Kombucha tea, a slightly bubbly fermented drink made with a green or black tea base, is a sweet but healthy alternative to pop. Makers claim it can aid in digestive health, plus it just tastes fantastic. Often made from organic, raw ingredients, kombucha teas have exploded in popularity in the past decade. These Edmonton shops carry a variety of brands, including some Canuck favourites.
This huge market sells a plethora of kombucha teas, including my personal favourite, Rise’s blueberry and maple flavour. They sell both the small (414 ml) and large (1 litre) bottles here, so you can stock up for a day or a week – your choice. Other awesome flavours of Rise include rose and schizandra and hibiscus and rose hips. Bonus: Rise kombucha is gluten-free, vegan and fair trade, plus it’s made in Montreal.
In addition to selling kombucha teas in two sizes from the Canadian company, Rise, Blush Lane also carries Bucha, a sparkling kombucha tea. The 16-ounce bottles come in fun flavours, such as blood orange, guava mango, yuzu lemon and raspberry pomegranate. Bucha uses a special extraction method and high-end, natural ingredients, resulting in an especially delicious tasting beverage that’s enjoyable whether or not you’re a fan of probiotics.
They carry a plethora of fermented teas – what else would you expect from a place called Earth’s General Store? Wander their aisles and you’ll find kombucha from multiple brands, such as KeVita, Rise, Bucha, GT’s Kombucha (including the Synergy line from GT’s) and Brew Dr, which comes in flavours such as citrus hops, lemon ginger cayenne, superberry, spiced apple and white rose. If you can’t decide, try Brew Dr.’s Love kombucha, which contains a mix of jasmine green tea and organic lavender.
This little café, on the corner of Whyte Avenue and 104 Street, has a cooler stocked with kombucha tea. They carry GT’s synergy kombucha tea, which is lighter than the original formula, resulting in a smoother taste. They also stock the Toronto brand, Tonica, which offers 13 flavours, including mango, blueberry, green tea, ginger, jasmine, coffee and peach. You’ll also find kombucha teas from KeVita, a California company that makes kombucha in mouthwatering flavours, such as tart cherry, lavender melon and raspberry lemon.