Kombucha tea is an ancient drink that dates back thousands of years, but only recently has this type of tea become popular in the U.S. And with its increased popularity, Associated Press reports that regulators and retailers may soon be regulating kombucha tea as an alcoholic drink.
Why does this tea need to be regulated as an alcoholic beverage? Some bottles of kombucha contain more than 0.5 percent alcohol in the drink, which is the legal limit for a drink to be considered non-alcoholic. For this reason, some retail stores like Whole Foods have removed raw kombucha from their stores. The government has also been testing kombucha to determine if it should be labeled as an alcoholic drink like beer or wine.
It could be difficult to determine how much alcohol is actually in kombucha tea because alcohol can develop over time in the unpasteurized versions because yeast is still alive, as stated by Associated Press. The editor of Beverage Business Insights told AP that some kombucha brands have 2 to 3 percent alcohol, which is almost equivalent to the amount of a light beer.
So what happens if you're pulled over by the cops and you've been drinking raw kombucha? You shouldn't worry too much, because you may not have consumed enough of the drink to test as impaired. If your chemical test shows that you're impaired and you're charged with driving under the influence, then you should contact a Phoenix DUI attorney. Any Arizona DUI attorney would probably be able to come up with a good defense strategy in court if you're simply impaired by kombucha tea. However, if you're planning to hit the road, it might be best to play it safe and stick with some nice chamomile or green teas.
Related Resources:
- Arizona DUI Law (FindLaw)
- Find a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Zero Tolerance Laws (FindLaw)
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