Does Kombucha Have Caffeine? Caffeine in GT's, Health-Ade, Humm and More

Part of our Mushroom Coffee guide library.

Kombucha is sweetened black or green tea fermented with a culture of bacteria and yeast. If you are swapping your afternoon soda or second coffee for a kombucha, here is how much caffeine is in the major U.S. brands, why fermentation does not remove it, how kombucha compares with coffee and tea, and which bottles have caffeine added.

What you'll learn

• Whether kombucha has caffeine, and how much is in GT's, Health-Ade, Humm and Brew Dr.
• Why fermentation lowers caffeine only a little
• How kombucha compares with coffee, tea and decaf
• Which kombuchas have added caffeine, and how much alcohol kombucha has

Caffeine in kombucha at a glance

Brand figures are from each company's U.S. website, checked on October 25, 2026. KeVita Master Brew lists caffeine (from green coffee bean extract) as an ingredient but does not publish an amount.

Does kombucha have caffeine?

Yes, almost all kombucha does, because it is brewed from black or green tea and the caffeine in the tea carries through to the finished drink. Brands such as GT's call their kombucha "naturally decaffeinated," but that means low, not zero: GT's Synergy still lists about 4 to 8 mg per 8 ounces (GT's). A 2022 UCLA lab analysis found caffeine in all nine U.S. kombuchas it tested (Yang et al., 2022).

How much caffeine is in kombucha?

Most kombucha has about 4 to 20 mg of caffeine per serving. Humm lists 14 mg per 8 ounces (Humm), Health-Ade 5 to 15 mg per serving (Health-Ade), GT's Classic 8 to 14 mg (GT's) and most 14-ounce bottles of Brew Dr. about 15 to 20 mg (Brew Dr.).

Lab testing gives a similar picture. The UCLA study measured 15.1 to 112.6 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter across nine brands (Yang et al., 2022), which works out by our calculation to about 4 to 27 mg per 8 ounces. Remember that many bottles hold 14 to 16 ounces, so drinking the whole bottle can double the per-serving figure.

Does fermentation remove the caffeine in kombucha?

Only a little. In one study, the caffeine in black tea kombucha fell by 9.5% during fermentation (Huang et al., 2024), so most of the tea's caffeine is still there. A label that says "naturally decaffeinated" still means some caffeine, so go by the milligrams, not the wording.

Does kombucha have more caffeine than coffee or tea?

No. A typical kombucha has a fraction of the caffeine in coffee and less than a cup of tea. An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg and brewed black tea about 47 mg (USDA; USDA), while most kombucha lists 4 to 15 mg per serving. That puts many kombuchas in the same range as decaf coffee, which the FDA says usually has 2 to 15 mg per 8 ounces (FDA).

See also how much caffeine is in tea and does decaf coffee have caffeine.

Which kombucha has the most caffeine?

Kombuchas with added caffeine have the most. Brew Dr. says its Uplift line, made with yerba mate, guayusa and green tea, has 150 mg of natural caffeine (Brew Dr.), more than a cup of coffee. KeVita Master Brew lists caffeine from green coffee bean extract among its ingredients (KeVita); it does not publish an amount, but in the 2022 lab study its ginger flavor had the most caffeine of the nine brands, about 51 mg per 15.2-ounce bottle by our calculation (Yang et al., 2022).

Among regular kombuchas, tea-forward flavors can be higher: Brew Dr. lists 35 mg for its Iced Tea Lemonade (Brew Dr.). If a label mentions yerba mate, guayusa, green coffee, "energy" or a caffeine amount in the ingredients, expect more than a standard kombucha.

Is there caffeine-free kombucha?

Truly caffeine-free kombucha is uncommon, because kombucha is brewed from tea. If you want as little as possible, choose a brand that lists a low figure, such as GT's Synergy at about 4 to 8 mg per 8 ounces (GT's) or Wild Tonic at about 7 mg per 12 ounces (Wild Tonic), and skip flavors with added caffeine. For no caffeine at all, an herbal tea or a homemade mocktail is a safer bet.

Does kombucha have alcohol?

