Sierra Nevada Has A New Line Of Hard Kombuchas. Here's What You Need To Know
Only those who are very in-tune with Sierra Nevada might have noticed the soft launch of their newest drink in October 2020. The beloved beer company originally made and released three hard kombucha flavors: Ginger Lemon Hibiscus, Blueberry Acai Sweet Basil, and Passion Fruit Hops Blood Orange (via @StraingeBeast). Though the initial launch wasn't splashy or extensive, the brewery is finally ready to shout out to the world about their latest creation. To celebrate, they have even made three new flavors to round out their six-flavor hard kombucha lineup.
During a virtual tasting event to launch the line, a Sierra Nevada representative said, "this kombucha was one of our most challenging endeavours and we had heard that while it was in development they had nicknamed it 'the beast.' So when it came time to name it that was easy we went with 'Strainge Beast.'" Not to mention, the in-house art team also created "very interesting creature beasts" — as the representative described them — that you'll see on the cans and boxes. "We've just been having a lot of fun with it all around," she added.
These are the flavors added in 2021
Each of the hard kombuchas are 7% ABV and the new flavors are really interesting combinations, just like the first three flavors. The second round of flavors includes another 7% ABV Grapefruit, Pomegranate, and Cucumber kombucha (via Strainge Beast). The other two new flavors are 4% ABV and only 100 calories each. Those flavors include a Raspberry, Golden Kiwi, and Elderflower can as well as a Watermelon, Sea Salt, Lime, and Mint can.
While the flavors are quite exciting, there's one thing that really sets Strainge Beast kombucha apart from other hard kombuchas, and that's the SCOBY Sierra Nevada developed. "The mother culture, our SCOBY that's in all of our kombuchas, we developed that with Oregon State University," the representative said. "We really wanted to get a flavor that was nice, bright, and clean. You'll notice some kombuchas have kind of a vinegary flavor, and that's from acetic acid. So we wanted a SCOBY that was going to produce a lot of gluconic acid which is kind of a brighter, fresher, more citrusy flavor. So that's what you'll find in all of these." Thanks to the gluconic acid, the beautiful flavors of the kombuchas can shine through easily.
You certainly don't want to miss out on this delicious and refreshing new drink from Sierra Nevada just in time for summer. So, visit your local bottle shop or grocery store to pick up a single can to try or even a box once you know which flavor you love most.