6 Store-Bought Kombucha Brands, Ranked

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I'll never forget the first time I saw a kombucha SCOBY. I was in middle school, hanging out at my best friend's house, and after I saw the placenta-like culture floating in its jar, I swore I would never try kombucha. Of course, that was before I understood how foods that undergo fermentation, like cheese, yogurt, and sourdough bread, are made.

Five years later, I was drinking kombucha regularly, making space for it in my college budget in lieu of coffee. In addition to enjoying my own mother's homemade kombucha, I've sampled the bubbly, fermented beverage from a number of brands, each with its own distinct flavors and attributes. During this particularly hot summer, I decided to test a handful of these brands side-by-side to better analyze their strengths and weaknesses and rank them from worst to best. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the products I tried, but you may develop your own personal preferences based on factors like carbonation, sweetness, and flavor.

I gave more kudos to brands that don't go overboard on carbonation; whose products are sweet, but not sickly sweet; and whose flavorings are pleasant, readily detectable, and not overpowered by the fermented tea. Bonus points went to brands whose products boasted spectacular aromas.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

For this review, I sampled six Lenny Boy flavors, constituting most of its product line. A few of these flavors are similar to those offered by other brands, and some tap into current trends. Lavender, for instance, has starred in many beverages over the past few years, and I've seen lavender kombucha at the farmers market on several occasions. I enjoyed Lenny Boy's Lavenderade, but felt the lavender wasn't strong enough; it was overpowered by the lemon's tartness and the sharp, bubbly nature of the kombucha.

None of the Lenny Boy products I tasted were sweet, and most of them were too tart for my palate. Individual flavors struggled to stand out because they all shared this excessive tartness. Plus, they were all too fizzy. Still, these kombuchas were undeniably refreshing. Perhaps the most invigorating was Electric Razz, which combines raspberry puree with lemons and hibiscus, resulting in a pink lemonade-like sip.

Wake-Up Call, which pairs blueberries with yerba maté, Argentina's national drink, is especially unique in that it contains 40 milligrams of caffeine. You'd be surprised by how little caffeine most kombuchas contain, despite being tea-based. This flavor may therefore appeal to those looking for a mid-day pick-me-up, but don't want the coffee jitters.

Lenny Boy kombucha is widely available in North Carolina, where the brand was founded. But it's available elsewhere on the East Coast, too. Just look for the silhouettes of a dog and its human friend at the top of each can.

When it comes to diversity and range, few brands match Health-Ade. These kombuchas aren't as sweet as others in this review. Instead, they're more subtle, relying on the natural sweetness offered by fruit juices, purees, and extracts. There aren't any ambiguous "natural flavors," either. This kombucha comes in both cans and tinted glass bottles.

I loved the carbonation level of Health-Ade kombucha after pouring it into a glass and letting it sit for a few minutes. The bubbles didn't overwhelm any of the varieties I tried, but I was able to detect the flavors more easily after some of the fizziness had subsided.

These kombuchas were slightly vinegary compared to those offered by my favorite brands. That was especially true for fruitier varieties like Peach Strawberry Lychee. This wasn't a deal-breaker for me, but one of my fellow taste testers found its flavor extremely off-putting. The Pomegranate Blueberry flavor was easily my favorite. The fruit's natural sweetness shone brightly in this kombucha, and yet there was sufficient tanginess from the kombucha and enough tartness from the fruits to keep them from becoming sickly sweet. Meanwhile, I appreciated how fiery ginger was tempered by sweet pineapple in Ginger Pineapple Belly Reset, and Pink Lady Apple was excellent, though not as bold or tart as Humm's version.

Because of the vinegary notes and less pronounced flavors of Health-Ade kombuchas, this wasn't my favorite brand. Nevertheless, I'd still drink one anytime it's offered. Plus, the bottles are prime candidates for craft projects.

One of my fellow writers previously ranked Humm as one of the best kombucha brands, commenting on its unique flavors and humble origins. Certainly, the product range is extensive, including not only original kombuchas but also nitro, zero-sugar, and probiome options. The probiome line, which contains roughly five times more probiotics than the original line, was available at my Whole Foods in all four flavors: Ginger Lime, Honeycrisp Apple, Mango Lemon, and Pineapple Turmeric with Black Pepper.

Each of these kombuchas impressed me, but the Honeycrisp Apple and Pineapple Turmeric with Black Pepper flavors were especially noteworthy. The Honeycrisp Apple reminded me of a candied apple I once had at Disney World; it was sweet like candy, but without the sugar rush. I could detect bright, floral notes, clearly reflecting the organic Honeycrisp apple within. Indeed, there are many apple varieties, each with its own set of uses, but Honeycrisp is an especially strong candidate for holding its own alongside bold flavors like kombucha. 

