Koe Has All of the Benefits of Kombucha, Without Any of the Vinegary Ick

I think it's pretty fair to say that kombucha can be a bit of an acquired taste.

The drink has all kinds of benefits, from its probiotics to its antioxidant qualities, but none of that is worth it if you can't get past the vinegary flavor. That's where Koe comes in.

The brand specializes in beverages with all of kombucha's natural benefits, but with fruity flavors that won't deter pickier sippers. When the team behind Koe reached out to me to ask if I'd be interested in taste testing and reviewing, I had to give it a try—and I have to say they've easily become my favorite kombucha brand.

The Brand

Koe specializes in real kombucha drinks that feature fresh and fruity flavors that won't remind you of taking a sip of pickle juice. Their drinks contain plenty of live probiotics for gut health, as well as vitamin C for immune health, conferring all of kombucha's benefits without that divisive kombucha taste—and with just 25 calories and five to six grams of sugar.

Their drinks are carbonated and come in 12 oz. cans, and unlike many other kombucha brands, Koe is pasteurized (without killing the probiotics), so it doesn't require refrigeration. They can be purchased on Amazon in 12-packs for $29.99 each. If you want to find Koe near you, click HERE for their store locator.

(via Koe)

 

Also read about: Marquis Drinks Provide Natural Caffeination, Without the Crash—and They REALLY Work

 

The Flavors

Strawberry Lemonade

I began my experience with Koe with the Strawberry Lemonade flavor, and I was thrilled with how it tasted. The drink was slightly bubbly, with the tart, bright strawberry flavor coming through first and followed by the sweet lemonade, and it was just so easy to drink down. It was like a soda, but better, and legitimately had zero vinegariness to the flavor. I'm actually a person who's grown accustomed to the taste of standard kombucha, but while I don't mind the vinegar tang too much, it's not something I want to have all of the time. This, on the other hand, is something I'd gladly sip daily—and while it's hard to say exactly what benefits I got from it, I had no tummy issues at all while going through the dozen cans I was sent. I was surprised to find out it was only 25 calories per can, and after gulping it down, I looked forward to discovering the next flavor.

(via Koe)

 

Mango

Now that I knew what to anticipate, I had high expectations for Koe's Mango flavor, and it met them all. Again, it was lightly carbonated, not vinegary in the slightest, and packed with fresh mango flavor, perfectly mingling the sweet and sour notes of the fruit to create a super satisfying drink. I also found it was just the thing to satiate soda cravings, without all of the junk.

(via Koe)

 

Tropical

I wasn't at all surprised to find that Koe's Tropical flavor was another winner. This one is packed with island flavor, blending orange and pineapple for a tangy and refreshing experience. Not a lot of carbonated drinks excel at balancing sweetness with sour notes, but Koe hits the mark every time, and I found it especially delicious in this blend.

(via Koe)

 

Watermelon

And last was the Watermelon flavor, which wound up being my favorite in the collection. If you like sour watermelon candy, you'll find that flavor perfectly emulated here in the form of a smooth beverage, and that is a tough trick to pull off. The fact that it also has probiotic benefits only makes it even easier to sip.

(via Koe)

 

Also read about: Trying to Kick Your Sugary Soda Habit? Wave Soda Is the Perfect Sparkling Water-Soda Hybrid

 

Bottom Line

In my opinion, there isn't a single flavor of Koe that isn't worth trying at least once. Every variety has just the right balance of sweet and tart fruit flavors that pair perfectly with the carbonation to make them absolutely delicious, and the probiotics and vitamin C are a huge bonus. If there's one downside, it's that Koe costs between $2.49 and $2.99 per can, which is on the pricier side—but I think that's more than worth it if you're looking for all of the good stuff (and great flavor), but you can't stand traditional kombucha.

 

Want to know what else we've been snacking on lately? Click HERE to discover all of our favorite foods and drinks we tried in March.