Pass the Portmanteau

Portmanteau: a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example motel (from ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’), brunch (from ‘breakfast’ and ‘lunch’), or kombrewcha (from kombucha and brew). That last one was an interesting new type of hard beverage I picked up from the Swarthmore Co-Op. I like kombucha and have for a while. The non-alcoholic version sold at the Co-op, Baba’s Brew, is a favorite of mine. I started drinking it years ago before it had a dedicated section in the supermarket refrigerator case. The effervescence and fruity flavors prove capable substitutes to sugary soda and iced teas. So, I was excited to try the 21+ version of the beverage produced by the Anheuser-Busch-backed and Brooklyn based Kombrewcha. Yes, that’s right, the same company churning out Budweiser is now making hard kombucha! Strange times we live in. In any event, the Kombrewcha variety pack of Mango Pineapple, Ginger Lemon, and Berry Hibiscus was tasty. I did not find the additional alcohol in the hard version to be as offsetting as I expected it would be and the Ginger Lemon tasted much like a bubbly probiotic beverage should (kinda healthy). So, if you are looking for a beer substitute and found hard seltzer just doesn’t cut it, crack open a kombrewcha. It’s good for your gut! That’s a claim beer simply can never make.