Meanwhile, the Pineapple Turmeric with Black Pepper was gentler than I expected. The black pepper (meant to help your body absorb turmeric) was not very obvious. Nor was the turmeric — a relief, because I'd rather have that spice in curries than in beverages. Instead, pineapple juice took the lead here, supported by apple juice.

Humm is one of my favorite kombucha brands, so don't mistake its place on this list as a bad review. The top three brands simply had more creative flavors and subtleties that gave them a leg up.

Kombucha Culture was a new-to-me brand that I'll definitely be on the lookout for moving forward. My favorite flavor was a toss-up between Golden Hour, which pairs passion fruit with ginger, and Purple Rain, which combines chamomile, lavender, and butterfly pea flower.

The former was strikingly tropical, reflecting this brand's Costa Rican roots. Indeed, all these kombuchas are made in Costa Rica, largely using organic ingredients grown on Kombucha Culture farmland. While several of the brands in this review sell flavors where ginger is fiery, bold, and beautiful, the root clearly rides shotgun in this can. Sweet, juicy passion fruit takes the driver's seat, making this product perhaps my favorite kombucha flavor ever.

But wait, Purple Rain is also in the running for that title. Most kombucha wakes me up with its fizziness and tanginess. This one relaxed me with its gentle, aromatic herbs. The presence of chamomile helped set this flavor apart from other lavender kombuchas I've tried. Certainly, if you like chamomile tea, this kombucha will win you over.

The only reason Kombucha Culture didn't earn the top spot in this review was its inconsistent carbonation. The effervescence was a bit aggressive when I first cracked open each can, but that same fizziness dissipated too quickly. I usually enjoy a glass of kombucha over the course of an hour, but I was yearning for more bubbles from this brand within 20 minutes.

Though Walker Brothers' non-alcoholic kombucha comes in only about half a dozen flavors, there's something for everyone from this brand. Compared to some kombuchas that are aggressively bubbly, these products are gentler, yet still pack a punch.

Those who prefer to taste tea more than experiment with unusual flavors will appreciate the Blueberry Jasmine and Citrus varieties, both of which were wonderfully tangy. Naturally, the latter flavor was quite lemony, but Blueberry Jasmine also featured lemon, keeping it light and floral. However, the blueberry wasn't bold enough in this kombucha, which was the only reason Walker Brothers didn't secure the top spot on this list.

Meanwhile, the Cucumber Melon flavor was unlike any other kombucha I have ever tasted. Though its aroma was surprisingly vegetal and made me hesitant to take a sip, this kombucha grew on me more and more. Despite tasting slightly vinegary, it had just the right amount of syrupy sweetness. The front end of each sip was loaded with honeydew and sour kombucha, and the back end was moderated by cool cucumber, which reminded me of melon-flavored Powerade.

But it was the Ginger flavor that was my favorite. It came across as a healthier version of ginger ale, and its gentle aroma helped ensure that it went down easy. The ginger wasn't too fiery, which would make it especially refreshing to drink on a hot summer's day.

Better Booch blew its competition out of the water. Each variety I tried had a hint of sweetness to balance out the tangy kombucha, and yet none of them were cloying. The flavors were distinct, and I appreciated that the tasting notes were clearly listed on each can alongside illustrations of the main ingredients. Instead of wondering what gave Golden Pear its herbaceous twist, I could quickly see that it was tulsi (one of many basil varieties): an herb commonly used as an adaptogen and in Ayurvedic medicine).

Guava Cooler was another one of my favorite flavors, especially for its aroma, which reminded me of tropical punch. The mango and guava played together beautifully in this drink, refusing to be overpowered by the kombucha's tangy, tart profile. The flavors in Better Booch's kombucha, as a whole, tasted fresh and authentic rather than artificial.

Better Booch kombuchas even include a patented synbiotic blend, which offers nine strains of probiotics, as well as prebiotics and postbiotics. This makes this brand especially appealing to those who drink kombucha primarily for the health benefits.

I had only one complaint about this brand: The Yuzu Ginger kombucha, while delicious, also contains yerba maté and blood orange, which I was not expecting. I liked it, but would have preferred to know what I was getting into when I cracked open the can; yerba maté is admittedly not for everyone, and it should have been in the flavor name.

In order to receive a high ranking in this review, a brand needed to offer a wide range of flavors that cater to customers with different palates. Some brands sell kombuchas that taste shockingly similar to one another, despite containing various flavoring agents. That's usually a result of the fermented tea flavors overpowering the fruits and herbs added during the second fermentation stage. Naturally, brands whose products tasted as advertised scored higher than those that did not.

I also gave more points to brands whose kombuchas weren't excessively bubbly. After all, when carbonation is too high, it becomes more difficult to detect flavor. Not every kombucha I tested had a standout aroma, but the ones that did scored higher. Finally, while kombucha isn't meant to take the place of soda, I welcome some degree of sweetness in my kombucha to offset its tart, vinegary flavors. I therefore gave kudos to brands whose products strike that perfect balance.