Feds Taking Kombucha Off Shelves?

No, we’re not kidding. Help us stop this unwarranted attack. Action Alert! 
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a division of the US Treasury Department, recently sent letters to several producers of kombucha, warning them that since their beverages supposedly exceeded the allowable alcohol limit, they must be labeled as alcoholic beverages and be subject to alcohol regulation or face hefty fines and legal action.
Kombucha is a fermented tea drink brewed with yeast and bacteria. The drink contains trace amounts of alcohol, but it typically falls below the federal limit of 0.5% alcohol by volume.
Why is this happening? Is there a safety concern? Not in the least. On the contrary, kombucha appears to be very good for you. It seems unlikely that the government would go after kombucha without prodding from some special interest. Has the soft drink industry detected a threat from a rapidly growing market and decided to use the power of the federal government to eliminate competition? There doesn’t seem to be another explanation.
The facts of the case reveal just how outrageous this investigation is—further suggesting that crony interests may be pulling the strings. The government is using the same alcohol test for kombucha that it uses for wine, beer, and spirits. But the organic acids and natural sedimentation in kombucha can be read as ethanol, which throws off the results of the test.
Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) sent a letter to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau explaining that their testing methodology is flawed. Polis asked them to stop their harassment of the kombucha brewers until a unique testing method can be devised that is appropriate to the specific chemistry of the beverage.
Polis notes in his letter that the alcohol level can sometimes rise slightly above the federal limit, but only if the kombucha is incorrectly stored at warmer temperatures, which also spoils the drink. Polis wrote, “Eight spoiled kombuchas are roughly equivalent to one beer, but that doesn’t mean we should regulate it like we do alcohol—it makes absolutely no sense.”
Polis in past years also introduced a bill to allow food and supplement producers to tell their customers about good peer-reviewed, university research on the health aspects of their products. And he has supported the sale of raw milk. If only we had more members of Congress like him!
Unpasteurized kombucha contains the “good” bacteria that promote gut health and boost immunity. But if kombucha is regulated like alcohol, many supermarkets and convenience stores won’t be able to sell it, and it is unlikely that health-conscious consumers would travel to liquor stores to stock up on the drink.
Liquor is also very heavily regulated—by states as well as the federal government. Out-of-state shipping may be barred, and prices may be fixed by regulation. The probiotic benefits of kombucha would also be denied to anyone under 21. The combination of these factors would likely lead today’s producers to decide that it’s no longer profitable to make kombucha, thus restricting—possibly eliminating—consumer access to it. Or, just as likely, Big Food (especially soda) companies would simply take over the market.
Action Alert! Send a message to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau urging them to stop this ridiculous attack on kombucha. Please send your message immediately.
Take-Action

232 comments

    1. I wanted to order a gallon of grain alcohol from a place in Oregon so that I can use it to make tinctures, but the price, by the time I pay the alcohol tax and shipping, is in excess of $170 for that gallon. It seemed a bit excessive to me so I am using Swedish vodka which doesn’t contain GMOs.

        1. Thank you for the information. I have done some research on stills for making hydrosols, and have found sites that sell copper stills, but am sure that any purchase of such would alert the ATF. I remember making mini-stills out of glass in chemistry class in high school. The purpose was to distill water. I wish I could remember all the details. The sneaky Swedish!
          They say that they raise non-GMO grains, and Finland says the same thing. I have used Finnish-made vodka on the assumption that it is non-GMO, but will switch to organic vodka until I am able to do further research. Again, thank you for the information,

        2. Sorry to butt in, w/my only semi-educated comments…. Wasn’t copper used in stills to make the coils, just because that was the best metal they had at the time? Couldn’t that copper tubing simply be replaced by food-grade plastic? And, there’s gotta be youtube videos that answer some of these questions….Also, there’s a brand of alcohol called “Everclear”. But, it might not still be available. It’s like 180 -190 proof, and intended for use as a “mixer only” – so the label says!….

          1. glass can be used for the tubing. It has to be heated enough to get it coiled. I remember making one of those glass coils from a long glass tube which was about 1/4″ in diameter. Everclear is not sold in California. There is no vodka over 80 proof or 40%.

    1. You know they’ll come after you next if you do. Look at what they do to farmers, herbalists and they aren’t breaking any laws. They just go in and take everything, they know you don’t have unlimited funds like the FDA ( fraud & death administration) to fight their criminal actions!

      1. I’m already a rebel. Raw milk, un-refrigerated eggs, non-inspected home grown meats, herbal remedies…….

        1. Just know that you are not alone. There are at least two of us. And I make my own Kombucha, crispy nuts, kefir, sauerkraut, and yogurt.

        2. The crap they call milk in the markets is just that, “crap.” Raw milk helps one be truly healthy..it helps adjusts the organisms in our bodies to what is right and correct…therefore our immunity is increased…this is why we get diseases, is that the stuff in the market place are simulated and false, synthetic stuff is added to our milk, meat, etc., raw milk also helps one stay slim and less chance of depression and other maladies of the neuro system..and right now, we need all the help we can get..for the Trails and Ethanol are dealing very drastically with our liver, brain and endocrine glands/pineal.

          1. I can’t ingest any milk products. It brings on my asthma which scares me and it is difficult to remain calm. I can’t use the standard inhalers, because I get these horrid sores in my mouth that are really painful. I have one that contains albuterol (spelling) sulfate, and it makes my noise bleed. I am allergic to sulfates and sulfites so if I am thinking about buying something processed, I read the label carefully and if there is a suspect ingredient, I write it down and search the ingredient online prior to buying. I have tried raw goat cheese, and I didn’t have an asthma attack but was sick for two days and then, exhausted for another two days. I really envy all of you that can ingest raw milk products, because I know they are really good for one’s gut.

          1. I will try to find it and get back here to you, if not Google holistic or naturopathic doctors found dead..I will be off for awhile; hopefully the two or three have not been pulled..

          2. Abe, you may find Shield Bros site interesting HQ for the truth or perhaps you have heard of the BLAZE..they are both touted as being more truthful than most we hear from…I think the website is something like http://[email protected]
            Good luck! I am rather sure, by the comments you have made here, you will enjoy these and if not, you will have a very good reason not to. I only have gotten the one from the Shields Bros. but several from the Blaze…

          3. Govt wants to murder anyone who doesn’t support being poisoned by their own taxpayer contributions; Who doesn’t support giving themselves and their children severe and crippling health problems, like cancer or autism, for the profits of the few crooks who run this disgraceful fake country. So basically everyone. U.S. is the real terror of the world, not anyone in the pathetic middle east.

          4. Grow up, ok? Try this: Call them the “GREG B.s”….Global Ruling Elites & Global Banksters”…..
            The actual REALITY of TRUTH is that their power LIES in YOUR fear and hatred…..
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, Jr., *NON-fiction

          5. Here is some info for all of you that are still here; you will have to google..I think his name is Barchell, he wrote a lengthy piece of how the commies plan to infiltrate the GOP as they have the Demorats. Now, with that said, how many of you have read that the GOP establishiment are seriously considering supporting HRC if Trump is the nominee. I will try to confirm the author and get back to you but that is what the article is about..then at the base of it you will see all the names of the Commies, whom are illegal to be serving in a public office, Constitutionally backed, and all the Muslime that are in the two Houses; this does not take in Lynch whom is a member of the Muslim Sisterhood, Stotomayer whom has, and some writers say, “still,” affiliated with the Communists.

