Episode Notes

Episode 46: Unity Vibration’s Ginger Kombucha Beer

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum, and once again I’m your companion as we face down that massive craft brew aisle in search of the hidden treasures we’ve been missing out on all along.

This week we’re taking a look at Ginger Kombucha Beer by Unity Vibration in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Is this beer good for the whole body—including the tongue? Let’s find out!

This Kombucha Beer is supremely clear in the glass-having only the faintest yellow tinge as an accent. The smell is powerful ginger, although there may be just a little bit of a crisp vinegary edge to it as well somewhere in the background. Though the label mentions that this is in fact a beer—made with hops—I do not detect any hops presence in the nose.

But what about the taste? Unity Vibrations Kombucha Beer is surprisingly sweet and mild—not sour at all. I have to admit that I was expecting a sour from the scent as well as from my previous experiences with non-alcoholic kombucha beverages. But there’s nothing of that here—sour haters are safe to give this one a shot. Just as in the scent, I don’t detect the specific flavor of hops anywhere in the brew, but that’s ok. I’m not sure a strong hop presence would work with this mild flavor profile. The ginger is definitely here, but it’s nowhere near as spicy on the tongue as it is in the scent. At the end of the swallow there is a very bready, yeast flavor that leaves just a bit of pleasant body hanging around before the next sip.

So a Kombucha Beer. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about this at first, but as a dedicated beer explorer, I couldn’t resist it. And overall I will say that it’s a tremendous success. It’s a very pleasant beverage that somehow straddles the line between kombucha and beer, and I think it will be accessible to drinkers of both. If I had one wish for this one, it would be that that ginger in the flavor was a bit spicier, like it is advertised in the scent. This one little nitpick aside, I highly recommend that you search out a bottle of this brew and give it a try. It’s interesting, it’s innovative and it might just become a new favorite of yours. It also carries a nice 8% ABV, which will surely assist you on your search for a more harmonious state.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I try Colossus of Clout Red Ale by Strike Brewing Co. in San Jose, CA! Is this one worthy of the title of one of the wonders of the ancient world? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

Before I go, just a quick request. As many of you know I live in California’s Central Valley. That means I have access to a lot of beers from the hundreds of breweries around the area. But I know that lots of you who are listening are from all over the country—some of you from other parts of the world! I want to try and share your local favorites as well. If you have something that you think needs to be exposed to the world on the Two Minute Beer Review, would you do me a favor and contact me on twitter @2minutebeer (with the number of course) or email me @2minutebeer@gmail.com? I would love to hear from you and do my best to make sure that your local beers and breweries are represented as well as mine.

That’s all for this now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

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Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

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