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Due to the rising demands of health consciousness, more office spaces include healthier alternatives to the usual fizzy drinks.
While coffee and tea are great options, they can, at times, get a bit boring if an employee has several cups in a day. Hence, you may need to look for something more flavorful for a touch of diversity without compromising health.
Kombucha is a drink that meets all those criteria and has been in existence for at least 2,000 years, originating in China. But it’s only recently growing in popularity due to its supposed health benefits and can be found in most health food stores and is available online.
One of the best ways to introduce the drink in an office is to set up Kombucha in a keg that uses a similar draft technology as beer. So, let’s learn more about this probiotic-rich drink!
How Is Kombucha Made And Used?
Even though Kombucha may seem like a complicated drink, making it is fairly easy. The basic ingredients you’ll need to make the drink include green or black tea, yeast, and sugar. At times, other ingredients like spices and fruits might be added during the brewing process to give the sugary drink a bit more kick. That’s why you’ll often find Kombucha in herbal, fruity, and spicy flavors.
After combining the ingredients with water, the mixture is left to ferment for around a week or two. This leads to the formation of a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY) or a film on top of the fermented liquid. And the SCOBY can further be used in making several jars of Kombucha.
The week-long fermentation process of Kombucha gives it a distinct taste. Moreover, the sugar used in the tea is usually eaten up by the yeast, so you’re left behind with a drink that’s low in sugar content and calories. This makes Kombucha a great replacement for fizzy or sugary drinks, and it can be enjoyed both chilled as well as at room temperature.
In fact, Kombucha can help engage your creativity as it can be clubbed with everything from smoothies and fruit juices to refreshing cocktails. You can even use it in salad dressings or marinades as a replacement for vinegar to achieve a subtle tart flavor. Others also like to use extra Kombucha SCOBY to make recipes like vegan jerky, fruit leather, and candy.
One thing to note is that as Kombucha is a fermented product, it’ll have some amount of alcohol which can be up to 3%. But, there’s no need to worry because when you get Kombucha delivered from a trusted brewery, the alcohol percentage is almost negligible or below 0.5%.
Health Benefits Of Kombucha
Kombucha is said to have a lot of health benefits; that’s why the drink is known as the “tea of immortality,” which was consumed by the emperors of China. Drinking Kombucha daily is said to boost your immune system, control high blood pressure, and even keep heart ailments at bay.
All this is evidently true as the naturally brewed Kombucha is full of essential vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins and Vitamin C. It also has digestive enzymes as well as several species of lactic acid bacteria, which can improve gut health for better digestion.
When Kombucha is brewed using green tea, the drink preserves the antioxidants that can help fight free radicals which cause cell damage. Kombucha even has a good store of glucosamine, a chemical compound that can improve joint health and provide nourishment to your cartilage.
The beneficial drink has shown promising signs for managing Type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels. It’s said to do that by slowing down the digestion of carbs and preventing sudden insulin spikes.
Besides, the acetic acid produced during the fermentation of Kombucha may be able to kill harmful bacteria and microorganisms present inside your body. Some people even claim that drinking Kombucha has helped them get rid of undesirable yeast infections.
Why Should You Opt For Kombucha In A Keg?
While bottled Kombucha is widely available on the market, kombucha kegs are becoming popular, especially for use in offices and other commercial places. Apart from fetching you a better price, Kombucha on tap is more sustainable as there’s less wastage of plastic or glass bottles.
Employees can have as many glasses of Kombucha as they want in a day from the Kegerator. Moreover, just like draft beer equipment, Kombucha kegs can be refilled, so you’ll only need to pay for the product. Some people opt for kegs that are on sale to save a bit more money.
Another thing to note is that Kombucha kegs are healthier as the drink is stored in a carbonated environment and delivered through food-grade stainless steel pipes. So, there’s less chance of contamination as compared to other options like bulk-sized bottles or jars.
The keg even adds a little more carbonation to the Kombucha, making it an enjoyable and tasty experience for the employees. Other than that, it’s always nice to have beverage options available for everyone, especially for social situations when some employees may prefer not to drink beer or wine.
Kombucha As An Employee Benefit
Having Kombucha available for the employees, you can care for their overall health while providing them with a different drink option. The best part is that there’s no need to make the Kombucha yourself, as you can get it delivered through local Kombucha brewers.
But the only thing you need to remember is to clean the Kombucha keg periodically to prevent clogs and the possibility of any contamination. Also, make sure to maintain the recommended storing temperature so that everyone can enjoy Kombucha with perfect carbonation and less foam.
