How Kombucha Became A $500 Million Opportunity
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- It seems like kombucha, the fizzy fermented tea known for its probiotic properties, is having a moment: The U.S. market for the drink went from $152 million dollars in 2015 to $492 million dollars in 2019, according to research from Nielsen. Here's how kombucha went from a niche farmers' market beverage to a global phenomenon.
» Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: cnb.cx/2kxl2rf
About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money.
Connect with CNBC Make It. Online
Get the latest updates: www.cnbc.com/m...
Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNB...
Find CNBC Make It. on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowC...
Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: bit.ly/Instagr...
#CNBC
#CNBCMakeIt
#Kombucha
How Kombucha Became A $500 Million Opportunity
I introduced kombucha to my mom, and she was like "Oh, this is what I used to make when I was a little girl back in China".
yep COVID trace.
@Bunker Sieben It's a drink that anyone can make in their home. It doesn't belong to any culture. The major producers acknowledge its origins on every bottle. Talking about cultural appropriation in this context is ridiculous and trivializes REAL instances of cultural appropriation that have a real negative effect on people.
@Bunker Sieben Actually, it's likely that "kombucha" was just how someone tried to spell it based off the japanese name, which would be spelled as "konbucha" with modern romanization. It's hard to know exactly, but I doubt it's malicious. And why do you think it's German?
Not everything has to be cultural appropriation, you know. Maybe you should just let people enjoy things from other places. The only part I guess could be described as "cultural appropriation" is the fact that the guy selling it isn't Asian.
Have you ever made kombucha in your life? Grab some water, some tea, and some sugar. Let it sit at room temperature for two weeks. Viola. It's not magic. It's bacteria and fungi. Many of which are the same exact microbes found in sauerkraut, sourdough bread, kvass, kimchi, etc. Anybody can do it, and nothing about it is specifically belonging to a culture. It is completely ridiculous and arrogant for humans to think they have some special claim over a food product, especially when we depend on microbes to make it.
Bunker Sieben Well, so go ahead and say to the Italians that they’ve stolen noodles from China and gave it an Italian name “Pasta” or “Spaghetti”, etc. Your logic is totally cracked 🤣 but funny
This amuses me. I remember when eccentric modern hippie folk would brew this at home. Suddenly kombucha is everywhere, and there are at least a dozen major brands.
Kombucha will truly make it when the price goes down
Why not when SALARIES GO UP? Balanced capitalism sounds better to me.... NOT IMPERIALISM.
Ultimately, I don't see the prices being able to go down much. Due to the limited shelf life of these items and critical contitions they need to be stored at (since they're raw and have living bacteria in them) it's going to be impossible to get the price down to soda prices.
@@E-Ma I agree but that's what it will take to truly go mainstream
Fabiano Pina IT HASSSSSSSSSS! Been here since 2010. $1.50 in price drop is huge.
If they lower the price, how will whole foods shoppers LIVE???!
Kombucha industry is raking in the cash?
*Pepsi Co. & Coca-Cola Company have entered the chat*
"Probiotics" is the only thing that product provides, a small Yakult has more probiotics than a bottle of that, though, and much cheaper too.
you can make your own kombucha for basically nothing so....
Yakult is 4 pounds for 6 tiny bottles where I live. That's not cheaaaap
What's yakul?yakult
you watch too much anime lol
It made me throw up cause it’s too strong
It’s sweet, tasty and has the fraction of sugar a can of soda has. I’m not surprised it’s catching on!
Its pretty gross.
@@silentk59 Still tastes better than american beer honestly lol
Drakotar are your taste buds damaged?? I’ve yet to taste one single kombucha drink that tastes sweeter than a spoonful of vinegar 🤭🤢🤮 (I never drank soda btw)
Samantha Murphy-Keller clearly you haven’t tasted much kombucha
MMSGEE which ones actually have a pleasant sweet taste? If you actually give me the names of precise bottles of palatable fungus tea, I’ll try them. But I’ll bet you there aren’t very many 💁🏽♀️
The health benefits are overstated, still a lot of sugar.....what people really need more of is prebiotics
Wealth Favor 🙏 yes
Maybe kimchi or sauerkraut
Most have 6 grams of sugar in a whole bottle If you buy good quality
isn't most of the sugar is converted into probiotics when it ferments?
@@arinsenninha9356 probiotics = good bacteria
Brad Leone taught me everything I need to know about Kombucha.
Who’s better than us, Vin?👍
wouder
About a year back, one night after work I wanted something different so I grabbed a random bottle off the shelf at my local market. Ever since that I have been hooked on it. Even paying $5 aus per bottle on desperate oacassions .
