That’s why commercial producers:
There’s even been proposed U.S. legislation (the KOMBUCHA Act) to raise the Kombucha threshold from 0.5% to 1.25% because traditional raw Kombucha can occasionally creep a little higher while still being non-intoxicating.
(Fun Fact: Hannah Crum, Founder of Kombucha Kamp, is one of the key figures pushing for fairness in the legislation regulating Kombucha through her work with Kombucha Brewers International, the trade organization she co-founded for Kombucha truth and advocacy.)
For home brewers, you’re not selling your Kombucha, so you’re not navigating TTB compliance. But understanding these thresholds helps you:
With traditional Kombucha, it’s extremely unlikely, and you’d have to work very hard to accomplish it.
At around 0.5% ABV, you’d need to drink many, many bottles in a short timeframe to approach the effect of even one regular beer — and by then your stomach would almost certainly complain long before your brain felt anything.
That said:
We respect that fully. The rest of this guide will help you decide what’s right for you, and how to keep alcohol lower if you do brew at home.
We’re not your doctor (and can’t give personalized medical advice), but here’s the general landscape:
Even trace amounts of alcohol — including in NA beer, mouthwash, or Kombucha — can be psychologically or spiritually triggering for some people in recovery. For this reason, some folks feel comfortable including Kombucha; others prefer to avoid it completely.
If you’re in recovery:
Most guidance around Kombucha in pregnancy focuses on:
If you:
they may be comfortable with continued moderate consumption of commercial, tested Kombucha. If you didn’t drink Kombucha at all beforehand, pregnancy usually isn’t the time to experiment with new ferments.
Always talk to your healthcare provider before making the call.
Many families happily share small servings of Kombucha with kids, treating it like:
If you serve Kombucha to kids at home:
If you:
then Kombucha is worth a conversation with your provider.
Okay, now the practical part: If you love brewing but want to minimize alcohol, how do you do that?
Let’s break it down by phase of fermentation.
(You may want to refer to our How To Brew Kombucha Guide and our Complete Guide to Second Fermentation for a more complete understanding of the processes discussed here.)
A healthy first fermentation (F1):
Tips:
Fun nuance:
Alcohol tends to peak in the mid-fermentation window and then decline as bacteria convert more of it into acids.
So a strong, mature, slightly vinegary F1 may actually be lower in alcohol than a young, very sweet one.
Second fermentation (F2) in sealed bottles is where alcohol has the most opportunity to rise, especially if:
To keep alcohol modest in F2:
The same practices that prevent overcarbonation and bottle bombs also help prevent higher alcohol levels.
You can’t know ABV precisely without lab testing, but you can use common-sense cues.
Your Kombucha may be higher in alcohol than usual if:
If you’re uneasy:
Trust your senses; they’re part of the brew team. Or, if you’re still not quite sure and want to troubleshoot with a pro, Hannah is available to book for one-on-one Homebrewer Laser Sessions to answer all of your questions in real time.
For homebrewers, estimating is usually enough.
For commercial producers, testing is mandatory.
In the U.S., the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) expects Kombucha makers to:
Industry groups like Kombucha Brewers International also publish Codes of Practice and recommended testing protocols to help brands stay compliant.
If you’re a small commercial brewer or thinking of going pro, it’s crucial to:
Hannah has decades of experience dealing with the legislative and productions processes involved in commercial Kombucha brewing and would love to assist you in your journey to the shelf (and beyond). Set up a Commercial Brewing Consultation to get started retaining Hannah for your commercial operation and ensure that you have the very best information and allies on your side.
Yes. Any fermented beverage made with yeast will contain some alcohol. In properly brewed traditional Kombucha, the level is usually low and non-intoxicating.
Most traditional Kombucha sold as a non-alcoholic beverage is kept under 0.5% ABV by law in the U.S. and many other regions.
Homebrew is more variable, but most batches fall somewhere around 0.3%–2% ABV, with rare edge cases higher if fermentation is very warm, long, and sealed.
That’s a deeply personal decision. Kombucha contains trace alcohol, similar to NA beer or other ferments. Some people in recovery choose to drink it; others avoid anything with alcohol entirely. If you’re unsure, discuss it with your support team or healthcare provider.
Many families offer kids small servings of Kombucha, but it’s still a parental and medical decision. If you’re unsure, talk with your pediatric provider, especially if your child has health conditions or restrictions.
Kombucha:
Our goal is not to scare you away from Kombucha; it’s to give you clear, honest information so you can:
“Wait… doesn’t Kombucha have alcohol?”
“Yes — a little. Let me explain how it works.”
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