Drink Yourself to a Healthier Body with Theonista Kombucha [Review]
They say there’s no such thing as a magical potion but those people have clearly never tried Theonista Kombucha. This range of powerful liquid concoctions is currently taking the South African health and brew world by storm thanks to its delicious flavour and oh-so-incredible health benefits. Pronounced kom-boo-chuh, the unique beverage offers overall health-enhancing properties for those looking to drink to their health. Theonista Brewmistress, Meghan Werner, originally intended her tea’s for her own personal consumption, but when a few samples got out, Meghan began brewing and bottling for the masses, and Theonista was born. Produced and bottled by hand, in Woodstock Cape Town, the Theonista Kombucha range will do wonders for your gut health. Here’s why you should stock up.
The small craft beverage company located in Woodstock, Cape Town believes that food is medicine and they’re all about creating delicious beverages and unique flavours using traditional fermentation techniques and nothing but the best quality consciously-sourced ingredients. The result is a range of drinks that will surprise your taste buds and treat your body they way it deserves to be treated. Forget, sugary soft drinks, kombucha is the way forward when it comes to refreshing drinks! If you’re not familiar with this fermented powerhouse beverage then it’s time to get educated because it’s all kinds of wonderful. Theonista uses the living food in a number of their beverages to create drinks that are not only beyond yummy but also help improve gut ecology and your overall wellbeing.
The unique beverage is made by fermenting tea and sugar with a specific culture called a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) and the result is a healthy drink with a unique sweet-tart taste and a light fizz (almost similar to sparkling apple cider). But, before you condemn it for being made with sugar take note that most of the sugar used to make kombucha is consumed by the SCOBY during the fermentation process – the sugar is food for the SCOBY as well as the living organisms which make kombucha so beneficial. Some of the benefits of kombucha include improved digestion and immunity, increased energy, detoxification, and healthier hair, skin and nails but others have also claimed that it can help with metabolic disorders, allergies, cancer, hypertension, chronic fatigue and arthritis. Rumour has it that it’s also an excellent hangover cure!
I got the chance to try a few bottles of the stuff and absolutely loved it. While the taste might not be for everyone if you love tea or cider then you will no doubt enjoy the Theonista brews as well. The range consists of three bottle sizes and around 10-12 flavours at any given time. “We have a really extensive core range of 9 options right now but in the past year I’ve also introduced seasonal flavours that allow me to offer new flavours using botanicals, spices, and/or fruits to create options which are seasonally inspired,” says Meghan Werner. “This also means some of the flavours simply cannot exist outside a certain time of year depending on what is in season.” The drinks come in a range of sizes including 330ml, 500ml, and 1L bottles and start from R32 for a 330ml bottle.
The Theonista Kombucha range is available online from Faithful to Nature or from health shops, various markets and on-tap at Clarke’s and Loading Bay in Cape Town. For more information on Theonista say Hi to Theonista on Facebook or visit their website.