A little. Fermentation produces small amounts of alcohol, and under federal law kombucha that reaches 0.5% alcohol by volume or more at any point is regulated as an alcohol beverage (TTB). Store kombucha is sold as non-alcoholic, but the UCLA analysis found alcohol ranging from 0% to 1.29% across the nine products it tested (Yang et al., 2022). If you avoid alcohol completely, keep bottles cold and check the label.

Is kombucha a good afternoon drink at work?

It can be, if you want something fizzy with very little caffeine. A serving of most kombucha has 4 to 20 mg, so it is unlikely to keep you up the way a second coffee can. A meta-analysis suggests finishing a typical coffee, about 107 mg of caffeine, at least 8.8 hours before bed (Gardiner et al., 2023); a standard kombucha is far below that dose, though energy-style kombuchas are not.

• Read the sugar line. Kombucha is made with sugar, and flavored bottles vary, so compare nutrition panels if you drink it daily.
• Drink the serving, not the bottle, if you are counting caffeine: many bottles hold two 8-ounce servings.
• Count your total. The FDA cites 400 mg a day for most healthy adults, so kombucha, coffee, tea and soda all add up (FDA). See how much caffeine is too much.

Common myths (quick reality check)

• Myth: Kombucha is caffeine-free because it is fermented. Reality: Fermentation lowers caffeine only slightly. Most kombucha still has about 4 to 20 mg per serving.

• Myth: "Naturally decaffeinated" means no caffeine. Reality: It means low caffeine. GT's, which uses the phrase, lists about 4 to 8 mg per 8 ounces for Synergy.

• Myth: All kombucha is low in caffeine. Reality: Not always. Brew Dr. Uplift lists 150 mg, and KeVita Master Brew contains added caffeine.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Does kombucha have caffeine?

Yes, most kombucha does, because it is made from black or green tea. Most brands list about 4 to 20 mg per serving, far less than coffee.

How much caffeine is in kombucha?

Usually about 4 to 20 mg per serving. Humm lists 14 mg per 8 ounces and Health-Ade 5 to 15 mg per serving.

Does GT's Synergy kombucha have caffeine?

Yes, a little. GT's says each Synergy flavor has about 4 to 8 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce serving, and its Classic kombucha 8 to 14 mg per serving.

Does Health-Ade kombucha have caffeine?

Yes. Health-Ade says its kombucha has between 5 and 15 mg of caffeine per serving.

Does Humm kombucha have caffeine?

Yes. Humm says its kombucha contains 14 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce serving.

Does Brew Dr. kombucha have caffeine?

Yes. Brew Dr. says most 14-ounce bottles have about 15 to 20 mg, its Iced Tea Lemonade 35 mg, and its Uplift line 150 mg.

Does kombucha have more caffeine than coffee?

No. An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine, while most kombucha has about 4 to 20 mg per serving.

Is there caffeine-free kombucha?

It is uncommon, because kombucha is brewed from tea. Choose a low-caffeine brand and skip flavors with added caffeine, or drink herbal tea instead.

Related guides

• Does chocolate have caffeine?
• How much caffeine is in tea?
• Does chai have caffeine?
• Caffeine in soda
• Caffeine in energy drinks
• How much caffeine is too much?

Disclaimer and when to seek help

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Brand names are trademarks of their respective owners, and OurJrney is not affiliated with them. Caffeine figures come from each company's published information on October 25, 2026, and may change. Talk to your health care provider about caffeine or kombucha if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart condition, anxiety or high blood pressure, have a weakened immune system, or take medication.

References

1. Yang J, Lagishetty V, Kurnia P, Henning SM, Ahdoot AI, Jacobs JP. "Microbial and chemical profiles of commercial kombucha products." Nutrients, 2022;14(3):670. doi:10.3390/nu14030670
2. Huang G, Huang Y, Sun Y, Lu T, Cao Q, Chen X. "Characterization of kombucha prepared from black tea and coffee leaves." Journal of Food Science, 2024;89(6):3430-3444. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.17027
3. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Kombucha.
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: brewed coffee (FDC 171890) and black tea, brewed (FDC 173227).
5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?" Content current as of August 28, 2024.
6. Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, et al. "The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2023;69:101764. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101764
7. Official product information from GT's Living Foods, Health-Ade, Humm, Brew Dr., Wild Tonic, LIVE and KeVita, linked in the text. Accessed October 25, 2026.