      2. They are coming after all of us for whatever they can pin on us, that is part of the NSA spying they’ve been lying to us about for years. Selective enforcement of laws to lock up anyone that is not lock step with the Federalist Agenda, Agenda 21, and the New World Order.

        1. These are some of the many, many reasons Trump is saying we need out of the UN! There is not one other candidate that realizes truly just how bad of shape we are in due to the UN and its forces…we actually pay them to hurt us through the trails and to work toward taking us over.

          1. I met with my congressman last winter. He made a comment about getting out of the UN. LOL I started clapping, and was actually surprised that about half the people there joined in with me.

          2. We all need to do what Abe has bravely done; I too, have been after our brain dead Senators as well as our Rep..we have a gov that is a commie and right in the queer in chiefs’ pocket and pocket book. I fear there are way too many of this type in our USA at this point in time..but we need to keep after them. We pay over sixteen billion a year for them to poison us through the Trails, give our money to groups like ISIS and yes, the USA is and has supported these groups as well as others; they give money to terrorist nations that would like to wipe us from the planet..so why do we do this? It is against the Constitution to give to terrorist nations but Boehner was big on that as is Pelosi and just about every Rep that I have seen voting to continue it..Ryan leads the pack after Boehner…our own USAF delivers these poisons as does SW airlines, United, etc.,

          3. Perhaps a little counseling might help, but first turn off hate radio and hate tv (fox noise propaganda organ of the republican party).

          4. And stop hate speech here too– there is no reason to say something as disgustingly insulting as “queer in chief.” Totally inappropriate and does not belong in a civil discussion.

          5. Ron Paul had bills to get out, or defund it, every year he was a Representative; he got more votes every year, but not nearly enough. I call the UN the “evil on the East River,” and it seems everyone knows what that means.

          6. Yea, this is something I’ve been saying for some time, didn’t know he had made that statement, bravo. The UN was the start of the NWO rollout, laying the groundwork….

          7. Trump is an idiot, just like all of the other candidates. Corpses that need to be tossed into the mass graves they belong in. Pathetic criminals who only care about money and will lie to get their way with yours.

          8. The UN was promoted by Soviet Agents like Alger Hiss and Harry Dexter White, with the intention of implementing world government, and if it wasn’t for the John Birch Society, which was launched in 1959, we would be a lot closer to the NWO than we are now. I’m not a member, but I have subscribed to the New American magazine, since 1990. I refer to the UN as the biggest terrorist organization in the history of the world. A WW 11 friend asked me why I thought we haven’t won a war since WW 11; I looked him in the eye and said, “because of the UN terrorist organization,” and he agreed. They are also the reason we have the ROE that gets so many of our military slaughtered, and this is because they want the world population drastically reduced.
            If Trump is fortunate enough to be nominated, I want Cruz for VP, I can’t think of another that would be better. He is brilliant and has gone up against the Supreme Court and won.

          9. We have one other candidate that would be good; there is also Allen West that might be considered; however, I am aware that Trump is thinking of him in Defense somewhere. Huck would be excellent as far as values, morals and ethics, he is just to “gentle” of a personality for the VP role. While I like Cruz, I have very, very serious reservations about him since finding out his wife works for the Bilderbergs.

        1. I have decided that no federal agents will knock on our doors. All of these agencies are being underfunded, some drastically. They can’t go after all of us. They don’t have the resources, and congress (the paycheck writers) isn’t going to help. 🙂

  1. If the citizenry doesn’t crack down on absurd over-regulations, then the regulators add to their power without restraint.

  2. Is the ph in kombucha OK? I recently spoke with a chiropractor that told me that the ph in kombucha is off, and if it is drunk often enough can cause health issues. Personally, I don’t know.

    1. Moderation in all things. And as Oscar Wilde said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

    2. Cancer thrives in an acidic Ph body. I believe that Kombucha is slightly alkaline.
      Our sugar-laden diet promotes an acidic body, which encourages cancer cell growth….
      You’re on the right track – keep doing your research! Thanks!

      1. When kombucha is made from sweet black/green/white tea, kombucha starter/distilled vinegar, and a scoby, it is acidic because lactic acid and other acids occur during the fermentation process. If the pH in you gut is too low (becoming more acidic), then a little kombucha will actually raise (alkalize) the pH just slightly. I had to go back to my college chemistry classes to get this through my head. And sugars and simple carbs will make one’s system more acidic. I just went on a sugar binge over the weekend, and woke up Monday morning with aching joints, because my whole body had become too acidic (lower pH). It happens every time I go on one of these binges.

        1. Thank-you, “MtnWolfGrl”….I was wrong about the “Kombucha is alkaline” idea, but the relatively low, natural acidity in Kombucha actually promotes a *LESS* acidic bodily environment. Isn’t that correct?….
          And, as to the general idea that our Western diet is TOO sugar-laden and acidic, is basically correct, right?…. So Kombucha can help make the body more ph neutral?…./….and after scanning some of your other comments on your disqus profile, I decided you need a follower. I like how you think and express yourself. Reciprocate if you wish…..

          1. Bradford: My understanding of fermented beverages is that they raise the gut pH from say 3.95 t0 4.00. I’m making up these numbers, because I can’t remember the exact ones. The pH of your stomach is around 1.0, but by the time pH is measured in the gut, it is much higher, around 4 – 4.3. This is a logarithmic calculation. Kombucha can’t make it pH neutral, but it can raise the pH slightly. 0–>6.99 is acidic; 7.00 is neutral, and 7.01–>14.00 is basic (alkaline). According to everything that I have researched, even a slight raise in the gut pH can be beneficial. I can only speak from personal experience, because there doesn’t seem to be much scientific evidence, or maybe, I have just missed it. Fermentation is a very ancient way to preserve food. I believe it and drying are some of the oldest ways of food preservation.
            Thank you for your kind words. Are you interested in fermented foods? I’m on Facebook under Ruth-Ann Sierra, and Twitter under MtnWolfGrl, but I don’t know anything about Twitter. I signed up completely by accident. Same with Facebook, but it gives my a chance to learn new things and air my views.

          2. I don’t think you’ve missed the scientific evidence, simply because there is both too little of it, and it’s not widely known….. That, and much of what we “think” we “know” about “science”, and “health”, and “diet”, is all marketing hype, and LIES….. Some folks still don’t know that fluoride is a toxin, and there is NO way the human body can use it to “repair” teeth.
            It’s a waste product of the aluminum industry, that was added to municipal water supplies at taxpayer expense starting in the early 1990’s….
            OK, that’s getting off-topic, *BUT*, the gut biota – all the micro-organisms
            in our gut actually do more for our health than we understand, yet. Look at “pro-biotics”. Lots of hype and promise, but little actual scientific research – YET!…. And, gut ph is really about creating a good environment for *GOOD* gut bacteria….. I think Kombucha scares the *medical**mafia* more than the food industry!…. After all, Coca-Cola & Pepsi actually own most of the new, “cool” brands of drinks such as “HonestTea”, etc…. I’d be better off eating more tofu, and drinking more Kombucha. But then, I was raised on Wonder Bread and Oscar Mayer hotdogs!…..
            The “macrobiotic” diet uses a lot of (fermented) miso soup, and other such foods….etc.,etc.,…..
            Now I have an excuse to try Facebook one more time…….;)

