Is Sparkling Tea Alcoholic?

Q: Is sparkling tea alcoholic?

No. Sparkling tea is non-alcoholic. Some fermented varieties contain trace alcohol under 0.5% ABV — comparable to ripe fruit juice — and are legally classified as non-alcoholic beverages.

No, it's not. But the longer answer is worth understanding if you are avoiding alcohol for religious, medical, or personal reasons.

The Short Version

Every bottle on this site is legally classified as a non-alcoholic beverage. None contain added alcohol and none are dealcoholized wine or beer. They are built from non-alcoholic teas, botanicals, water, and in some cases a touch of grape must or lemon juice for balance. The result is functionally and legally completely non-alcoholic.

The Trace Amounts Question

Some of the bottles we carry are fermented. Fermentation is a natural process carried out by yeast or bacteria which converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Kombucha at the grocery store is made the same way, and there are trace amounts of alcohol in that too.

This process yields natural carbonation like a homemade ginger beer and creates a slightly sour, acidic finish that adds a wine-like feel to the bottles. The trace alcohol is a natural byproduct of the process, not the goal of the process.

The result is a drink with less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, which is legally considered a non-alcoholic drink in the United States. Every product on this website falls into that legal category, but some have trace alcohol and others have zero measurable alcohol.

For comparison, if you drink a sparkling tea with 0.5% ABV you'd need to drink about four entire 750ml bottles to consume the same amount of alcohol as a single can of light beer. Still, some may want to avoid alcohol entirely which is why the production method is listed on each product.

Sparkling Tea with Zero Alcohol

Teas which are made with forced carbonation like Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Co. have no trace of alcohol in them at all. In this case the teas are cold brewed; carbon dioxide is added as a gas until it dissolves into the liquid, and then the bottles rest to provide a Champagne-like feel to the bubbles. The trade off is the lack of complexity provided by the wine-like flavors created during fermentation, but a well-made tea in this style is incredible nonetheless.

The bottom line

Pour any bottle from this shop at a table with someone who doesn't drink and you will not be compromising their evening. That's the answer that matters most.