Thanks to Cody Ko, I actually have some background knowledge on this. 👌🏻
Ikr I now know who GT Dave is :Dd
GT DAVE
Jackie Aina would casually speak about her love for Kombucha in her videos for years. That was the introduction to many of us in the UK to the drink. It wasn't well known or accessible over here back then. We are talking about 3 or 4 years ago.
Just make your own or eat sauerkraut. So much cheaper than synergy kombucha with the same and better benefits.
Exactly, we make our own as well as saurkraut, both easy to make and can be a (healthy) addiction, only problem is that you can only brew it in warm weather
Synergy kombucha is the most disgusting kombucha over tasted the best one so far is health ade for major brands it's better to make your own
i knew there was a reason why I liked GTs so much more than kevita
Exactly! I watched Fermentation Adventure on youtube they were starting their own scoby from purchased unflavored buch and the kevita one started to mold, while the Health Aid and the Gt worked perfectly and started a strong, healthy, scoby. I wont buy kevita, who wants a pasturized probiotic drink.
Lol my friend Shakita turned me on to Kombucha. I just purchased my first one last night lol. Now this pops up on my feed. I like the taste. Especially the Mango.
It’s a great replacement for people trying to move away from beer. Not only similar effervescence but it helps shift your gut bacteria to healthier strains vs candida that can drive alcohol cravings.
I love having Kombucha in bars as an alternative to beer and liquor. That’s how I drink it. Also I like that it just tastes good.
That’s an awesome reason!
You get drunk on it?
@@ALCRAN2010 There are alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of kombucha but I drink non-alcoholic. I just like that more bars are offering nice, non-alcoholic drinks on tap and not relegating your only sober drink to water haha!
Kombucha is alright. Questionable health claims in its product labeling. Certainly healthier than soda but also way more expensive. It is targeted toward the same consumer who goes into Starbucks and orders Grande, Iced, Sugar-Free, Vanilla Latte With Soy/Almond Milk...hipsters and vegans.
Finding out kavita is owned by Pepsi:(
Shawn Laubscher Kevita doesn’t taste good, no wonder
If it’s not owned by Pepsi it’s probably owned by Coca Cola
Me too, I love Kevita 🥺
Bummer, right!!??? And pasturizing it! How ridiculous!
kevita has always been the worst brand let’s be real
Opening a new flavor of Kombucha is definitely a fear of mine! Haha never know how strong the smell will be.
Drinking some right now...it's amazing it gives me so much energy more than coffee and other horrible drinks
Ok. I’ll just drink water
Love GT Dave!
Vegans contributed to the business largely
I'm from Russia and was drinking Kombucha since 1994. Brewing this stuff at home now
Love kombucha, it's the only thing that can get me off soda
Health-Ade is my 'go to'.
Not a doctor but I can truly say it help my gut! :-) Try one every morning for week! You will get the result I got !
Will do
It tastes so gross though!
How about homemade kombucha?
Hello, if we get bubbles on the surface in the 1st ferment after 4 days is it safe to brew and drink from it.
Thank you GT!
Kevita sucks!!
Sucks so much that their original founders are starting up a new brand... go figure!
I like the mint tea one,it tastes delicious.
GT forever🥰
My mom is addicted to this
Omg yes. GT Dave made it in!
omg!!!in the 80's,a neighbor used to have this.was called tea treasure,and we thought she was weird!!!
Kombucha is the drink for people who shop at Anavrin😏
Scur
Always wanted to drink something alive lol
Pepsi Cola sits on a throne of lies.
love this content
I love Kombucha it replaced soda I love the fizz in it I been 5 years soda free ... health-ade pink lady apple that is the best.
I don't mind the small traces of alcohol. I don't give this to my child so it's all good.
Pepsi must have saved money on phones by talking to CNBC with soup cans and strings.
the only brand that (i think) we have in ireland is all about kombucha - its really good
PSA: You can make a gallon of 'buch for the cost of 2 TBS of tea leaves and 1 cup of sugar. Active time per batch is around 10 minutes. It's worth DIY.
The first kombucha I had tasted like undiluted vinegar. Everyone else can enjoy it, not my type 😂
Berk Sarioz lol same! I honestly wished I liked it since it's so healthy
i would try a couple other brands they vary a lot
I wonder does mixing two tablespoons of ACV, into club, soda, and your favorite water enhancer mimics kombucha.
VoicelessSoldier no, kombucha has bacteria. acv and club soda do not
We are unfortunately so used to super sugary drinks that natural heathy kombucha tastes off
Waiting for a clip of Britney Broski (a.k.a kombucha girl) drinking it like: 😑
I make it on a commercial level! Being able to create it on such a large scale is awesome.
