The tangy, naturally carbonated drink is made by fermenting sweetened tea with a culture of bacteria and yeast, creating a beverage associated with fermentation, live cultures and gut health. Digestive wellness was highlighted as a top global trend for 2026 under the header "Gut Health Hub" by market research firm Innova Market Insights, which reported that a majority of consumers now view gut health as central to whole-body wellness. And for kombucha, the numbers reflect that.
The U.S. market for kombucha was worth an estimated $1.83 billion in 2025 and revenue is projected to reach $3.46 billion by 2030, according to business consulting firm Grand View Research. Still, a distinction some consumers might miss is that pasteurization substantially reduces or eliminates the living microorganisms present in kombucha, while unpasteurized products retain active cultures. Depending on the product and storage conditions, this may affect carbonation, flavor, acidity and, in some cases, alcohol content,” Hamid Ghoddusi, head of Microbiology Research Unit at London Metropolitan University, told Newsweek.
That creates a clear commercial tradeoff. Heat treatment can make the product more stable and predictable, while leaving it untreated preserves the living cultures created through fermentation. Producers have taken different approaches to balancing live cultures, product stability and distribution.
Pasteurization offers a practical advantage for producers. A living fermented drink can continue changing after it has been bottled, making consistency and distribution more difficult. A study published in Food Bioscience in April examined four commercial kombucha products and found that heat treated samples remained stable over 90 days, while untreated products showed yeast growth and increasing alcohol levels in storage.
Sõsu Kombucha has chosen the unpasteurized approach. The Portuguese producer was founded by João Santos and Carolina Nunes in January 2025 as a small operation producing around 50 liters a month, and it has since scaled up to 3,000 liters monthly to supply more than 100 establishments. That rapid growth makes Sõsu a clear example of the challenge facing raw kombucha brands.
Even as production expands, the company has stuck strictly to its unpasteurized model. Sõsu added that scaling the business has also required greater attention to how the product moves through its distribution network. Santos explained that this approach allows the product to retain the distinct characteristics of a traditionally fermented drink while still expanding commercially.
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