          3. I believe the part that you said about sodium fluoride being a waste product of the aluminum industry. I believe that I learned that when I took inorganic chemistry. About six months ago, I learned to make homemade tooth powder. I used to love Colgate’s Tooth Powder, and used it for years before it disappeared from the shelves. Now, I know why. NaF is also in toothpaste, and leaves a weird after taste. I didn’t realize what that taste was until you posted about it.
            You don’t need to take probiotics – too expensive. Any fermented beverage or food will contain “probiotics.” But here is the catch, you have to make them at home, because if the product is commercial, it has been heated to 140 degrees to kill bacteria. In essence, your purpose has been defeated. It is fun to make your own fermented vegetables and fruit. For a great introduction to fermented foods, I recommend Sandor Katz’s book, Wild Fermentation. He was diagnosed as HIV+ and he wanted to stay healthy so he went back to his roots. This is all in the introduction of Wild Fermentation. There is a lot of basic information about fermentation and some great recipes. Sally Fallon’s book, Nourishing Traditions, deals with a whole range of foods, fermented and otherwise. I think there is some kombucha information in her book. I haven’t read it for a while.
            During the winter months, I eat more macrobiotic dishes. I make dashi with kombu seaweed and dried shiitake mushrooms. I also eat a variety of root vegetables that are cooked and fermented. I don’t heat the fermented stuff, because I don’t want to destroy the beneficial bacteria. When I make miso soup, I heat the dashi to about 100F and then add the miso so it doesn’t kill the good bacteria. Then, a chopped shiitake and some green onions. I like it for breakfast, because it is warming.

          4. Aluminum is almost never found in it’s pure elemental state because it’s so reactive. It’s usually found in bauxite ore, and then processed, which produces the fluoride as a waste product. “Alcoa” – the “Aluminum Corp. of America” – decided that it would be a good idea to sell this waste product to municipalities as a “water supplement” which would “help prevent tooth decay.” Even the American Dental Assoc. was in on the scam & rip-off. A *topical* application of fluoride *might* actually deposit enough fluoride molecules on teeth to “help”, but it’s mostly a large-scale FRAUD. And, in the human body, fluoride is TOXIC. That’s why little kids have gotten sick and died from eating fluoride toothpaste. If you use fluoride in toothpaste, you need to spit it out, not swallow it. PROOF that fluoride in water is a FRAUD? Well, NOBODY can explain the biological; mechanism by which the human body extracts added fluoride from tap water, and converts it to tooth enamel, because there is NO such mechanism….. (There are places on the Planet which have naturally high levels of fluoride in the drinking water from local geology, and they usually have HIGHER than normal levels of tooth decay!)…..
            When’s your cookbook getting published?….;)

      2. Try ACV if you want to feel good; it brings the PH of our bodies into the right levels; I feel good on it but for me, it has not helped me drop even one ounce! I still miss my Kombucha…

    3. Lora,
      Bradford is correct. When natural “weak acids” like kombucha, lemon juice, and cider vinegar are digested, they produce alkaline residue that makes the body more alkaline. Kombucha is also a powerful detoxifier, even of your liver.

      1. A combination of burdock root and dandelion root made into a tea with a little maple syrup and a little cayenne is a good elixir/tonic for the liver. I am making a fermented tonic with cabbage, beet, burdock, carrot, onion, ginger and a hot pepper.

    4. Hi Lora–How would the chiropractor define “often enough”. I drink 1-2/month as it is not a low cost item. I’d think the price alone might limit consumption.

  3. Another government over reach. It is time to prune back the regulators and their burdensome, needless regulations on safe products.

  4. They already took kombucha off the market for that reason! It was resolved, now what is the real reason? It’s too good for you, watch out you might be healed! Anything that even comes close to interrupting the money train of big pharma. will be stopped… at all costs! !

    1. What I read was the coke-a-cola tried to imitate kombucha to get an inroad into that particular market, but it was a complete failure so they “reverse-engineered” it, and discovered that it contained a tiny amount of alcohol. They sued, and all commercial makers of kombucha had to separate kombucha into two products: one containing alcohol and the other that did not contain alcohol. That was resolved about a year to a year and a half ago. Now the only one that I know that separated them into two products was GT, because the one with the alcohol has the alcohol warning label, the same as wine, beer, and distilled spirits.
      I started my own kombucha from the “sediment” in the bottom of two bottles that I didn’t completely drink. This was for the sole purpose of growing a scoby, and it worked. I now have more scobies than I can handle. Kombucha is a raw food, and made by the fermentation process. There must be more behind this than the alcohol tax, but I don’t want to conjecture on what I am thinking. It is sad, because there are a lot of fermented beverages, and they can contain small amounts of alcohol. You can put fruit juice with a little sugar in the refrigerator and it will turn to alcohol after a while. Are they going to put everyone in jail who has had fruit juice that they forgot about?

        1. Are they regional? I knew of 4 before you posted yours. Now, I know of five. I have only seen three brands here in California, but I only shop at two different stores a lot, and two other stores once/twice per month. One of the ones that I thought was ‘brewed’ in the U.S. might not be, because there is both English and French on the bottle. It is called “Kombucha Wonder Drink.” I can’t read too much because, the printing on the label is too light against a clear bottle. I love kombucha and other fermented drinks, like kvass, and ginger bug.

      1. So smart! I’ve thought about making my own kombucha but didn’t want to order a Scoby. I never thought to grow one with the leftovers at the bottom of the bottle!

        1. Don’t use leftovers just use a plain bottle of GT’s for example. You don’t want to introduce germs from a half drunk bottle into it.

          1. Any bad bacteria will be consumed by the good bacteria generated by the fermentation process. I have had excellent results from this. It was also recommended to me by a man who has been making his own kombucha for years. The tiny bit of alcohol that exists in these bottles will also help kill germs, or bad bacteria.
            Years ago before antibiotics, doctors and other healers used to pour alcohol on open wounds to kill bacteria. I keep a bottle of vodka in my house for making tinctures, and I have used it to clean puncture wounds. It does hurt. Also, distilled vinegar is used as the “starter fluid” when first growing the little blobs into a scoby when their is no starter kombucha available.
            To grow a scoby from the sediment in the bottom of the bottle is not difficult, but I had to wait about two months before the blobs were big enough to grow one scoby. They are composed of both yeast and bacteria, and they do look a little gross.
            Also, I bought a freeze-dried scoby, and it still looks like a freeze-dried scoby even though it has “birthed” another scoby. It took a really long time, about 4 months to get it to “replicate’? I followed all of the directions exactly, too.

      2. I’ve never seen a GT’s that was labeled with a warning. I’ve never seen any actually that had more than the .5%.

        1. Well, in California, there are warning labels on both GT and Synergy bottles that contain alcohol. Maybe, it is different in California than other parts of the country. They are in brown bottles. I have six or eight of both sitting on the back porch.

        2. GTDave had to re-tool his labels about 2 years ago to separate his products into two categories because of our ignorant governmental tyrannic knuckleheads. Now he has the black label and regular label. The black label is supposedly alcoholic. There is virtually no difference between the two products if any.
          The fact is, Kombucha tea is very good for you. It kills cancer. GTDaves is the only Kombucha Tea brand I will buy because he doesn’t add processed sugar.
          Do you really think the government wants stuff on the market that is widely distributed that helps people stay healthy and live longer?? That’s the kind of sick country or world we live in. The powers that be like slow genocide.

