It might take a pronunciation lesson, but no special equipment or permit is required to kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented drink that is becoming the next big food movement for those looking to get or stay healthy in a natural way. But what exactly is it?

Kombucha is a tea fermented with a probiotic culture. “Probiotic” refers to living microorganisms; yogurt, for example, contains a beneficial probiotic culture. Houston-based Kickin’ Kombucha (KK) founder Robert Lopez describes kombucha as “traditionally starting with green or black tea with an added sugar to ‘feed’ the culture. The fermentation time varies upon carbohydrate source, container, temperature, type of tea and the characteristics of the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). The SCOBY converts the sugar, caffeine and tannins into various amino acids and B vitamins. The resulting brew is probiotic rich, naturally effervescent and slightly acidic. It can be further accented with fruits and various botanicals.”

Science lesson over.

Kickin’ Kombucha produces six varieties of its fizzy tea year around and two seasonal flavors. “I try to think of flavors that will pair nicely with kombucha’s natural acidity,” says Lopez, “and I take into account an ingredients’ nutritional/medicinal value. I really enjoy working with local farmers to highlight ingredients grown right here in Texas.”

Lopez never set out for kombucha to become a business venture. After breaking his leg for the second time, he began to brew it at home because it combined his love of good teas with his enjoyment of cooking. As Lopez shared it with family, friends and co-workers the idea of a “living” tea with possible health benefits intrigued him. A friend encouraged Lopez to try selling his kombucha at the local farmers markets. Two years later and seven friends strong, Kickin’ Kombucha is a company and a kombucha force to be reckoned with.

While the company cannot guarantee specific health benefits, Lopez thinks they are obvious. “I really value kombucha because unlike many other health supplements/functional beverages, you can literally feel it working. Personally, I find it can settle a stomach in minutes as well as aid in digestion. It also gives you great energy and you generally just feel better after drinking it. You don’t need a whole panel of testing to know if it is working, you can feel it.”

I had heard of kombucha – it’s widely available now in single-serving bottles at Whole Foods, H*E*B and other stores – and I even enjoyed some of them. Certain types, however, have little bits of yeasty stuff floating in them, and that always puts me off a beverage. But for the sake of thoroughly sampling a locally produced drink, I gathered a group of friends and we had a Kickin’ Kombucha tasting. We tasted all six flavors (the seasonal ones were not in season): Wide-Eyed, The Grape Divide, Straight Up, Everyberry Hibiscus, Passionate Pineapple and Goodness.

Here’s what we discovered:

Wide-Eyed is made with ginger, lemon, guarana (a high-caffeine bean-like fruit, native to the Amazon) and ginseng. It has a very strong ginger bite. Tasters commented that it left a ginger after-burn in their throat. It is markedly fizzier than the other flavors. Comments included, “Smells fermented,” “taste better than it smells” and “I feel healthier.” It was suggested that it would be good heated for a sore throat, mixed with cranberry juice or lemonade over ice, or used to glaze carrots or other root vegetables.

The Grape Divide combines Concord grape juice with ginger, lemongrass and fresh lime juice. Tasters immediately said, “Smells like wine.” They liked this flavor much more than the previous. It was described as softer, like a sparkling wine. Interestingly, it was compared to Lambic beer and Manischewitz wine. Tasters thought it would work well in a punch with sherbert, in a sangria, a smoothie or just poured over fresh berries. This flavor was a group favorite.

Next was Straight Up. KK says this flavor is for the purist. It is unadulterated kombucha brewed from their blend of teas and tisanes. Tasters loved the clean flavor of Straight Up. They singled out this flavor as one they would drink all by itself. It has lower fizziness and tastes like a refreshing flavored water. One taster said, “It tastes like vitamin water but it actually quenches your thirst.” Tasters thought it would be a great drink after coming in from mowing the lawn. It was agreed that it would not be worth cooking with other than maybe in a watermelon soup because of its delicate flavor profile.

Everyberry Hibiscus is made with hibiscus and pomegranate juice and practically every berry you can name. This flavor tasted very fermented and fizzy, but refreshing. Strangely it had very little hibiscus flavor. Tasters commented that they could taste it only on their tongues and there was zero aftertaste or throat burn like the Wide-Eyed flavor. The group thought it was also like a sparkling wine and would be good poured over sorbet. The strong berry tastes would hold up well to beef or venison and it would make great vinaigrette.

Passionate Pineapple evoked a much different response from the tasting group. This flavor is KK’s tropical twist. It has passionfruit paired with pineapple, mango and papaya. Tasters comments were, “Not a fan,” “blah – what a letdown” and “with all the other options, why pick this one?” This flavor was so different that the group wondered if we got a bad batch.

Finally, in my opinion, we saved the best for last, Goodness. The name does say it all. It is lemon-infused kombucha with several superfoods added: wheatgrass, matcha, spirulina and chlorella. When first opened, it smells like ginger but there is no big ginger taste or burn. It is citrusy with a good aftertaste. It looks like a “health” drink but tasters were pleasantly surprised with its crisp citrus and clean taste. It would be great with a cucumber or celery stick and vodka or even better with bloody Mary mix. Perfect for a vinaigrette or mixed in pickling brine for vegetables or cucumbers.

Kickin’ Kombucha is available in Houston, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio and, most recently, Oklahoma City. If you are a Greenling client, it is now available for home delivery, too.

Lopez says the company has no desire to go national because each bottle is still bottled by hand from small batches. “We have no intentions of taking over the world. We just want to make the best kombucha possible for our city and share with a few others nearby.”