Brewing Something Better: An Honest Juneshine Hard Kombucha Review

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The great hard seltzer wave gained steam right as I graduated college, and quite honestly, I ducked it completely. Sure I’ve had a canned alcoholic beverage here and there, but after mixing up my own very simple “cocktails” (mostly sparkling water or kombucha and tequila) for years, I’ve found hard seltzers difficult to stomach. As I’ve expressed before, I’m an avid ingredients label reader, so the mystery “alcohols,” sugars, and concentrates in most cans are unsettling to me. I like to know what I’m drinking just as much as what I’m eating. 

That’s why I’ve fallen deeply and utterly in love with JuneShine. The brand has dominated the hard kombucha market for years, and recently stepped into the spirits space. JuneShine brews each can with transparency and sustainability in mind – and each flavor tastes really great. 

Brewing Something Better 

JuneShine was born when Greg Serrao and Forrest Dein were wandering their local San Diego grocery store aisles and asked a simple question: “Why do we know so much about the food we eat, but not the alcohol we drink?” The short answer is that traditionally, beer, wine, and spirits companies have not been required to list ingredients or calorie counts on their labels. Breaking with that tradition and introducing transparency into the canned alcohol market, Serrao and Dein launched JuneShine in 2018. 

For those unfamiliar with the increasingly popular drink, kombucha is a fermented tea that boasts numerous health benefits – it’s probiotic-rich, gluten-free, contains antioxidants, and may even reduce heart disease risk according to Healthline. JuneShine uses a two-step organic fermentation process (similar to craft beer brewing) to create its hard kombucha, which has a 6% ABV. Each flavor is made with real, organic ingredients like green or black tea, citrus zest, honey, and spices. What’s not included in each batch? Artificial coloring, GMOs, pesticides, and processed corn or rice syrups. 

Flavors like Honey Ginger Lemon, Acai Berry, Hopical Citrus, Midnight Painkiller, and Blood Orange Mint ($33 for a 12-pack) have earned JuneShine its place as the #1 hard kombucha in the United States, and the brand’s reputation has catapulted it onto center stage in recent months: JuneShine recently closed a $24M Series B after tripling revenue between 2019 and 2020, and then doubling that from 2020 to 2021. And, the best part is that this funding news came just ahead of something even tastier.ﾠ

Hoppy Flavors For Happy Customers

Included in JuneShine’s funding news was an announcement of the brand’s Passion Project Series, a collection of flavors designed by celebrity ambassadors like Whitney Cummings and Evan Mock. The first two flavors, Prickly Pear Margarita and P.O.G. ($36 for a 6-pack of tall boys), offer a personalized spin on the brand’s signature hard kombucha taste (think fruity IPA with varying degrees of sweetness depending on flavor): Prickly Pear Margarita is brewed with organic prickly pear, tangerine, and lime, and spiced up with ancho chile, while P.O.G. is a nod to Evan Mock’s hometown of Oahu, Hawaii. The flavor is made with real, organic passionfruit, orange and guava and boasts only 3 grams of sugar. 

The only news to rival this excitement is the brand’s most recent dive into the spirits space with JuneShine Spirits, ready-to-drink canned cocktails made with real, organic ingredients – plus ~2 shots of alcohols (like tequila, rum, and vodka – not malt liquor) you know and love.

The only news to rival this excitement is the brand’s most recent dive into the spirits space with JuneShine Spirits, ready-to-drink canned cocktails made with real, organic ingredients – plus ~2 shots of alcohols (like tequila, rum, and vodka – not malt liquor) you know and love. Classic Tequila Margarita, Tropical Rum Mai Tai, and Passion Fruit Vodka Soda ($49.99 for 12) offer 8-10% ABV and are made without chemicals, fillers, and added sugar. They taste just as splendid as they make you feel. 

Without Further Ado, A Toast

While many brands seemingly use a commitment to health or sustainability as a marketing tactic, JuneShine’s commitment runs deep. It’s a brand for adventurers, artists, and athletes and feels as such in just about every way. 

While each flavor is different (P.O.G., Classic Tequila Margarita, and Grapefruit Paloma are personal favorites), what unifies the brand is the taste of something real – that this-can’t-be-good-for-me, battery-acid seltzer taste is absolutely nowhere to be found across any of the brand’s offerings. Instead, read a label that boasts of grapefruit and lime, then taste…real grapefruit and lime in every sip. 

No matter your drink preference, JuneShine has spun up a clean and tasty can for you: IPA lovers, check out Hopical Citrus. Prefer a sour beer? Consider JuneShine’s OG Blood Orange Mint. If red wine is more your style, Acai Berry is likely your jam. Or, try them all with a JuneShine sampler pack.

And, somehow, JuneShine bottled a feeling, too: feel good from the inside out with real ingredients making a real difference. No fillers or weird additives mean happy days and evenings drinking – and the added bonus of happy days to follow. Plus, feel extra good knowing JuneShine is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. The brand  is a 100% carbon neutral company and  donates 1% of sales to 1% For The Planet. 

A taste of California in more ways than one, brewed with people around the globe in mind. Cheers, salut, l’chaim – we can all drink to that. 

And, somehow, JuneShine bottled a feeling, too: feel good from the inside out with real ingredients making a real difference. No fillers or weird additives mean happy days and evenings drinking – and the added bonus of happy days to follow.

Five More Reasons To Love JuneShine: 

1. Real ingredients: JuneShine was founded to introduce transparency into the canned drink market. No fillers and added sugars here. 

2. Real commitment: JuneShine takes sustainability seriously. The brand is carbon neutral and partners with 1% For The Planet to fight climate change. 

3. Innovation, always: From its Passion Project Series to recently-launched JuneShine Spirits and seasonal hits like Hibiscus Lime and Chili Mango, the brand is constantly brewing something new for you to enjoy. 

4. Top-notch branding: A JuneShine-stocked fridge is a beautiful fridge. Each can is a little piece of art that looks great in your home. 

5. The IRL experience: Native to Southern California? Check out JuneShine’s two tasting rooms in San Diego and Santa Monica for good brews and good times.

‍Prefer sipping at home? Order a case for delivery to your doorstep and crack open a can of JuneShine at juneshine.com.