Best kombucha: Remedy vs Lo Bros vs Momo

Keen to try Kombucha but not sure which brand is best? We asked consumers to taste three big brands to see if any stood out above the crowd.

Kombucha is a fermented fizzy tea-based drink that contains live bacterial and fungal cultures. It's become popular in the UK and US more recently as an alternative type of soft drink, with some purported health benefits.

We asked a panel of 100 people to tell us what they thought of ginger and lemon kombucha from three major brands, Lo Bros, Momo and Remedy, and found that if you're keen to give it a try, all were considered pretty even by our panel – though there were some differences depending on your tastes.

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Best ginger and lemon kombucha

Each of the kombuchas achieved the same overall score, so you can't go too far wrong. There were some differences though, so one might suit you better depending on your tastes.

Lo Bros Kombucha Ginger & Lemon Low Sugar – 63%

£4.50 for 4 x 250ml can (45p per 100ml)

Two thirds of tasters enjoyed this kombucha's fizziness and sour tang, though a similar number were somewhat put off by its dark colour.

Around half gave its ginger and lemon flavour the thumbs up, though a third wanted both to be stronger. More than 60% felt the levels of sweetness and bitterness were well balanced.

Overall, it was a reasonably well-liked drink.

Available from Amazon, Asda and Ocado

Momo Kombucha Organic Ginger-Lemon – 63% 

£3.90 for 330ml bottle (£1.18 per 100ml)

This kombucha got it right on the colour front – around two thirds of our panel rated it as appealing. A similar proportion also felt the balance of bitterness and sourness was good, while just shy of three quarters said the fizziness level was just right.

The strength of the tea flavour, and the lemon and ginger flavour didn't fare so well though – less than half rated these highly. 

Available from Ocado

Remedy Kombucha Ginger Lemon – 63% 

£2.75 for 700ml bottle (39p per 100ml) 

Three quarters of tasters loved the colour and fizziness of this kombucha, and two thirds enjoyed its sweetness levels. 

It fell down on the strength of tea flavour, though, with nearly 60% finding it too weak. More than a third would’ve relished a more potent lemon and ginger kick, too. 

Ocado and Tesco sell this kombucha in both cans and glass bottles. The bottle is the cheaper choice at Tesco, while the cans are the better-value option at Ocado.

Available from Amazon, Ocado, Tesco and Waitrose

What’s in kombucha and is it healthy?

Kombucha is touted as a health-boosting drink, and as an alternative to traditional fizzy pop, it does have benefits.

It's a fermented tea drink that contains bacterial and fungal cultures. These live cultures might be beneficial to your gut. But the evidence that they reach your colon intact, where they would have the beneficial effect, isn't conclusive.

Typical kombucha ingredients include green or black tea, and fruity flavours are often added – in this case, ginger, lemon and apple juice or flavourings. 

Momo is sweetened with raw cane sugar, while Lo Bros and Remedy use a sweetener derived from the plant, Stevia.

Kombucha is generally a low-calorie drink with just trace amounts of protein, fat and fibre. Any calories come from sugar, but these are few. Lo Bros and Remedy contains 3kcal per 100ml. Momo is slightly higher at 19kcal for the same volume.

It can contain traces of alcohol as a result of the fermentation process, but at very low levels – around the same as a non-alcoholic beer.

Is kombucha a better bet than fizzy pop?

We asked Which nutritionist, Shefalee Loth, if reaching for a can of kombucha is a better than other popular fizzy drinks. She said: 

‘Kombucha can be a healthier option than sugar-sweetened fizzy drinks. This is because in kombucha the sugar has fermented, turning into alcohol and then acetic acid. 

'While this means the sugar content is low, this isn't a green light to consume to your heart's content. That's because the acid formed in the fermentation process also damages tooth enamel and so people should still be conscious of their intake.’

It can be a good alternative to alcohol, if you are trying to cut down. Our wine experts say this is down to the warming kick of the fermented drink, that mimics the sensation of an alcoholic one.

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Kombucha flavours

We tested ginger and lemon flavoured kombucha this time round, but there is an increasing range of flavoured offerings and brands to choose from.

Other brands and flavour options include:

• Equinox (Raspberry and Elderflower,  Wild Berry) - £2.10 for 275ml at Asda
• Hip Pop (Apple and Elderflower, Cherry Blackberry with CBD) - £6 for 4 330ml cans at Sainsbury's
• Fix8 (Ginger Turmeric, Strawberry Basil, Citrus) - 35.50 for 4 250ml cans at Ocado
• Lo Bros (Blueberry Lemonade, Cola) - £2 for 330ml at Sainsbury's
• Momo (Elderflower, Raspberry Hibiscus) - £3.90 for 330ml at Ocado
• No 1 Living (Ginger with turmeric, Raspberry with Pomegranate, Passion fruit) - £3.50 for 750ml at Sainsbury's
• Nexba (Mango, Mixed Berry, Strawberry and Peach) - £3 for 1L bottle at Sainsbury's and Tesco
• Remedy (Wild Berry, Orange Squeeze) - £5.50 for 4 330ml cans at Sainsbury's and Raspberry Lemonade at Tesco

While most supermarkets sell some brands of kombucha,  Ocado and Sainsbury's both have a particularly wide selection.

You'll also find kombucha in wholefood and health food shops and alongside other soft drinks in convenience stores.

How to make your own kombucha

Making your own kombucha isn't too complicated, so you may want to give it a go.

You'll need a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, otherwise known as a SCOBY, to kick start the fermentation process – these can be purchased online. Other main ingredients are tea and sugar.

If you know someone who already makes kombucha, they may have a SCOBY they can give you.  

For detailed advice on making your own Kombucha, see BBC Good Food's Kombucha recipe.

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How we tested kombucha

The kombuchas were taste-tested in April 2024 by a large panel of consumers, including those who regularly buy and consume kombucha. The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK. 

Each brand of kombucha was assessed by 100 people. The tasters rated the taste, mouthfeel, aroma and appearance of each and told us what they liked and disliked about each one. 

The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order in which they tasted the kombucha was fully rotated to avoid any bias. Each person had a private booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 25% aroma
• 15% appearance
• 10% mouthfeel

These weightings are based on how consumers rank the importance of different attributes of kombucha.

The research was carried out by consumer research specialists Wirral Sensory Services. 

Prices correct as of 8 May 2024