So you've decided to go keto. Maybe you're doing the research to understand just how much you'll have to give up to do so. Is it really goodbye to that end-of-week adult beverage?
We've got good news. There's still a way to find balance as you strive to pursue the best version of yourself. Meet your new best friend, our hard kombucha: A bubbly botanical drink you can still enjoy while on keto.
What Exactly Is Kombucha?
We admit it; we love a good science lesson. The details about kombucha will help you, and all of our fellow fermentation-loving friends, learn why our kombucha is keto-friendly.
The key lies in the SCOBY. SCOBY is an acronym that stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It’s the bacteria and yeast that turn your grandma’s old-fashioned sweet tea into the kombucha that you know and love.
Give tea, sugar, and SCOBY some alone time in a dark, quiet place, and before you know it, fermentation begins. After this long process, the booch is usually bottled and left to sit for a while to build up that beautiful carbonation.
The magical juice left when you’re done? That’s kombucha.
What Is Keto?
These days, anyone interested in health and fitness has probably heard of the keto diet. Achieving ketosis has many potential benefits, including potential weight loss, enhanced cognition, and more energy.
Keto is based on one simple rule: Say no to carbs — and in case you didn’t know, sugar is also considered a carb.
The keto diet allows you to eat only 50 grams of carbs a day, so your body eventually runs out of blood sugar to use for energy. After doing this for 3 to 4 days, your body starts to break down protein and fat for energy, causing you to shed the pounds. It takes more calories to burn fat for energy than carbs, which is why so many turn to the keto diet in order to achieve their health goals.
Is Kombucha Sugar-Free?
Clearly, sugar is an automatic no for anyone on keto. So if kombucha is made from sugar, how could it possibly be keto-friendly?
First off, not all brands of kombucha are made equal. Ours is something special.
Traditional kombucha often stops after this first round of fermentation, leaving you with a very low ABV and potentially some residual sugar.
For us to be absolutely certain that there’s no residual sugar hanging out in our booch, we brew full dry with champagne yeast.
Our fermentation process takes that organic cane sugar and turns it into something better for the body — even while on keto.
The secret is always in the sauce SCOBY, and our SCOBY is made up of only real and refreshing ingredients. Its unique, clean nature helps us create our great tasting flavors without the need for sugar. Plus, while many kombuchas have a funky, off-putting, vinegary taste, our SCOBY ensures that each sip is smooth.
We ferment our kombucha with superfruits, adaptogens, whole plant botanicals, so you can get more out of your drink. The sugar we use to turn that yeast on (remember our SCOBY from earlier?) is organic cane sugar which is the cleanest source for fermentation out there. Our botanical brews don't catfish with low-quality ingredients.
So to answer the above question: Not all kombucha is sugar-free. In fact, many kombucha brands are actually quite high in sugar, so be on the lookout.
The Deets on the Second Fermentation
After the SCOBY has finished fermenting, we add champagne yeast during a second round of fermentation, which removes all residual sugar and produces additional naturally occurring alcohol.
This process gives our handcrafted hard kombuchas that extra kick and crisp, delicious flavor without the sugar or carbs.
Whether you’re looking for something light and bubbly like our Watermelon Basil flavor or adding a hint of spice with our Pineapple Chili, you can enjoy knowing that your drink won’t kick you out of ketosis.
Is All Kombucha Sugar-Free?
Based on the kombucha-making process, it would make sense to think that all kombucha is essentially sugar-free. However, that’s not the case.
The fermentation process that converts all that sugar with the help of the bacteria is only as good as the ingredients it’s given to work with. There are many kombucha brands out there all trying to sell the same thing. But when you look closely at their ingredients, you’ll find elements like added sugar, juice, acid, or “natural” flavors.
Better-for-you ingredients shouldn’t mean flavorless or artificial. Full flavor shouldn’t feel like a sacrifice. That’s why all of our hard kombuchas have zero sugar and zero carbs - just bold, wildly delicious flavors made using premium, organic ingredients.
Flying Embers Hard Kombucha
The first 100% organic, shelf-stable Hard Kombucha? Yep, we made it. Boozy and delicious flavor combos, plus zero sugar? We did that, too.
By using real ingredients, we create more refreshing, complex flavors. We craft without compromise so you can live your best life, with our kombucha in hand.
Brewed with organic ingredients for a lighter, brighter buzz, our kombucha is packed with flavor notes that come alive. Check out some of our tart and tangy options like:
- Pineapple Chili, spicing things up at 6.8% ABV
- Mango Coconut sitting at a sweet 7% ABV
- Ginger, with a 7% ABV
- Black Cherry, aka the big guns at 7.2% ABV
Not only is our hard kombucha keto-friendly, it’s also vegan and gluten-free. Everyone’s invited to partake in our delicious plant-based blends.
Flying Embers: Embers Foundation
And if being able to fit kombucha into your keto diet wasn’t enough for you, know that you’re also drinking booch with a purpose. Born out of embers itself, Flying Embers rose from the ashes after the 2017 Thomas Fires threatened to destroy everything we created.
That’s why we created our nonprofit arm, the Embers Foundation. Through this foundation we dedicate 1% of all sales to addressing first responder and community needs through wildfire prevention and education, real-time natural disaster response, and mental health recovery programs.
If you ask us, that’s reason enough to raise a glass and celebrate.
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