      3. Any time the old SS guards in the U.S. so-called “government” (haaa, what a joke) tell you what you can or cannot buy, do the same to them! “Oh sorry, I don’t think I can pay taxes this year because I don’t support toxic monopolies and petty criminals!”. The Election is a lie and this system is a deceitful toxic modern slavery of ill health, body and mind. The U.S. is not an authentic nation, it is scum.
        They have no authority, they only do if you believe they do or they have a gun in your face. This system is corrupt and it is bound to fall, it is inevitable and there is nothing the dumb crooks can do but speed it up (which is their intention, since they are war criminal combatants of real U.S. citizens because the “pubic officials” (intentional typo) are all old german war “heroes” who were charged with mass murder and genocide, given 5 years of prison time and when they were released they became the ceos of companies like Bayer and other chemical companies featured prominently all over the world.
        The U.S. is a facade, it is a good P.R. campaign being ran by vicious toxic crooks who hate all of life and think germany is the only thing that matters.

    2. I just purchased a couple of bottles of kombucha the other day. Oddly enough, one had an alcohol warning and one did not. Same GT’s brand and same flavor. I guess the difference is for one I need I.D. and for the other I don’t. Stupid!

    3. No it’s just that that most companies cannot keep it under .5% and if you can’t then make the change to micro brewery. Some of us have complied since the beginning and it is the best thing we could have ever done.

      1. You can purchase the mushroom I think still…then all you add to a gallon of water is 3 cups of sugar if I remember right…let it sit until the mushroom divides and either toss the mushroom or start the second jar…it is delightful in the summer time and a real thirst quencher.

        1. You can start a kombucha “mushroom” from one bottle of GT plain kombucha that has the alcohol warning if you can’t find a fairly “mature” scoby. It takes a long time. I started with two little blobs in a cup of liquid. After 30 days, I progressed to a pint; then, to a quart; then to a half-gallon, and finally, to a gallon. I waited 30 days in between each, but that isn’t necessary. Seven to ten days would probably be sufficient.
          If you intend to brew a gallon you will need to make sweet tea with 8 tea bags (or 2 T loose tea – black/green/white) plus 13-14 cups of filtered water. Heat the water, put the sugar in your gallon jar and pour hot water over the sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add the tea/tea bags. When it has cooled to room temperature, you will want to add two cups of “starter tea” or white vinegar and the scoby. Rubber band the top with a coffee filter and put it out of the sun. After 7 days, give it the taste test. If you like it, stop and change it to another container and refrigerate. If you don’t like the taste, you can continue the taste test daily until it reaches your preferred taste. Hold back two cups of kombucha for your next batch and the scoby. 🙂 You can refrigerate the scoby and the starter liquid until you are ready to brew again. Just bring them to room temperature so that brewing will begin immediately.
          I now use only organic ingredients, including organic distilled vinegar. I also use filtered water, because I don’t know what is in my well water. If you live in an area where the water is treated, I suggest filtered water. I use an unbleached coffee filter. I only rarely refrigerate mine, but it does have tendency to get really sour which is how I like it, but be sure to do the taste test for best results for you. When you scoby “births” another scoby, separate them carefully. I usually just wait until the two separate. I have used the second scoby to make another batch with a different type of tea. I also give them away in quarts jars with the tea and preparation instructions.

    4. Think Big Pharma and giving life to those that are supposed to die as the results of ChemTrails and Ethanol.

  5. Here’s my letter:
    There is nothing in the Constitution that says that the Federal Government is permitted to oversee alcohol production and use, ever since the 21st Amendment was repealed.
    On the other hand, the 10th Amendment says the Federal Government has no business overseeing alcohol production and use (call it “regulation” or whatever) Because the 10th Amendment says that anything the Federal Government has NOT been given explicit permission to do, it is forbidden from doing it.
    So please, kindly cease and desist.

    1. Excellent , they don’t care but very good, I applaud your effort. We need a legal fund to take FDA to court and all the other agencies and Congress that are pushing for unreasonable tyranny and subversion of the Constitution. The Federal government is not even the legislative branch yet they exude the lie that they are the supreme authority of over the states, they are not, we need to have 20 States at least secede before every last one of us has officially become a Federal Employee.

      1. Wish Perry was still in TX..Abbott won’t even talk of secession; Jindal says he will go if TX does…well, those two go, you will see some of the Southern states go…

        1. Southern mid west, North , I’d be happy with that as well, but yea probably TX might be first, but not under Abbott.

          1. Did you see a pop up on the news yesterday; some young uns indicted for having a parade of Confederate flags? I hope ignorant Haley is happy with her actions. This is part of our history as was the statue they took down in TX..now Ms. Haley, there is legislation coming down against the Marine Flag, the Christian Flag and finally the American flag..you and your supporters should be given 60 lashes…if you do not think there was pain on the Union side, you are in outerspace…gee, I hope she reads this Riverstrat! Thanks for you comment! It was g r r r r eat! 🙂

          2. Hey Buzz, Thanks, here’s one from Martin Neimoller :
            “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
            Because I was not a Socialist.
            Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
            Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
            Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
            Because I was not a Jew.
            Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
            (1892–1984)
            And yes, it will be State’s Flags, the America Flag , use of the word or mention of God (whoever anyone’s God might be).
            No matter how vile or precious a thought or an opinion might be , we are all Americans living under our God Given Rights , the Constitution spells this out, our rights are not granted by government, they are natural born ( as human beings) and inalienable rights that need to be protected and we are the ones that need to stand up and say enough is enough.
            “We hang together our we will surely hang separately ” Benjamin Franklin…”

          3. In MY America, even atheists have God-given rights…..
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, JR., *NON-fiction

    2. “Nullification: The Rightful Remedy” is a movie that addresses that issue, citing the 10th Amendment as the remedy to government’s ever increasing usurpation of power.

    3. This is a state right; governors are not standing up to and for their state sovereignty..that needs to happen and should never have been left go of. The FEDS only have 11 or 12 rights, marriage, education and this are not one of them.

    4. Minor technical correction. The 21st amendment repealed the 18th amendment. If the 21st amendment was repealed we would have prohibition again.
      I fully agree with the basics of your post.

  6. Whats the world come to? The alcohol levels in kombucha are no where near significant. The feds should know that so why are they trying to get rid of kombucha. Why not ban pepsi instead?

    1. When are they going to come after vanilla extract? Oh, wait… vanilla isn’t a threat to Big Ag or Big Pharma.

    2. pepsi is unhealthy and makes TONS of $$$$$$……
      kombucha is healthy and makes a LITTLE ($)…..
      see the difference?

  7. Great. Just when I have finally found a refreshing drink which makes me feel happy. I could swear it opens up my lungs a bit, without any caffeine-induced crash or feeling antsy.

    1. It does, it is a very good drink and is cheap to make. I have the recipe for Essiac which will cure cancer and aids…it is on the market but I will tell you all here and now….it is not the same that my recipe makes! You have to have the sheep sorrel and some of the ingredients in it are only available across the borders.

      1. I have that recipe, too, but can’t buy all of the ingredients at the local co-op. However, they carry Essiac tea in bulk. I have yet to try it, but I read the story behind it a few months ago and decided it would be a good thing for me even though there is no history of cancer in my family.

