KeVita Inc., the Ventura County, Calif.-based maker of KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drinks, is bringing its expertise to the kombucha category with a new line of KeVita Master Brew Kombuchas. Launching this fall, the kombucha beverages will be available in Ginger, Grapefruit, Pineapple Peach, Tart Cherry, Raspberry Lemon and Lavender Melon flavors. A 15.2-ounce bottle contains 4 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) at the time of manufacture, and an 8-ounce serving contains 20 calories, according to the company. Additionally, like the KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drinks, the kombuchas are certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, GMO free, gluten free and vegan.

KeVita Master Brew Kombuchas will offer the same health benefits as the company’s flagship KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drinks but with a different probiotic culture and flavor profile, KeVita Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Bill Moses told Beverage Industry in its August issue. In particular, the drinks will feature a bolder flavor profile that is unique to kombucha, he said.

“We were noticing that, while clearly KeVita has a much broader consumer-friendly flavor profile, there is this kombucha drinker that really wants a much more tart, almost vinegary mouthfeel flavor,” Moses explained in the article. “In drinking a kombucha, it’s almost a rite of passage that I’m getting something that tastes powerful, and I’m giving something of value to myself. We were looking at that and realizing that there is a segment out there that we were missing. So we decided to come up with our own kombucha so that we could complete our probiotic culture offering and really go after the bolder flavor profiles driving some consumer preference.”

Moses added that he expects the KeVita Master Brew Kombuchas to represent approximately 25 percent of the company’s top line next year.

For more information about KeVita Master Brew Kombuchas and the broader mission of KeVita Inc., check out Beverage Industry’s August cover story.