The best examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer at home

Before talking about science or technique, it helps to anchor things in real life. When people ask for examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer are usually at the top of the list, right alongside yogurt drinks and kefir.

Think about what you see in stores now:

You’ve got kombucha on tap in coffee shops, hard kombucha in the beer aisle, and small-batch ginger beer behind the bar for Moscow mules and dark ’n’ stormies. These aren’t fringe health-store items anymore; they’re mainstream. According to recent beverage market reports, U.S. kombucha sales keep climbing as people look for lower-sugar, probiotic options instead of soda. Ginger beer has followed a similar path, moving from a mixer to a standalone craft drink.

So when we talk about the best examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer, we’re talking about drinks that have gone from home experiments to commercial success, all powered by the same basic process: microbes eating sugar and producing acid, gas, and flavor.

How kombucha works: a living example of tea fermentation

Kombucha is a fermented tea made by adding a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) to sweetened tea. That SCOBY is one of the most iconic examples of a starter culture in home fermentation.

Here’s the simple rhythm:

You brew black or green tea, dissolve in sugar, let it cool, then add the SCOBY and some previously fermented kombucha (called starter tea). Over a week or two at room temperature, the yeasts in the SCOBY turn sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and the bacteria turn much of that alcohol into acids. The result is a tangy, lightly sweet, fizzy tea.

If you want to go a bit deeper into the microbiology side, the National Institutes of Health has a helpful overview of fermented foods and their microbes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334200/

Everyday examples of kombucha flavors

When people ask for examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer they’re usually also wondering, “Okay, but what does it actually taste like?” Kombucha is incredibly flexible. Some real-world flavor examples include:

• Ginger–lemon kombucha, bright and spicy, great as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
• Raspberry–lime kombucha, slightly sweet and tart, popular with people who are trying to quit soda.
• Pineapple–mint kombucha, often used as a light mocktail base.
• Hibiscus–berry kombucha, deep red and floral, trending in 2024 as a caffeine-free option.

All of these are made the same way: you ferment a plain batch of kombucha first, then bottle it with fruit, juice, or herbs for a second fermentation to build flavor and carbonation.

Step-by-step: making kombucha safely at home

Here’s how you can turn kombucha from an abstract example of a fermented drink into something actually sitting on your counter.

Start with clean equipment. Wash your jar, utensils, and hands with hot, soapy water. You don’t need to sterilize like you’re doing surgery, but you do want good kitchen hygiene.

Brew your tea. Most people use black tea, but green or a blend works too. Avoid flavored teas with oils (like Earl Grey) because they can stress the SCOBY.

Add sugar while the tea is still hot, then let it cool completely to room temperature. Hot tea can damage the SCOBY.

Transfer the sweetened tea to a large glass jar, slide in your SCOBY, and pour in some starter tea (unflavored, unpasteurized kombucha from a previous batch or from a store-bought bottle).

Cover the jar with a breathable cloth and a rubber band. This keeps dust and fruit flies out but lets gas escape.

Let it ferment at room temperature, ideally around 70–78°F. Taste after about 5 days, then daily. When it tastes pleasantly tart with a little sweetness left, it’s ready.

At this point, you can drink it as-is or bottle it for a second fermentation with fruit, juice, or spices to build carbonation.

For safety, the CDC has general guidance on home food fermentation and foodborne illness prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/index.html

Ginger beer: a spicy example of fermenting beverages without tea

If kombucha is tea-based, ginger beer is spice-based. It’s another one of the best examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer because it shows how flexible fermentation can be.

Traditional ginger beer is made by fermenting fresh ginger, sugar, and water with either a ginger “bug” (a wild yeast starter) or a bit of commercial yeast. The result is a cloudy, spicy, lightly alcoholic soda with natural fizz.

Modern supermarket ginger beer is often just a flavored soda with added carbonation, but the homemade version is where fermentation really shines.

