Trial and Error: New Zealand's first alcohol-infused kombuchas

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Kombucha is the 2000-year-old fermented drink that's found popularity with the hip and health-conscious among us.

But it's a polarising drop: some people love it, some can't stand the stuff. And some probably quaff it back hoping to benefit from claims it's good for our gut health.

Then, there's alcohol. Ignoring the perennial claims such as red wine being good for us - it's not - booze has always found favour with the masses.

Now healthy meets indulgent with the arrival of alcoholic kombuchas. We've tried two ready-to-drink blends available in New Zealand: one's made with gin, the other with vodka.

Here's what we thought:

Happy Booch - Kombucha with charcoal filtered vodka (4 pack): $15.99. ABV: 4.5%

Premium Liquor Co. and Good Buzz Kombucha have released "Happy Booch".

Happy Booch is a combination of Good Buzz Kombucha and charcoal filtered vodka. Photo / Supplied

On first sniff, our taste testers decided this brew reminded them of good old ginger beer. On first sip, they noted it was very easy to drink, some sharing that if it came to a blind taste test they wouldn't have guessed there was any alcohol in it.

One of our taste testers, a firm kombucha fan, was a little dubious about the kombucha and shared she'd hoped to see some traces of scoby (the live culture said to be probiotic and the reason for the drink's purported health benefits).

Mama's Brew Shop: Happy Hour Kombucha (4 pack) $19.99. ABV: 5%

Happy Hour Kombucha is made from Mama's Brew Shop craft kombucha, Victor Craft Gin and Italian Aperitivo. Photo / Supplied

This one is a mix of a locally-brewed craft kombucha, Victor Craft Gin and Italian Aperitivo.

Our first observation was the superb cracking quality of the can which we reckon often indicates a top-notch fizz.

Visually, it looked just like Berocca. For two of our taste testers, they also found "notes of Berocca" in the flavour profile. And one decided it gave him flashbacks of cough medicine.

Compared to the Happy Booch, this one had much more complexity, more like a cocktail.

But for some the alcohol wasn't a stand-out. Some of our taste testers claimed they couldn't taste gin or find much difference in flavour compared to non-alcoholic kombuchas.

However, this product seemed to be the more authentic of the two on the kombucha front, with bits of scoby present in a few glasses.

The team agreed it was a refreshing tipple, one that would be perfect for a Sunday afternoon in the sun.

Final thoughts...

Our team of six were divided when it came to choosing an ultimate favourite. Three were fans of the easy-to-drink, vodka-infused Happy Booch while the rest chose the more complex gin number from Mama's Brew Shop.