Does kombucha have caffeine?
At Equinox HQ, we get tonnes of questions about our beautiful booch. In our latest kombuch-Q&A, we’re answering one of our most asked questions about our booch: does kombucha contain caffeine? In short, yes, kombucha does have caffeine, but only a very small amount. Here’s why… How much caffeine does kombucha have? Kombucha is brewed […]
At Equinox HQ, we get tonnes of questions about our beautiful booch. In our latest kombuch-Q&A, we’re answering one of our most asked questions about our booch: does kombucha contain caffeine? In short, yes, kombucha does have caffeine, but only a very small amount. Here’s why…
How much caffeine does kombucha have?
Kombucha is brewed using green tea, which naturally contains some caffeine, and while the majority of the caffeine is lost during the fermentation process, a trace amount is left behind; around 7.43mg per 275ml bottle of Equinox to be precise!.
However, the caffeine content of kombucha will vary from brand to brand and depend on how it’s made, e.g. how long the tea is steeped for, what type of tea is made (green or black) and if any caffeine has been added. Equinox Kombucha does not contain any added caffeine, only small amounts that come from the green tea we brew it with.
In comparison to coffee, green tea only contains approximately one third of the amount of caffeine and falls way within your average daily recommended amount, about 400mg per day.
| Drink | Average caffeine content per 275ml in mg |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 109 |
| Green Tea | 33 |
| Equniox Kombucha | 7.43 |
What influences the amount of caffeine in Kombucha?
When it comes to the caffeine content in Kombucha, it all comes down to the tea leaves. Just like coffee beans, the amount of caffeine in tea leaves will vary depending how they are sourced, prepared and stored – and the difference is sometimes more than you think! Did you know that the average high street coffee can contain anywhere between 48-317mg of caffeine per serving?
Firstly, different types of tea contain different levels of caffeine. Generally, black tea contains the highest levels, then green tea and then white. Yet, it is the brewing technique in particular that influences the amount of caffeine in tea, with higher temperature water, longer brewing times and higher ratio of leaves to water increasing the amount of caffeine in your brew. Additionally, the source of the leaves can also have a significant impact. For instance, leaves that are harvested at peak season typically have higher caffeine content.
Kombucha vs coffee
What about swapping out coffee for kombucha? If you’re looking to cut down on your caffeine intake, kombucha could be a great alternative to experiment with. There is significantly less caffeine in kombucha than coffee, but still enough that you won’t be going cold turkey! To provide some context, 275ml of coffee contains around 110mg of caffeine, so if you’re used to drinking a lot of coffee, you probably won’t notice much of a buzz from 7.43mg per 275ml of our kombucha.
Coffee kombucha
Want the best of both worlds? We have a solution. If you haven’t already, meet our Espresso Coffee Kombucha; it has all the antioxidants and fermented goodness of our other kombucha teas with an added caffeine hit! We brew Arabica Coffee beans, before fermenting with our special Kombucha Culture for a truly seductive and unique taste. Our coffee kombucha contains 22.25mg of caffeine per 250ml can.
Enjoy it after breakfast to set you up for the day with a spring in your step, or in the afternoon to beat the dreaded 3 o’clock slump.
Whichever way you decide to drink our booch, it’s going to give you a healthy lift inside and out!