Real examples of ginger beer styles

Here are some real, recognizable examples of how people are making ginger beer in 2024–2025:

• Classic cloudy ginger beer, lightly sweet with a strong ginger burn, used in Moscow mules.
• Lemon–ginger beer, brighter and more citrusy, popular as a non-alcoholic option at summer parties.
• Turmeric–ginger beer, a golden drink that leans into the “wellness” trend.
• Chili–ginger beer, where a small slice of fresh chile pepper adds heat and complexity.

These are all examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer evolving with current flavor trends while still using the same basic fermentation process.

How to make a ginger bug starter

A ginger bug is a wild yeast starter made from ginger, sugar, and water. It’s a vivid example of how easily wild yeasts can be encouraged to grow.

You grate fresh ginger (peel on is fine if it’s clean), mix it with sugar and water in a jar, and leave it at room temperature. Every day, you feed it a bit more ginger and sugar. Within a few days, you’ll see bubbles and smell a yeasty, gingery aroma. That’s your ginger bug.

Once it’s active, you use some of that liquid to inoculate a larger batch of ginger-sugar water. After a day or two in bottles, it turns into naturally carbonated ginger beer.

If you prefer more control, you can skip the ginger bug and use a pinch of baking yeast or champagne yeast instead. The process is similar, just usually faster and a bit more predictable.

Comparing examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer

Looking at examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer side by side helps you understand the bigger picture of fermentation.

Kombucha is tea-based, uses a SCOBY, and tends to be more sour with a subtle tea flavor. Its fermentation is usually longer, often 7–14 days for the primary phase.

Ginger beer is spice-based, uses either a ginger bug or yeast, and leans sweet-spicy with less acidity. Its fermentation is much shorter, often just 24–72 hours for carbonation.

Some key differences you’ll notice in your own kitchen:

• Smell: Kombucha smells like tart apple cider vinegar with tea notes. Ginger beer smells like fresh ginger and yeast.
• Texture: Kombucha grows a new SCOBY layer on top of the liquid. Ginger beer doesn’t form a pellicle; it just gets cloudy and bubbly.
• Use: Kombucha often gets sipped straight or used in mocktails. Ginger beer is frequently used as a mixer but is increasingly enjoyed on its own.

Both are strong examples of how fermentation can create complex flavors from very simple ingredients.

Safety, sugar, and health: what you should actually know

Any time we talk about examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer, health claims show up quickly. You’ll see words like “detox,” “miracle,” and “cure” thrown around. Take those with a big grain of salt.

What we do know:

• Fermented drinks like kombucha can contain live microbes, which may support a healthy gut, though research is still developing.
• Both kombucha and ginger beer can be lower in sugar than soda, especially if you let them ferment longer.
• They also can contain small amounts of alcohol due to fermentation.

For a grounded look at probiotics and fermented foods, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (part of NIH) has a useful overview: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics-what-you-need-to-know

If you’re making these drinks at home, a few common-sense guidelines help keep your examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer safe:

Keep everything reasonably clean. You don’t need to disinfect like a hospital, but wash your hands, jars, and tools well.

Use the right containers. Glass is your friend. Avoid metal long-term with kombucha because the acids can react with it.

Watch for mold. Fuzzy, dry mold in shades of green, black, or bright white on the surface of kombucha or a ginger bug is a sign to throw it out and start over. Don’t scrape and keep going.

Don’t over-pressurize bottles. Fermentation creates gas. If bottles feel rock hard or you’re worried about explosions, “burp” them (open briefly to release pressure) over the sink.

If you have a medical condition, especially if you’re pregnant, immunocompromised, or managing blood sugar issues, talk with a healthcare professional before drinking large amounts of any fermented beverage. Mayo Clinic and similar resources offer balanced perspectives on fermented foods and health: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle

2024–2025 trends: where kombucha & ginger beer are headed

The best examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer today look a little different than they did a decade ago.

Hard kombucha has become a full category in many U.S. grocery stores and bars, sitting next to hard seltzer. These drinks use longer or more intense fermentation (and sometimes added sugar) to boost alcohol content.

