Product Review: GT's Organic Raw Kombucha, Botanic No 3

Today JP and I (along with our 4 boys and my niece and nephew) went to Whole Foods. I used to work there several years back. We don't shop there very often, though, because the closest one is about 15 miles from our house. Also, without the discount I used to have, it would be extrememly expensive to feed our family of 6 exclusively using their products.

Anyway, we had a great time perusing every aisle, rediscovering old favorites and also finding new things to try. I had been hearing a lot about Kombucha lately for its health benefits but had never tried it, so when I stumbled on GT's brand, I decided to give it a try. It was hard trying to pick which flavor I wanted to get! After some contemplation, I chose the "Botanic No 3" flavor, which contains lavender and elderberry.

GT's website contains a wealth of information about Kombucha and the products they make. It also tells the story of the founder, who started making Kombucha at home after his mother received a cancer diagnosis. I read all of the FAQs about Kombucha!

From GT's website at http://www.gtskombucha.com/:

"Our Kombucha is delicately cultured - some liken it to fermentation - for 30 days. During this period, essential nutrients form like active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants and polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality. Kombucha has been used for hundreds of years throughout the world as a daily health tonic."

The color of the Kombucha was a lovely burgandy/brown color with grey strands of culture floating in it. The label suggested gently shaking the bottle (gentle being the operative word). Upon opening the bottle, I was surprised to find that this tea drink was carbonated. (This occurs naturally during the "culturing" process and can vary from bottle to bottle). The drink had a slight vinegar smell to it upon first opening - which was not unpleasant - with undertones of berry. The first sip was surprising - tart and tangy, with a slight effervescence that tickled my tongue! The more I drank, the further developed the lavender and berry flavors became. I had no problem polishing off this 16-ounce bottle while I drove home from the store. It was quite refreshing!

One thing I love about this drink is that it only had 60 calories (1 point on WW) for the whole bottle. It doesn't contain any added sugar - only the elderberry sweetens it and adds a mere 4 grams of sugar per bottle. It's a nice alternative to the junky, artificially-sweetened diet sodas I've been trying so hard to eliminate from my diet! I look forward to my next trip to Whole Foods so I can get some other flavors to try.