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International News

ular beverage in the wellness industry in the last Japan, Emperor Inkyo, was ill, Korean Dr. Kombu
few decades. It’s not new, but over the pre-vious brought the tea from China to help the ailing ruler.
10 years, mainstream society has finally caught on Adding the Japanese word for tea, cha, to the end
to its benefits. of the doctor’s name made it Kombucha. At this
time, it was used for its believed curative proper-
Traditionally, kombucha contains alcohol. Not ties.
enough to leave you with a hangover or lead you to
any hazy decisions but a small amount that occurs The growth of European trade routes in the early
during fermentation. How much alcohol is depen- 20th century opened the doors for people around
dent on the length of time the tea is fermented. So the world to reap the benefits from this ancient
it is no surprise that producers see an easy entry slow-brewed tea. As with the wine indus-try, kom-
point into the RTD alcoholic beverage market. Who bucha also experienced a slump due to the second
knew beer and kombucha would make a robust world war that saw a decline in sugar and tea res-
blend or that it would pair well with gin or vodka? ervoirs.
All good beverages start at the bar with skilled mix-
ologists who can create drinks in real-time. They Kombucha’s gut health benefits were brought to
create a demand for one-of-a-kind cocktails at your the forefront after a study conducted in the 1960s
local liquor store. You may have noticed CBD is the in Switzerland documented that kombucha could
newest addition to luxe cocktails, but for now, it’s have the same probiotic benefits as yo-gurt. This
all about bubbling kombucha. discovery sparked a wave of interest in kombucha.
It first saw growth with family-owned brands sold
Healthy Origins in small health-centric markets and then drew the
attention of corporations who saw the monetary
Kombucha has been touted as the ultimate tart possibilities of this fermented tea. Its steady con-
gut health elixir, but how did it come to be known sumer popularity has been due to the purported
that way? Before exploring the possible benefits medicinal benefits for individuals suffering from
of kombucha, let’s first trace the origins of this pri- various health condi-tions. Everybody knows at
mordial fermented beverage. Although new in the least one person who swears by it and drinks it
west–only making waves for the last 60 years–the daily.
drink dates back approximately 2,000 years in both
China and Japan; however, it isn’t easy to pinpoint How is Kombucha Made?
an exact moment when it was invented.
Anyone considering homebrewing kombucha
The origin of the name is slightly easier. Sources has most likely heard about a SCOBY. A SCOBY is
say that around 400 AD, when the emperor of a “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.” Since

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