Neighborhood Kombuchary launches line of hard drinks in Morgantown

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — On July 12, Neighborhood Kombuchary in Morgantown released what they believe is the first-ever hard kombucha brewed in West Virginia, a new direction for a beverage that usually has a very low ABV.

“ The Mystery Move ” is a 6% ABV blueberry and hibiscus kombucha that is part of a series of drinks called “Whim.” “Daydreamer,” the brewery’s next hard kombucha in the series, will be a blood orange and cardamom-flavored drink.

If you aren’t familiar with kombucha, it’s made by fermenting sweet tea using a SCOBY, which stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.” Although they primarily make non-alcoholic (NA) kombucha, founders of the brewery Carissa Herman and Andrew Rhodes said so many of their customers were asking for a hard beverage that they decided to give it a try.

“Almost at the launch of the original brewery, many customers asked us if we would be making a hard product,” Herman said. “There are nationally known brands that have been doing this for quite a while, so yeah, it was requested.”

One of the upsides hard kombucha has over other drinks like beer is that kombucha is gluten-free, and gives people with dietary restrictions another avenue to enjoy craft beverages. If you’re new to kombucha and want to give it a try, Neighborhood Kombuchary brewer Cody Woodring recommends the prickly pair lemonade, one of their non-alcoholic drinks.

“My favorite for newcomers is the prickly pear lemonade. It’s not quite as mature, it’s a younger kombucha that is more friendly and the lemon aspect of it makes people familiar with the sourness in a way that they’re used to,” Woodring said.

You can find a full list of locations that carry Neighborhood Kombuchary products here , but you can find “The Mystery Move” at the Neighborhood Kombuchary taproom or at nearby businesses like the Chestnut Beer Hall and 123 Pleasant Street.

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