  8. While the “organic acids and natural sedimentation in kombucha” can be read as ethanol using a simple hydrometer, TTB as well as most state alcohol regulatory agencies, use other, much more precise methods for alcohol content. This is because many legally sold alcoholic beverages also contain many compounds (sugars in particular) that can skew the alcohol reading on a hydrometer. If TTB is reading the alcohol at above .5% alcohol by volume, then it is most assuredly above .5% ABV. Federal law regulates the production, distribution, and sale of all beverages containing 5% ABV or over. They are just doing their job.

    1. Baa, Baa, Baa…..spoken like a true SHEEPLE, “Jay”…….
      Bow down before your God, the gov’t…..
      (c)2015, Tom Clancy, Jr., *NON-fiction

      1. Please peel the aluminum foil off of your head. It is keeping you from seeing other people as someone like yourself, rather than the misty dim shadows they appear to you to be.
        Insults are the first line of defense for idiots. If a = b, then b = a.

        1. ….and why don’t you try answering “Laura’s” question about ph, below, smart guy?….

        2. If it ferments long enough on the second ferment, it will produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.

    2. You are correct, Jay. “They are just doing their job.” And their job is to pull the noose ever tighter around our necks until we can be led as docile sheep to Camp FEMA.

      1. Heah, they are building homes for the refugees and FEMA for us; WalMart, good ole WalMart, sold them six stores; one is already a FEMA camp, ready to go!

    3. No, they have no right to what we do in our homes…it is a STATE issue..under the Tenth that few seem to understand.

  9. Supermarkets and convenience stores sell beer. “Eight spoiled komuchas is equal to one beer.”
    Liquor is what can be heavily taxed.

    1. Cigs are gone or heavily taxed! I wonder why? Yes, they can cause respiratory problems and I do not like the smell myself; however, think of what the costs are when say a person is killed in an automobile accident, likely you will have one or two, maybe more cars involved, the ambulances, Highway Patrol, now gestapos, etc., One accident will cost an insurance company or companies as well as the public well over $50,000 just for a minor one.

      1. I refuted the initial writer’s information with the writer’s own information.
        Liquor is not the question or response here.
        Why would supermarkets and convenience stores not stock kombucha if it equates to a very light beer which they can already stock? Maybe in some places liquor stores are used. That would be where they would not find kombucha. Where is beer taxed at 30 percent?

        1. Kombucha sells in at least three local stores around here in California. The “alcohol” variety sells for $3.69/bottle and the non-alcohol variety sells for $3.29/bottle. I don’t know about liquor stores or convenience stores, because I don’t buy anything there. What they are selling as kombucha is actually a second fermentation which if it ferments too long will turn to alcohol. I did it accidentally one time with kombucha, grapefruit juice and ginger, I couldn’t drink it, because alcohol and I don’t agree. The compost pile liked it!

          1. There are several stores here in this small town, which sell MANY different brands and varieties of “kombucha”…..
            EDUCATE ME, please!…..

          2. There are at least four brands sold here where I live in California: GT, Synergy, Kombucha Wonder Drink and búcha. I’ll tell you the ones that I like: GT Third Eye Chai, GT Raspberry, Synergy Maqui Mojito, Synergy Gingerade, Kombucha Wonder drink essence of Mango (my favorite), and
            búcha (any flavor). The unflavored of the GT is pretty good, but haven’t consumed any unflavored in any other brands. In California, GT has flavored ones with 0.5% alcohol and has flavored ones with no alcohol. I haven’t seen any overlapping in this area. And the warning about alcohol is a federal warning, not a state. buy one that sounds interesting, and drink just a few sips at first. The first time I tried kombucha it took me several tries before I developed a “taste” for it, but now I love the stuff. I am careful about how much I consume at one time. Homemade is the best.

          3. So that’s what a *FOREIGN**LANGUAGE* sounds like?….
            ….”Maqui Mojito”….????….
            Well, Tippecanoe and Tyler too, to you, too!, rooty-toot-toot!……
            What weird ancient land was Kombucha discovered, or invented in?…..
            And, if you could follow the corporate ownership back up the chain,
            *WHO* – which *companies* actually OWN those seemingly “smaller” companies…. Both Coke & Pepsi have been known to create funky-sounding names for shell companies, to market various consumer products…. It’s amazing how often the small print on a label shows
            a larger corporate over-control….
            I was enjoying a can of “San Pelligrino”, “10% Real Fruit Juice drink”,
            – very tasty – but it’s owned by Nestle!…
            That won’t keep me from buying & trying it, I just want to know who’s getting my money!…. The times I’ve tried Kombucha, it’s *seemed”
            fairly nasty. Like a horseradish smoothie, or something…..
            (Yeah, yeah, I *know*, now you’re gonna find a delicious recipe for a sweet lemon grass / wheat grass horseradish drink, or something!…..
            And “Essiac” -(“Caisse”) – is mentioned in another comment on here!

  10. Kombucha has become a staple in our household. It has been so beneficial I couldnt’ live without it. I need to learn how to make it myself. This is ridiculous government overkill! They don’t have time to catch welfare fraud but they go after healthfood providers!

    1. Huh? Welfare fraud is your big issue and not the criminal banks who have stolen millions, no billions, of times more money than welfare recipients?
      While you may complain about someone buying lobster with food stamps…
      “Republicans recently gave the very richest in the country….$300 billion…while at the same time accused the poor of just wanting free stuff.
      “According to a new report out last week, America’s Fortune 500 companies are stashing $2.1 trillion in offshore tax havens—with as much as $620 billion owed to the U.S. taxpayers who are left footing the bill.”
      Republicans..and you apparenty….’It’s the poor and all the free stuff they get who are taking all the country’s money.

      1. Actually it’s those multi billionaire Corporations like Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook paying little or no taxes that pisses me off. I mentioned Welfare fraud causally–it’s not the biggest issue. Republicans are 50% of the problem in our country, the other 50% is the Democrats. Both parties have the same amount of corruption, bail outs and tax dodging friends. Monsanto and Goldman Sachs have the same amount of advisers to Obama as they did to Bush.

        1. ” Both parties have the same amount of corruption, bail outs and tax dodging friends” Hardly true
          Take a look at the very republican friendlly oil industry who not only pay little or no taxes, they get billions from republican subsidies.
          And corruption???? benghazi and email investigations and voting laws and citizens united and tax breaks for the rich and the underfunding of the V A and soc sec and medicare and more.
          The two parties are far far different and only democrats want to change those things.

          1. You seem to leave out the Tea Party, Libertarian Party, and all other ‘third’ parties who lean left or right, but find either of the two establishment parties too corrupt and immoral. I am a conservative and I agree with what you said about the Republican Party but I don’t really agree about the Democrat Party. They are clever enough to hide behind the “doing it for the little guy” policies while they enirch themselves, destroy those who stand against their political correctness agenda, and destroy our country to bring in the one world government agenda.

          2. Yours is a voice of reason; Sandra, thank you! Like Bradford said; People need to “Wake up and stop being (a) sheeple”! Americans have allowed themselves to be duped by both parties, and anyone who thinks that the socialist/demoraps will solve all the problems is living with their head in the sand. All one needs to do is look at the money trail, and both parties are wallowing in it!

