Frequently asked questions

The Basics

Fizzy, bright and noted for its probiotics and healthy qualities, kombucha is a lightly-effervescent drink made by fermenting sweet tea with live bacteria and yeast. The result is a sometimes sweet, sometimes tangy beverage.

Every can and bottle of Humm Kombucha has 2 billion probiotics (at the time of bottling and canning), is made with organic kombucha, plus it's loaded with B12 vitamins. And it tastes really good. Like, really good.

Humm uses non-GMO natural flavors derived from plant-based ingredients to give a delicious boost of flavor to our organic juices, without adding in more sugar.

Nope. Our kombucha is live, raw and unpasteurized. The organic raw kombucha of Humm is a fermented product — never made from concentrated kombucha culture. Our kombucha is made from a proprietary combination of bacteria and yeasts. The ingredients we start our proprietary process with are the food source for the kombucha cultures that do the fermentation.

Yes, Humm Kombucha is safe for kids. We recommend consulting with your pediatrician on any matter that concerns your children’s health, including foods and beverages that they may consume.

Our kombucha contains 14 mg of caffeine per 8 oz. serving. By comparison, a typical cup of green tea contains 35 mg of caffeine per serving and a cup of coffee has around 95 mg of caffeine.

Our kombucha will not ferment when unopened at room temperature. However, those conditions will cause a slow die-off of the beneficial bacteria and probiotics, as well as negatively impact the carbonation profile. Because our kombucha is a live and perishable product with organic juices, we strongly recommend that our kombucha be refrigerated at all times while not being consumed.

At the time of bottling, each 14 oz. bottle of Humm Kombucha contains 2 billion probiotic cultures. Our kombucha contains the Bacillus subtilis strain, which is a Non-GMO probiotic.

Probiotics are live strains of good bacteria that provide humans with positive health benefits by helping to improve gut health. Prebiotics are substances from carbs (mostly fiber) that feed those good bacteria and help them do their job. In a nutshell, prebiotics provide humans with positive health benefits by helping them improve gut health, while probiotics essentially feed the probiotics to help them do their job.

Our original kombucha has less sugar than the leading kombucha brand (hmm, who is that??) flavor by flavor. For example, our Mango Passionfruit has 31% less sugar than those guys. Be sure to check our labels for the comparison on each of our tasty flavors. And, if you are looking for a Zero sugar kombucha, we have that, too. Plus, a no-sugar-added kombucha that is the first and only Whole30 Approved® kombucha. All of our products have two billion probiotics, are packed with flavor, and good for your gut!

The best-by date can be found on the lid of each bottle and the bottom of each can; the best-by date on most of our flavors is 9 months from canning or bottling.

Yes. Our manufacturing facility doesn’t work with any gluten products so there is no opportunity for cross contamination.

Brewing kombucha is a wonderful project and we suggest you source home-brewing knowledge and starter kombucha sets from one of the reputable suppliers on the Internet. Here is some info to help get you started:

  • Learn more about brewing your own kombucha: www.hummkombucha.com/diy-kombucha-how-to-make-kombucha/
  • And you’re going to need a few supplies too: www.hummkombucha.com/kombucha-tutorial-kombucha-brewing-supplies/
  • We agree. We don't care for that fake taste and we don't believe that you have to sacrifice taste for health. Humm's probiotic sodas are made with a plant-based sweetener (Allulose) and have that yummy, refreshing soda taste like the sodas you grew up loving.

    This has not yet been scientifically proven. But yes.


    Whole30 Approved?

    Humm Zero is not Whole30 Approved® as it contains plant-based natural sweeteners which are not approved on the Whole30 nutritional plan. Our Whole30 Approved® Humm Kombucha is made with fruit juice and contains no plant-based natural sweeteners. Look for the Whole30 Approved® logo on flavors: Strawberry Blossom, Ginger, Mixed Berry, Mango Lemon and seasonal Orange Spice.


    Humm Zero

    Yes it’s real! We ferment tea, sugar and kombucha cultures. We continue to ferment until all the sugar is gone (leaving all the good-for-you probiotics). Then we add plant-based sweeteners and organic flavors to make it taste great. Resulting in: 100% live, raw kombucha.

    Humm Zero is sweetened with Monk Fruit and Allulose. This blend of natural sweeteners has 1/10 the calories of sugar. Allulose contains 0.4 calories per gram compared to sugar, which contains 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates.

    Humm Zero uses allulose, a low calorie natural sweetener found in certain fruits including jackfruit, figs and raisins.

    Yep! We’re going to get a bit technical here, so bear with us. The probiotics in Humm Zero need four factors present in order to start doing their job, including a moderate pH around five, moisture, a body temperature of around 98F, and a food source (a combination of protein and carbohydrates). When you consume a Humm Zero, you check off all the boxes the probiotics need to become active!

    Yes, it sure it! Humm Zero’s all-natural sweetener, allulose doesn’t absorb, with only 1 net carb per can.


    Alcohol

    Humm has developed a proprietary kombucha fermentation process and kombucha cultures which improve flavor consistency while maintaining a live, raw, delicious non-alcoholic beverage that is well below the 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) level prescribed by the TTB. Our kombucha is not 100% free of all alcohol, therefore we disclose on our label “contains a trace amount of alcohol” to notify those consumers who may have allergies or other concerns.

    Alcohol level tests are conducted in both our in-house lab and those of an independent 3rd party laboratory with accreditation certification. Such results are well below 0.5% ABV, which is the threshold to be deemed a “non-alcoholic” beverage by the TTB. Both Humm and the 3rd party lab use AOAC approved methods for testing alcohol content in kombucha.

    Most of the other verified non-alcoholic kombucha brands on the market either make their product from a kombucha concentrate OR require extensive and expensive processing to remove the alcohol, simultaneously stripping some delicate flavor, beneficial bacteria, and aroma compounds.

    It is always important for pregnant women to consult with their doctor on any health-related questions, including whether to drink kombucha. One of Humm’s founders drank kombucha throughout both of her pregnancies and has beautiful, healthy children who regularly drink Humm Kombucha.

    We suggest recovering alcoholics consult with their doctor and/or sponsor regarding how kombucha could affect their recovery. We have connected with people in recovery who enjoy both the taste and benefits of Humm Kombucha, and also received feedback from those who choose to steer clear due to personal concerns and experience. It is certainly a decision that should not be taken lightly. We clearly state on our labels that Humm “contains a trace amount of alcohol” to notify recovering alcoholics, those with strict religious beliefs, or people who have allergy concerns.