My mom has been making this homemade for years
Thanks for providing good business opportunities
When packed, how do you stop the mushroom from growing
Tasted it about 22 years ago and the guy that was making it was a hipster type dude who talked it up like is was the cure for cancer and everything else....it just s beer to me.
tesoro7788 Well if you understand how the body works, and you understand that cancer is actually caused by the over Toxification of the body and the cells within the body, then when you understand that kombucha can help detoxify maybe that’s why he was making those claims. The Body has the ability to heal itself Especially if it is given the proper nutrients. Your body reproduces new cells every seven years, so when you eat junk food, and your body is replicating cells, The body doesn’t have what it needs to rebuild those cells properly so they get rebuilt weaker. Kombucha can help flush out the system and give your body some essential nutrients. Combine that with a healthier lifestyle and kombucha can cleanse the body of impurity’s so that once the body has the proper nutrients it can rebuild the cells properly
For me that's my natural laxative it helps me move my bowels more regularly like twice a day.
Thanks for sharing. We were all concerned about your bowel movements.
Yes me too!! It’s very effective.
Paul Davis yes we were
@2:22 wtf is wrong with him 😂😂😂
When taking a shot of kombucha, it's legally permitted by law to yell "SCOBY!" before taking the shot
Okay. Thank you guys 👊🏾
Everyone needs probiotics at work for their body. As a sixty-year-old woman that was on stool softeners and had never needed one. Was a vegetarian. Who lived mostly on yogurt and beans. I was backed up nearly 10-15 pounds. It was awful. Nothing was working. I started with kombusha and now 3 months later down nearly 20 pounds. Pooped off 10 and 12 lb of backed up . Every time I eat anything I just go ahead I'm drink my kombucha it cuts all the acid got issues. My skin is feeling great looking great. I will never quit drinking it it works for me amazingly.
It's HIMALAYAS, INDIA, where KOMBUCHA started. INDIA is a place where everything starts unfortunately we lost many things like KOMBUCHA.Tea even started here in HIMALAYAS. KANJI is a drink made in PUNJAB, similar to BEETROOT ferment.
THE KOMBUCHA MUSHROOM PEOPLE
SITTING AROUND ALL DAY
WHO WILL BELIEVE YOU?
You made my day. I had that song stuck while watching this
SUGAHHHHH
I've started drinking kombucha semi-regularly since it's on tap in my office, but it took a while for its smell not to seem like dirty feet to me. Also, it has made my stomach feel worse on some occasions, so I'm still not convinced it's doing me any good.
where do you work lol
@@nicole-su8dl A tech company with offices in a WeWork location. WeWork is kind of known for having kombucha on tap.
Youre probably drinking too much of it...its not meant to be consumed like water.
Natural drink that makes you feel go... Tap water, free, no waste perfect drink. Oh, wait... It is not trendy to be seen out with a glass of tap water, not really insta worthy... Dam!
Ever heard of fermented food? Too trendy for a healthy lifestyle?
Unless your water is purposely contaminated
Water doesn't have any health benefits other than hydration. It does not have the probiotics or antioxidants that tea has. Don't be cheap when it comes to your health, be willing to spend a little money.
Tap water = chlorine and unhealthy flouride for your gut. Chlorine kills good bacteria in your gut. Help yourself to that if you like...
AWESOME
I've started my own kombucha company in India,
When you make it at home, it costs less because you only consider cost of black tea and sugar,
In commercial production it costs:
Production Facility space
man hours
electricity
Equipment cost
Fermentation process
Bottling machine
Labeling machine
Salary of people working
Cleaning and sanitization
Cold storage
Cold transportation
On top of that it has to be profitable, so the price is not that big.
Also I want to point out that compare it to the price of fermented products such as beer, wine, kimchi, sauerkraut not with the price of sugary sodas and candies with no health benefits at all...
It's good stuff it's pretty much addictive once you aquire a taste for it
9:03 does the trace amount of alcohol make it bad? why is there a concern about this
Probiotics is the only reason I can drink this. Does not taste good at all.
Zachary Laid Finding Freedom try different types, ive had some nasty ones for sure.
There is apparently no research that supports that probiotics supplements are beneficial. They can actually do more harm than good. 60 Minutes had an extensive report about the topic a few weeks ago. Look it up. The probiotic industry is basically a scam.
always see kombucha as refreshing beverage nothing more , we still cant confirm their health benefits
Hard kombucha is where it’s at 😍
Just brew it yourself
How!
BROTHER TN you can buy the starter and make it by yourself. I made it several years ago it was so easy.
BROTHER TN i was googling the way to make the kombucha and bought the starter from the online shop.
Yaaaas! I miss working at a juice bar where I got it fo freeee. Now I make it myself. I spend way too much dough on that 🤣
Who else is looking for GT Dave
Kombucha is a good, some find it a little hard to get into because of the vinegar taste but I think it’s worth it.
