OnTap Magazine

THEONISTA Cape Town’s original booch producer is still one of its finest. What I love most about Theonista’s kombuchas is that they’re far less fizzy than many of their competitors, and are balanced slightly more towards sour than sweet. They also come in a range of fabulous flavours, including seasonal specials that utilise in-season botanicals. One of my favourites is the Naartjie and Hibiscus – a year-round offering. There’s plenty going on aroma-wise, with notes of rooibos, a touch of cider vinegar and a subtle floral aroma. As good kombucha should, it has got a certain funk to it, with the naartjie essential oil coming through on the aftertaste. The blush pink Cape Point Kombucha features hibiscus, lemon verbena and pelargonium which together give a fairly bold rose-like flavour. Sadly, there’s no tasting facility at their Woodstock-based brewery, but you can swing by to fill up a growler of booch (or to buy a homebrew kit). Theonista’s products are available at Wellness Warehouse, Faithful to Nature and if you’re in Cape Town, through Mr D. theonista.co.za HAPPY CULTURE Based in the Winelands, Happy Culture's kombucha comes in half a dozen flavours. The label promises “live and fizzy” and this is certainly true – I found the bottles to be best opened over the sink. My favourite was the Raspberry and Hibiscus. Pleasantly dry with a slight sourness, there’s lashings of raspberry on both nose and palate. It’s highly refreshing and accessible for those just getting started in the world of booch. Other flavours in the range include Blueberry & Basil and the festive-tasting Rooibos Chai. Happy Culture is constantly experimenting and has recently released canned kombuchas infused with CBD or guarana, as well as Water Kefir – a range of flavoured, probiotic sparkling waters. The products are available nationwide at a range of stores including Pick ‘n’ Pay, Wellness Warehouse and select branches of Spar, as well as on the Happy Culture online store. happyculture.co.za BREW KOMBUCHA Founded in 2016, Brew Kombucha champions local ingredients in its three flavours. The brand has a heavy focus on organic produce and sustainable packaging. Like many a craft brewer, founder Alex Glenday, first tried kombucha overseas and decided to start brewing her own on returning to Cape Town. The Original Rooibos is a beautifully balanced booch, with sweet and sour working in harmony. It perfectly preserves and indeed enhances the flavours of rooibos. Rooibos is rather difficult to get right in beer, but it definitely has a place in kombucha. And if that’s not South African enough for you, there is also a buchu-infused version. If it is possible for an aroma to be refreshing, then the award-winning Buchu Babe nails it, with that tell-tale buchu character that manages to be both minty and fruity at the same time. The brand has recently upscaled and moved production but you can still visit the original tap room and shop, situated on the site of South Africa’s very first beer brewery at the Montebello Design Centre in Newlands. brewkombucha.co.za CULTURE LAB Based in Cape Town’s CBD, Culture Lab currently dabbles in five different flavours. I was most intrigued by the Ginger & Wild Dagga version. Wild dagga, also known as Lion’s Tail, is widely utilised in traditional medicine and can apparently be used to treat anything from itchy skin to dysentery. And yes, you can also smoke it. It’s a member of the mint family, but any wild dagga flavour was masked by the ginger in Culture Lab’s booch. But it does make for a great, not-so-sweet alternative to the average ginger beer, with that pleasant kombucha tang on the finish. Other flavours include Lemongrass, Buchu & Rooibos and an unflavoured kombucha infused with CBD. Check out their website for a full rundown of the health benefits each flavour offers. Culture Lab has a small taproom on Long Street in Cape Town, or their products are available at numerous stores, bars and cafes around the country. You can also order via their online shop. culturelab.co.za Lucy Corne When American-born Meghan Werner arrived in South Africa in 2011, she had developed quite the thirst for kombucha. Not just the avour of it, but the bene ts of a beverage that helped promote gut health and general wellbeing. She soon realised there was no booch to be had in Cape Town and so she started making her own. In a story familiar to those involved with the craft beer scene, the homebrew set up gradually grew into a commercial enterprise and in 2013 Meghan launched eonista in the craft beverage capital of Cape Town, Woodstock. Today, eonista produces around a dozen avours of kombucha, and has been joined on the market by considerably more than a dozen other brands of booch. A few years back, those seeking South African kombucha would have been directed to health food stores, but as the drink gains traction, many brands are now found in major retailers including Pick ‘n’ Pay and Woolworths. And much like in the craft gin and beer scenes, one thing that has set South African kombucha apart is the use of local ingredients. Rooibos sometimes replaces black or green tea as the base, and additions include everything from naartjie extract to fynbos plants such as buchu, honeybush and rose pelargonium. BOOCH IN SOUTH AFRICA ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2020 | 41