          3. Oh B S.
            That’s all you deserve for your your r w uneducated rhetoric.
            Tea party and libertarians….the very very very worst thing that could possible happen in this country.
            ” but find either of the two establishment parties too corrupt and immoral”
            No, I find one party reprehensible and with nothing at all to offer but more destruction to the country.

          4. Then you sound quite gullible and brainwashed. You obviously know nothing about the TEa Party or the Libertarian Party, but only parrot what you hear from propagandists of the Left. I don’t even think you know that the Green Party exist or the Constitution Party, etc. Don’t make assumptions on things you have no experience in nor did any real research on. It is also foolish to start out your post with hate over a party you know soo little about, then brag about another that is actually far more dangerous than the Republican Party because the Democrat Party are disguised communists. Your argument is not valid because it is like saying you know all about China but you have never even been there.

          5. Sorry, been studying the tea party for ten years and know every possible thing about them and the libertarian party is no more than the Koch Bros. as is the tea party….started and funded by the Koch Bros.
            David Koch vied for vice president in 1980 on the libertarian ticked , got 1% of the vote and republicans threw them out of the conservative movement for being ..’greedy, out of touch and fascist.’
            And this..”the Democrat Party are disguised communists” just proves you’re insane. Please, show me even an ounce of evidence of your claim.

          6. Then you are a liar. The Tea Party is only about 6 years old. You obviously dont’ know what you are talking about. The Koch Brothers never contributed one penny to the Tea Party. You are only parroting what you hear from MSNBC and the “View”.
            AS for proof that the Democrat Party are disguised communiststs. They want to put politicial correctness and non-Christian lifestyles above freedom of religion and expression. They want complete gun control(they have admitted to that), They want more control and restrictions over everything in our lives from what we eat to what we drive(if you haven’t noticed that then you are blind or not reading better news). They want to impoverish our country through out of control national debt and weaken the middle class through high taxes. Should I go on?

          7. Now, there you go, again, calling everybody a liar. I am not a member of a political party. They are all obscene, including the tea babblers. Where do you get this stuff? Please, post links to factual information rather than propaganda so that we can all be informed. And the commies are all dead so where do you find this stuff? Oh, yeah, I forgot, most people believe everything they read, hear, or see on the idiot boxes of radio and TV, and the internet. ROTFLMAO

          8. IF you are not a member of a party but I am then what makes you more right than I am? You don’t ahve a clue what goes on int he Tea Party but I do! Who made you the all-knowing god? You don’t even have insight to make any statement about politics because you know absolutely nothing! You are an idiot if you thing commies don’t exist anymore. Go do a poll in several colleges and find out how many professor are communists. Many are! I can’t stand stupidity.

          9. You just don’t like anybody that happens to disagree with you. Instead of facts you resort to calling me names. And now you are saying things that I haven’t even said. It’s all about disagreement so if you can’t stand the heat get out the kitchen. And try doing a little spell-checking before you post. Bad spelling, punctuation and grammar doesn’t help your cause. I’m still waiting for your links to facts. And I’m still ROTFLMAO @ you.

          10. Huhh? is that all you can do in an argument? Throw back what the other person said? What I can’t stand is someone telling me, a conservative, lies about conservatives. If you were Chinese and I said all these negative things and lies about the Chinese people would you not get mad too? You are an idiot to not understand that. Look in the mirror. The problem is you, not me. You are rude and have no respect for others. Why don’t you go and harrass someone else? I am tired of a commie wanna-be like you.

          11. Oh, so now, I’m harassing you. You are a barrel of laughs with your delusional conservative b.s. You call me names and tell me to look in the mirror. What’s the matter? Can’t you take a dose of your own medicine? hahahahahahahahah! And everybody is a commie when they don’t agree with you. And I’m rude and have no respect! Is that because I don’t feed at the trough of disillusion. hahahahahaha! You are really hilarious.

          12. If anyone is delusional it is you. I am trying to correct the lies you are saying about conservatives and the TEa party and you keep implying that I am wrong about my own views?! No I have the right to defend my beliefs but you keep attacking me and telling me that I am wrong about what I believe. You seem to hate conservatives more than commies, so you must lean left to a commie. Now don’t bother me again.

          13. Look into my eyes and repeat after me:
            “You must lean left to a commie”….
            “You must lean left to a commie”….
            ….& look at me!
            *I* tell *YOU* not to feed trolls, but here I am, doing the same thing!
            Notice how “conservatives” are always accusing “liberals” of “hating” them?
            I don’t see “liberals” accusing ////////……..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            *screw**it*/………………………………………………..
            I’m sick & tired of wasting time posting stupid replies to stupid people online….
            I don’t mean *you*, “MtnWolfGrl”….

          14. >ROTFLMFAOrotflmfaoLOL<
            "To the tune of ukeleles, adorned with leis, Great King Commie-Wanna-Be
            held court on Wai KiKi beach……"……
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, JR., *NON-fiction

          15. So-called “communism” was invented by the GREG B.’s to control you…..
            GREG B’s = Global Ruling Elites & Global Banksters
            And if you can’t stand stupidity, how do you stand yourself?
            You should change yur name to “Cantstandra”…..
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, JR., *NON-fiction

          16. Does it matters what Karl Marx or anyone calls it? “Gay” used to mean happy but the homosexuals stole the word. I don’t care about your fixation with a word the point is that I spoke the obvious and the truth. You just can’t stand that. I have never encountered a ‘nice’ liberal. You must all be possessed by a dark force since you all act with such hate.

          17. Um, isn’t this “Alliance for Natural Health”….????……
            or did I stumble upon “Arguing Nuts & Haters” by mistake?…..
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, Jr. *NON-fiction

          18. BOTH Republicrats & Demo-crackers ONLY care about MONEY & POWER…. You’re delusional, if you think Hilary really cares about you personally…. The “GREG B.’s” – the Global Ruling Elites & Global Banksters use *BOTH* parties equally….
            Please wake up and stop being a sheeple….
            “Their POWER LIES in *your* fear and confusion”……
            The OTHER part of this “debate”, is that Kombucha *can* be made at home for a fraction of the store-bought price…..

          19. Just a note to you all…I will not ever join the Tea Party again; 1: you cannot return comments to them; 2: they are socialists doing a great job of hiding it and 3: they do NOT know the Constitution!

          20. They aren’t socialists. They are fascists. Most of the tea party at the national and state levels are doing the bidding of the krock boys. It is a bit different at the local level. The tea partiers where I live are working to try and get the state-mandated vaccines reversed. I have to agree with this. I only received a 3 or 4 vaccines as a child, but I can’t even remember how many they want children to have now. I don’t understand why there are so many now and they want to give them to children at birth which I don’t understand. Breast-feeding (and I’m a big advocate of breast feeding) will give your child the necessary protection for twice as long as the child is breast fed. My great grandson was breast fed until he was almost two, and did not receive any vaccinations until early this summer so that he could start school.
            I think we need to look at all of the issues with open minds and research both or all sides. Anger and name-calling just doesn’t change people’s minds, but does make them angry and then closed to a well-thought out argument/debate.