On the non-alcoholic side, you’ll see:

• Canned kombucha spritzers with added fruit juice.
• “Prebiotic” ginger sodas that borrow from traditional ginger beer but are pasteurized and shelf-stable.
• Low-sugar kombuchas that ferment longer and then add just a touch of juice for flavor.

Home fermenters are also pushing boundaries. Real examples include:

• Coffee kombucha (using cold brew coffee instead of tea for a mocha-like tangy drink).
• Herbal kombucha with caffeine-free bases like rooibos or hibiscus.
• Ginger beer flavored with seasonal fruits like peach in summer or cranberry in winter.

All of these are modern examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer adapting to changing tastes while still using the same core fermentation techniques.

Bringing it into your kitchen: simple starting points

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, you’re not alone. The good news is that you don’t have to start with complicated recipes. You can use very simple examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer as your training wheels.

For kombucha, start with a basic black tea and sugar recipe and skip fancy flavoring for your first batch. Once you’ve seen the SCOBY grow and tasted the change from sweet to tart, then experiment with small bottles of ginger, lemon, or berries.

For ginger beer, try a straightforward mix of grated ginger, lemon juice, sugar, and water with a tiny pinch of yeast. Bottle it in plastic soda bottles for your first try; when the bottles feel firm, you know it’s carbonated and ready to chill. After you’re comfortable with that, you can explore ginger bugs and more complex flavors.

The more you practice, the more these drinks stop feeling mysterious and start feeling like old friends. You’ll recognize the smell of a healthy ferment, the look of an active SCOBY, and the sound of a bottle that’s perfectly carbonated.

And that’s the real power of using concrete examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer to learn. They give you something you can taste, tweak, and enjoy while you build skills that transfer to almost any other fermented drink.

FAQ: common questions about fermenting beverages, kombucha & ginger beer

What are some common examples of fermenting beverages besides kombucha and ginger beer?
Other widely available fermented drinks include kefir (a fermented milk drink), water kefir (a non-dairy, lightly sweet soda-like drink), kvass (traditionally made from bread or beets), and traditional fermented ciders. These sit alongside our main examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer as part of the broader fermented beverage family.

Is kombucha an example of an alcoholic drink?
Kombucha is usually considered non-alcoholic, but it does contain small amounts of alcohol created during fermentation. Commercial kombucha in the U.S. is generally kept below 0.5% alcohol by volume to be sold as a non-alcoholic beverage. Home-brewed kombucha can vary, especially if you ferment it for a long time or add extra sugar.

Is ginger beer an example of a probiotic drink?
Traditional, unpasteurized ginger beer made with a ginger bug or live yeast culture can contain some live microbes, but it’s not as well-studied as yogurt or kefir. It’s safer to think of it as a naturally fermented soda rather than relying on it for probiotics. Still, it’s one of the tastiest examples of fermenting beverages: kombucha & ginger beer if you want something fizzy and homemade.

Can I reduce the sugar in these fermenting beverages?
You can’t skip sugar entirely because it’s the food for the microbes, but you can influence how much remains in the final drink. A longer fermentation time usually means less sugar and a more tart flavor. You can also start with a moderate sugar level, then dilute the finished kombucha or ginger beer with sparkling water when you drink it.

What’s an easy first example of a fermenting beverage for beginners?
If you’re nervous, a simple yeast-based ginger beer is often the easiest example of a fermenting beverage to start with. It ferments quickly, you don’t need a SCOBY or special culture, and you’ll see results in a couple of days. Once you’re comfortable with that, kombucha is a natural next step.

How do I know if my kombucha or ginger beer has gone bad?
Trust your senses. If you see fuzzy mold on the surface, smell something rotten or strongly cheesy, or notice colors that look off (like bright green or black patches), throw it away. A healthy kombucha or ginger beer should smell sour, yeasty, or gingery, not putrid. When in doubt, toss it and start a fresh batch.