Functional Beverage
Real Kombucha
UK slow-fermented sparkling tea, bottled like wine for fine-dining pairing. Dry (pan-fired Dragonwell green tea), Sec (first-flush Darjeeling) and Blush (Darjeeling & White Peony with red grape skin) are poured as the alcohol-free option on restaurant drinks lists including The Fat Duck, Le Gavroche, Clove Club and Hakkasan, with Blush taking Gold and Non-Alcoholic Drink of the Year at the 2024 London Wine Competition.
- Type
- Functional Beverage
- Calories
- 16 kcal per 100ml
- Format
- Bottles (750ml) or cans (250ml)
- Made in
- Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- Since
- 2017
Real Kombucha (legally The Real Co., now trading consumer-facing as REAL Alcohol Free) was founded in 2017 by David Begg, who had earlier co-founded the Tom Dixon design studio. After almost two years of persistence, Begg arrived at a genuinely wine-like, food-pairing non-alcoholic drink built around fermented tea rather than distillation or dealcoholisation.
The brand sources and naturally ferments hand-picked loose-leaf teas from India and China, with fermentation running to around three to four weeks before the drink is bottled or canned with its sparkle. Production is based at The Fermentery at The Bail on the Waddesdon Estate in Buckinghamshire — the long-time Rothschild family seat — a purpose-built site the brand describes as the first of its kind in the world, which opened in October 2022.
The current three-strong range is Dry (pan-fired Dragonwell green tea), Sec (first-flush Darjeeling) and Blush (Darjeeling and White Peony teas with red grape skin), all labelled alcohol free and listed at 16 kcal per 100ml, sold in 750ml bottles and 250ml cans. Because it is fermented rather than flavoured, it has been taken up as a restaurant wine-list alternative: the brand cites The Fat Duck, Le Gavroche, Clove Club, Hakkasan and The Pig, alongside retail listings at Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Amazon. Real Blush won Gold and the Non-Alcoholic Drink of the Year title at the 2024 London Wine Competition, and Real Sec took 2 stars at the 2023 Great Taste Awards.
Real Kombucha lineup
- Real Dry
- Real Sec
- Real Blush
Recognition: Gold — Non-Alcoholic Drink of the Year — 2024 London Wine Competition, awarded to Real Blush
“It's the ones that elude easy definitions, I believe, that have the most potential – the wine-shaped fruit and botanical blends such as Muri, Real's kombucha-like ferments and Botivo, a bittersweet apéritif that's made in Hertfordshire with cider vinegar, herbs and honey.”— Alice LascellesClub Œnologique →
Where to drink Real Kombucha
We don't have a verified bar pouring Real Kombucha in our directory yet — it's widely available online and at NA bottle shops in the meantime.
Frequently asked about Real Kombucha
Real Kombucha is a functional non-alcoholic drink made in Buckinghamshire, England, UK. UK slow-fermented sparkling tea, bottled like wine for fine-dining pairing. Dry (pan-fired Dragonwell green tea), Sec (first-flush Darjeeling) and Blush (Darjeeling & White Peony with red grape skin) are poured as the alcohol-free option on restaurant drinks lists including The Fat Duck, Le Gavroche, Clove Club and Hakkasan, with Blush taking Gold and Non-Alcoholic Drink of the Year at the 2024 London Wine Competition.