          21. Well, MtnWolfGrl thanks for straightening the ole half breed out! I sincerely mean that. As for vaccines here is one take on it and I also know of two others so … you might research but if I finish my books, the research is in there…first of all, deliver coal ash via the USAF and commercial liners…this is a ploy to shut down the coal business and thousands of more jobs; in addition, it drives electricity up so high that most of we retired and you working Patriots cannot afford to have it…so what are we to do? Turn to the Government for help, more dependence, more bondage. As for other vaccines, they are not well researched. The FDA admitted that several months ago; independent research like Rima Laidbow have found anything in the from stuff that causes allergies to come forth…another industry to shut down, increases autism and other neurological problems. Vaccines are not safe and in reality they harm the body more than they do good over 70% of the time. Why do I write this? HMM. well, we have a natural immune system; if we eat and exercise right it will fight 98% of anything that we might contract…add Nano silver, Essiac w/sheep sorrell from Canada or Kombucha Tea, you will never be sick enough to need a Big Pharm item..true, I am living proof of that and 72! I quit taking the flu shots five years ago when it came close to ending my life; next year, no flu shot, got the flu and it was not fun, but got through it; the following year, no flu shot, gee, I hardly knew I was sick and then I started on Emergence, then the Nano came along. I did not even get one little microbe of the flu the last two years because the organisms in my body are now back to fighting for me on their own…vaccines, chemo, etc., messes up their natural ability to keep us healthy. Most cancers are caused or at least started through the lack of getting oxygen to us in the proper amounts. We need to keep in mind that the Trails and Ethanol, while food is produced, it does not contain the vitamins and nourishment it did say just 30 years ago…that is also the reason we see our birds and other wildlife dying. Eighteen months ago diagnosed with asthma and bronchitis..put me on an antibiotic and an inhaler…nope, not going to do that…started special exercises and kept the Nano up and I do not have one trace of either!

          22. I don’t take antibiotics or use the inhaler for my asthma. I watched my father do this just so he could eat ice cream and drink milk. sheesh! I would rather be very careful about my diet than have to take antibiotics. I have hyperthyroidism, and take a pill called methimazole for that, but the alternative is radiation to kill my thyroid, and take levothyroxine until death or complete removal. The medication is fairly cheap, and it has worked well. I have been searching for alternatives and asking any number of medical professionals if there is something more natural, but so far nothing. This particular disease is inherited.
            I accidentally stumbled into fermented foods and beverages. Thirty five years ago, I started eating kimchi, because it didn’t get all yucky when I left my lunch in my vehicle when I was working in the woods. It was store-bought kimchi, and was pasteurized, but I didn’t know that. I also used to love canned sauerkraut. About three years ago or more, I just couldn’t eat another bite of the stuff in the jar so I searched online for a kimchi recipe. After two+ years of experimentation, I finally devised a recipe which I just love for my own kimchi. I make a whole variety of different kimchi. One of the reasons is that I hate the smell and taste of some of the veggies, like kale, mustard greens, collards, etc., that are good for me. Making them into kimchi and other fermentations has helped me eat all of these vegetables.
            I made some radish and turnip kimchi and I used the roots and the leaves. The radish leaves stunk so bad that I wasn’t sure that I would be able to finish it, but I did. I just had a big helping of it for my 10am meal, and I love it. The awful smell of the radish tops has completely disappeared.
            There has been a lot of information come out about the “gut-to-brain” connection that is very interesting. I check out every new type of diet that comes down the pike, but I usually don’t follow them. Sometimes, the information seems a little iffy so I do a little research. I ate raw fruits and veggies for more than 20 years along with kimchi before I couldn’t do it any more. I wanted to cook, but couldn’t really remember how so I took cooking classes through my local co-op, and learned a lot about food, nutrition, and much more. It has helped me eat a lot better. I still eat mostly raw foods in the summer, but now I eat cooked and raw foods during the winter months. Luckily, winter is shorter here now than it was 25 years ago.
            Also, grow your own organic vegetables and fruits if you can. They taste better than anything you can buy and they work better for fermentations.

          23. You are a liar. Not one penny from the Koch Brothers ever went to the Tea Party. I should know. I am a member. That is a lie spread by ‘Dirty’ Harry Reid who repeated it over and over again on purpose, understanding the Alinsky’ communist tactics that if you repeat a lie over and over again then it becomes a ‘truth’.

          24. Nothing like a little name calling is there. Why don’t you post a link to back up your “argument” rather than call me names? It would make your “argument” a lot more credible. As it is now, your “argument” isn’t worth a damn. 🙂

          25. You make statements as if they were facts. That is why I couldn’t condone someone trying to get away with that. I hate liars. IT is like me saying “you are an alien from outer space” but gives no proof. But then that is how liberals talk nowadays. Whatever they say is a ‘fact’ even when it is false. Childish.

          26. &Freuds’ nephew, Edward Bernays (sp?) also perfected the BIG LIE, by calling it “Marketing”, and “Public Relations”…..

          27. When was Freud’s nephew born? I believe I remember reading that. Maybe, Freud’s nephew read “Mein Kampf” Hitler wrote it while he was in prison.

          28. Had to wiki to refresh brain memory:
            Edward Louis James Bernays (/bərˈneɪz/; German: [bɛɐ̯ˈnaɪs]; November 22, 1891 − March 9, 1995) was an Austrian-American pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda, referred to in his obituary as “the father of public relations”.[1] He combined the ideas of Gustave Le Bon and Wilfred Trotter on crowd psychology with the psychoanalytical ideas
            of his uncle, Sigmund Freud.”<—from wikipedia….
            So, yeah, he easily could have read Mein Kampf, but it's also good to remember the times he came from. Freud has been totally "deconstructed" and discredited. And, despite the apparent "market success" of Bernays' ideas, his belief in some "primitive, violent horde"
            "lurking deep in people", "which must be controlled", (by the Global Ruling Elites & Global Banksters), (*of**course*!, who *else*?….),well, ….
            That's all a bunch of outdated, obsolete, counter-intuitive, ridiculous nonsense at best, and at worst the driver of most of our avoidable troubles. There always has been, and always will be, enough of everything for everybody. Media, and marketing, can be used as tools to do good work for people, or used as weapons to hurt, exploit, control, and dominate people. etc.,…. This is also the driver of the wedge between the small-scale, local, natural, organic, free-range, cage-free, etc., agriculture, and corporate, trans-national BigAg….
            Big$$= GREED / Death / decay
            $mall = $HARING / LIFE / GROWTH
            In *BOTH* examples above, there is the *SAME* amount of "$$"….
            Which world do YOU choose?
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, JR., *NON-fiction

          29. You were never a conservative in the first place. Give me a break. Another propagandist of the Left. I don’t think you even know what a socialist believe in. The TEa Party believe the same as our Founding Fathers, but the socialists(Democrats and RINOs) want to get rid of the Constitution.

          30. It is called the long con and it has been going on in this country for years. The most successful president that did this to the gullible was st Ronnie.