It smells like a public restroom
Why do people need so many options other than water? You know they healthy alternative that makes you feel good its called WATER
Sadly because plain water is boring to many people even though you are right.
Javier pereira rodriguez at that point you might as well ask why humans have developed any kind of cuisine at all. I mean we can live on water and foraged roots and greens, but it’s pretty much universal that we love variety and complexity in what we consume.
Perhaps you should do some research and HISTORY ON FERMENTED FOOD... drink all the water that satisfies your while your're at it! KOMBUCHA!!
@@alisonschmitt9533 Yeah I love variety, just not in my drinks. I like to eat my variety not drink since I never taste what I drink because I just chug it
Javier pereira rodriguez ok, well, that’s you.
Some misinformation here. Kombucha is not made from fungus. A SCOBY is not a fungus. I love where she contradicts herself by saying “a SCOBY is not a mushroom- it’s a mat of fungus!” ??!
Nope.
A SCOBY is a mat of cellulose that plays host to a mixed colony of bacteria and yeast. No mushrooms or fungi involved anywhere in the process!
That mat is not SCOBY, it's a pellicule
Jackie Andrea you’re right, it’s a pellicle, but in general parlance people refer to it as a SCOBY. The SCOBY is found throughout the brew, not just in the pellicle, very true.
I was more interested in focusing on the erroneous description in in the video of kombucha organisms as fungi rather than what they are, bacteria and yeast populating the liquid itself as well as inhabiting the cellulose mat of the pellicle.
But you’re right I should have addressed both inaccuracies at once!
KOMBUCHA ! viewers - do you think it's worth starting a kombucha company in 2020 even though the market is "saturated" I'm from the UK . Best regards
Yes. I would say do research first though.
No the market is saturated and honestly I think it is a trend and really healthy people will be making their own because it is better and zero waste.
@@qcomberette i agree. I was buying this stuff weekly but hated the price. I make my own. It's cheap and easy
@@jackieandrea interesting - I was under the assumption it was complicated to make one's own kombucha. My auntie goes through an arduous process of making Kefir (fermented milk)
@@zaynumar0 haven't tried kefir yet (next on my list, and i have an instant pot) but kombucha is easy. Haven't looked back. The only time i do buy kombucha is to reuse the bottles for my own kombucha.
“it’s not a mushroom” “it’s a disc of floating fungus”. something doesn’t add up there
Health wise, stimulants disrupt your hormones among other things.(the sugar and caffeine) It's basically sugar tea with bacteria. So more likely it's akin to caffeinated cola. It's much cheaper and healthier to drink juice mixed with carbonated water and a little active vinegar. Or switchle with some stevia or monk fruit extract.
I dont get it. Tastes nasty. Like sewer water. To each their own
It's the one that was popular in East Asia a long time ago.
America is behind.
The mango flavor is the best.
just drink water people
My mom has made this for centuries and it looks disgusting to me. She used to put the jar in our dining table and I always called that a jellyfish drink.
KOK0100 I might be exaggerating it, but u know what I mean
The word kombucha sounds funny I don't know why
It's origin is from the Japanese word Konbu (seaweed) and Cha (Tea).
For me, Scoby still sounds funny
Need me some of this now that alcohol is banned in South Africa
Can't believe Lindsay Lohan made it as celeb in 2020!
I can't see Kombucha and not think of *Jackie Aina*. The first 10 times I ever heard of Kombucha was from her videos - different videos.
to expensive I stick to my applecidervinegar for now.
My great great grandmother made that she grew it under the sink her bed the bath room the addict
I'm really glad I watched this but its creepy how this was suggested to me just two days after I googled about kombucha on chrome. 🤔🤨think it's time I finally get a proper VPN
How much is it and were can i buy it?
Captain Nemo - lol u must not live in Calif. It’s everywhere here! But I can be free if you make it at home
@@fr13 Even 99 Cents Only store sometimes have kombucha. So yes it's everywhere in CA. :)
I brew my own for just cents a bottle.
Nothing about Aqua Vitea :(
actually the entire liquid is the scoby-- kombucha itself is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, the SCOBY she is referring to is actually a pellicle which is bacteria poop. A pellicle is also not necessary to brew kombucha so don't waste your money!
The Only kambucha better than GT us homemade. Love GT
Lately been drinking less of it. Much cheaper and better tasting. To drink watermelon juice,coconut water,or sweetened green tea.
$6 white chocolate mocha at Starbucks or $3 GT's Strawberry Serenity?
Assam Tea Kombucha
The rich makes the economy
How 500 million dollars became a kombucha opportunity 😇
I love Kombucha - but dislike the price point. Whoever cracks the $1.00/bottle code will have effectively bottled lightening and be unstoppable in the marketplace.
Approximately $3.00
Mushroom tea refers to psilocybin laced beverages...