How Does L.A Brewery Work as an Alcohol Alternative?
Jan 08, 2026
By Louise Avery
“If I drink a chilled glass of L.A Blush around 6 pm, the sour-sweet taste of kombucha satiates my palate and takes away my desire for alcohol”
How drinking L.A Brewery can stop the craving:
Our drinks are made using a kombucha fermentation, starting with fine sencha green tea. It’s this fermentation that creates interest and satiation on the palate, as alcohol does.
A kombucha fermentation works symbiotically with yeast and bacteria - the yeast consumes the sugar and creates alcohol, and simultaneously the bacteria convert this alcohol into natural organic acids (which are also very good for you).
The result is a deliciously tart, non-alcoholic, sweet-sour drink that we go on to layer with flowers, fruits and botanicals to create a taste for a variety of occasions.
It has a complex taste that triggers lots of the taste receptors on our palate and has a ‘grip’ that means you are more likely to sip and linger over a glass as you might an alcoholic drink. The organic acids produced in the fermentation process also mean you get a tingle in your cheeks when you drink it - like you might with a sparkling wine or a tart spirit and mixer.
Enjoying the ritual & the moment:
If you are investing in a more special drink when you are not drinking, then take pleasure in setting up the ritual - finding your favourite glass, chilling the bottle, and giving yourself a moment to appreciate that pause at the end of a busy working day.
Creating your own ritual is a form of self-care in itself. Here’s how our founder Louise, does just that:
"I have experimented a lot with non-alcoholic drinks, especially during the week when a glass of wine at 6 pm feels appealing, but I know that it is going to slow me down.
One of the reasons I started this business was because I found that the sour-sweet taste of kombucha satiated my palate and took away the desire for alcohol.
These days, I am more ritualistic in the evenings, and if I drink a chilled L.A English Blush in a wine glass, around 6 pm, whilst I cook dinner, then it fulfils my practice of winding down after a day at work. It feels special and delicious and restorative."
