San Diego-based Mate Maker is a tough kombucha producer constructed round all the great things: 100% natural fruit, sustainable packaging, no plastic, and ethically sourced inexperienced tea that helps enliven the end. I’ve not been ready to determine what “Mate Maker” means, however I’m certain somebody will enlighten me within the feedback.
Kombucha (arduous or tender) just isn’t usually a product I’d gravitate to, however I agreed to provide this one a shot due to some attention-grabbing recipes they’ve and a one-off collaboration with close by Harland Brewing. For this uncommon collab, Mate Maker and Harland created each a kombucha and a pale ale, every utilizing the opposite’s components — so hops within the booch, fruit within the beer.
Let’s give every little thing a attempt.
All 6% abv and tasted from 12 oz cans except in any other case famous.
Mate Maker Onerous Kombucha Blood Orange P.O.G – The blood orange provides this a brisk bitterness that works to counteract the aggressive sourness of the underlying kombucha, whereas the “G” within the P.O.G. element brings ahead a readily detectable guava character, evoking that odd mixture of melon and mango. Evenly salty on the end, which provides a wanted cleaning high quality. B
Mate Maker Onerous Kombucha Mango Peach Smash – Each peach and mango make an look right here, however neither can absolutely dominate the mushroomy high quality and normal sourness of the underlying kombucha. It’s the mango that lingers into the end most prominently, although it’s bought loads of vinegar to maintain issues funky. It’s somewhat boring, however kombucha regulars will in all probability discover this pretty typical of the beverage. B-
Mate Maker Onerous Kombucha Dragonberry – Flavored with a mixture of dragon fruit, strawberry, acai, lime, and inexperienced tea. A mixture of strawberry and mushroom up prime, with a vinegar-heavy chew. There’s a citrusy orange peel character right here and, late on the end, a chew of lime. Not dangerous when you get previous the preliminary assault of umami. B
Mate Maker Onerous Kombucha Pineapple Tepache – The pineapple-coconut character right here comes throughout as instantly partaking and, simply, the very best of the fruit-flavored concoctions on this lineup. The sweetness of the pineapple is sufficient to mood the extra pungent elements of the expertise, and there’s a brisk citrus edge on the end that gives a little bit of acidity — past vinegar, I imply. I’d fortunately end this one off. A-
Now on to the collabs…
Mate Maker Onerous Kombucha Secret Citrus – This collaboration with Harland Brewing just isn’t a lot of a secret: This product is flavored with orange, ardour fruit, mango, and Vic Secret hops — a curious addition. The tip outcome drinks like a hybrid amongst kombucha, POG juice, and a hazy IPA — very tropical up entrance, then a fast pop of bitterness, then bitter on the end. It’s fairly a journey and a relatively refreshing one — my favourite within the lineup. A- (16 oz can)
Harland Brewing Channel Orange-Mango Australian Pale Ale – Additionally made with Australian Vic Secret hops plus Citra, together with navel orange and mango. As you may think about, this can be a very fruity XPA, that mango character actually taking a central function whereas letting notes of candy orange marmalade and a great deal of ardour fruit, courtesy of the Vic Secret, into the combination. Once more, this drinks a bit like a hazy IPA — the easy physique however — with a perky pineapple character lingering on the end. Actually simple to get pleasure from. 5.5% abv. A- / (16 oz can)
every about $5 per can / matemakerco.com
Mate Maker Onerous Kombucha Secret Citrus
$5
