I’m finally doing this review in part to assuage my guilt. GT’s was one of the first companies kind enough to send me product for review and in return for their kindness I mistakenly left an entire case of their Kombucha out for several months to spoil. I felt doubly guilty when I went to Whole Foods to pick up a bottle of their Gingerberry flavor to review and saw how expensive it is, $4 a bottle! Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage that claims to detoxify the liver, increase blood flow to the brain, stimulate the immune system and even cause mild euphoria. This may be explained in part thanks to the trace amounts of alcohol and caffeine in the brew.

After spending more than I really think any (mostly) non-alcoholic beverage should cost, my wife and I cracked the bottle. Now I know this stuff has health properties verging on the mystical, and I know a legion of kombucha devotees will come down hard on me in the comments but this stuff tastes pretty darned bad. That said, I’ll admit that while there’s nothing appetizing sounding about a fizzy drink with an odor reminiscent of feet and a flavor approaching salad dressing, I can see how it could be an oddly addictive acquired taste for some. Tina Fey provides a great description here about four minutes in:

GT’s Kombucha is organic, which scores it some green points, and it may be worth a try for those brave souls who just aren’t satisfied with mainstream beverage choices. Those with a thirst for adventure and a reduced carbon footprint can even make kombucha at home - but I’ll be sticking with my un-fermented iced tea for the time being. Here’s how I rated the funky elixir:

• Green: 2/4
• Value: 1/3
• Quality: 1/3
• Final GreenDeals score: 4/10

Have you tried kombucha? Tell us about your experience in the comments!