          31. I can understand your feelings about Ronnie Raygun!….Remember though, it was *EISENHOWER* who warned America about the “Military-Industrial Complex”….He was an Army General in WW2, while Ronnie Raygun made ~300 short training films during WW2…..
            In the late 1800’s the British invaded & occupied Afghanistan, and it was called “The Great Game”…. We’ve *ALL* – meaning all good people of planet Earth – been conned, scammed, ripped-off, and genocided by the “GREG B.’S” – the Global Ruling Elites & Global Banksters”…..
            It’s too SAD, to get too angry over…..
            You DO know the TRUTH about the Fed, don’t you?……

          32. Dwight David Eisenhower was an excellent president in my opinion. He gave us the Interstate Highway System which is remarkable, because it links the entire country. Did you know that he was probably the greatest strategist that ever was? If it weren’t for him, WWII would have gone on a lot longer. I have seen a couple of documentaries on him, and have also read a great deal about him from sources on the Internet. Like all presidents, he made some mistakes, and one of them was listening to the Dulles boys about the duly elected president of Iran. The CIA was culpable in the assassination of him, because British Petroleum was unhappy that he wanted to nationalize all of the Iranian oil for Iranians. Imagine that. A leader actually wanting to do some for the people.
            I just found out the other day that the Fed is in partnership with about 2900 banks across the country who receive payments every quarter from them on money that they deposit there. They are partners with these banks and the banks are very influential. Right now Congress is considering cutting the percent of these payments from 6% to 3% to pay for rebuilding the infrastructure. My attitude is that these banks should get the same interest rates that they have been giving us for the last few years, which is 0.1%. I need to learn more about the Fed. You can enlighten me. 🙂
            Weren’t the British eventually run out of Afghanistan? My understanding is that no conqueror has ever stayed long in Afghanistan. We should have learned from the Soviet invasion and occupation of that country in the 1980s, but we didn’t. Alexander the Great was defeated in Afghanistan, and he was probably one of the greatest war generals in history.

          33. Pretty much all your facts are “right on the money”…..You’ve got the basic outline correct. The Fed was created at Jekyll Island, Georgia, in 1913. It was called “The FEDERAL Reserve” to fool the American people into thinking it was part of the FedGov. It’s NOT. It’s a private bank, with secret owners….(Well, not so secret anymore, but secretive. They are “Bilderbergers”, named after the castle where they were first “outed”.
            On these subjects, there’s a lot of mis-information, lies, distortions, and general factual mistakes. Best to read / study a variety of sources.
            And don’t get too overwhelmed or depressed about it. It is what it is, whether we know it, or not. Some people prefer their happy ignorance.
            Me? I’d rather know the TRUTH, the WHOLE truth, and nothing BUT the TRUTH!….. And, we DID learn from the Russians in Afghanistan. NO IDEA *WHAT* we learned, but we MUST have learned *SOMETHING*!…..If the U.S. left Afghanistan, I can see the Chinese try next! (Afghanistan is more about pipelines, and mineral rights, and construction scams….We’ve spent MILLIONS$, building bases & buildings that we will never use, and $millions in *CASH* has literally gone missing…. Are you SURE you wanna know how bad it really is….????….

          34. Jekyll Island – that is funny. Even though the Fed is a private bank, sort of, the federal government is still partnering with them. I will research more.
            The reason I say that we learned nothing about the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan is that we turned around and did the same thing in 2001. We can’t win there. It is another Vietnam. It is one thing to protect our country, but all of the empire-building is ridiculous. I have lost count as to how many bases we have in how many countries. Do you know that we have 45 or 46 bases that “ring” Iran. Ridiculous. And I read somewhere that we “lost” $100 billion in cash in Afghanistan. We were giving it out to warlords to buy their allegiance like it was candy. And we, the people, are wondering why that war has cost $3 trillion dollars. These endless wars are making the people in this country more apathetic.
            Afghanistan has the largest deposit of lithium in the world. I read that it was worth something like $1 – $3 trillion. No wonder we wanted to invade. Nation-building is hocus-pocus for stealing a country’s resources. And as for building a pipeline through that country, there will have to be indefinite occupation to keep the Taliban from setting it on fire. We need to take care of our country and the people first.

          35. I’m impressed – you’re learning quickly, and EVERYTHING you’re saying here is 100% right-on…. AND CORRECT…..
            Ho Chi Minh spent WW2 in college in Paris, and then, after WW2, went back to Viet Nam, and tried to help rebuild his country, which had been invaded and occupied by the Japanese Military….. Ho actually wrote a letter to the President, asking for U.S. aid in exchange for good relations….We ignored him, so he turned to Russia & China….France spent the 1950’s LOSING the war in Viet Nam, then we took over in the 1960’s, having recovered from the Korean Conflict(Police Action”)….etc.
            The U.S. Treasury “borrows” money, at INTEREST, from the Fed. Thing is, in order to pay it BACK, the Treasury has to borrow MORE money, at MORE interest….Technically, we can’t EVER “repay” those loans, which means, that, technically, yes, the U.S. is effectively BANKRUPT….
            But we must maintain the illusion….
            Obviously, that’s way over-simplified, but still factually accurate and correct…..
            Look for “The Beast From Jekyll Island”, by Griffiths(sp?), as a good start….. And watch a *variety* of related videos on youtube….there’s lots of lies, distortions, etc.,….but the TRUTh *IS* out there!……
            (….hmmmm….where have I heard *that* before?/

          36. “The two parties are far far different and only democrats want to change those things.” <—- either you're a paid shill, or you're loony tunes….
            *BOTH* parties are equally bought & paid for by the "GREG B.'s" – the Global Ruling Elites & Global Banksters"…..
            Repubs = Dems,
            Dems = Repubs
            SAME THING!…..
            Remember, Donnie Trumpeter was a *DEMOCRAT* for longer than he's been a Repubtard…..
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, JR., *NON-fiction

          37. B S….It’s not even close.
            Don’t vote then. Do nothing. Ignore the agenda of the left …republicans thank you for your comment.

          38. I am a registered INDEPENDENT voter. I DO SOMETHING. I do my best to ignore the idiotic agenda of the “left” *AND* the equally idiotic agenda of the “right”. There’s no real difference between Repubtards and Demo-crappers…. And they *BOTH* *together* represent a MINORITY of the American people. Your whole “left-right”, “conservative – liberal” worldview is psychotic and delusional. You’re a sheeple to the lame-stream media machine, which cares only about money & power –
            about taking YOUR money and power, and making it THEIR money and power….
            Honestly, I can’t tell if you need to GET OFF drugs, or get ON them…..
            Too much Flush-Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, & Fake Fox “news”, maybe?……
            ….etc.,etc.,etc.,………………………
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, JR., *NON-fiction

          39. Huh? limbaugh, etc??? I’m as far left as anyone could possible be.
            And again….there is a HUGE difference between the two parties. Imagine complete control by republicans.
            Buy….just don’t do anything. You’re lazy. You have no other viable solution to offer.
            Again…the kochs and republicans thank you for repeating their mantra of both parties being the same. You obviously do what you can for them.

        2. See if you can find, and then read if you can, Biggest Hoax of the Century, then get really sick…I think it is written by James Cahn or similar spelling..should be on Google.

      2. I do not think they were putting the banks in a “glory” spot or leaving them out; they were pointing out that what is before our eyes is 300,000 illegals getting all free plus $1500 a month and our own Americans are left holding the bag to pay for this…as for the money you are talking about…you are right on the head of it…this money is owed to us.

        1. “300,000 illegals getting all free plus $1500 a month” B S
          Please….show me how an illegal immigrant applies for whatever you think they’re getting. Any idea how that process works and what you need to get it??
          Every study shows that illegals contribute to the economy way more than they take out of it. Look it up.
          1986…”Reagan gives 3 million illegal immigrants amnesty”
          And….It was under Bush Sr and Reagan who allowed most of them here by both passing huge amnesty bills and then executive orders allowing even more. Why…because they know as do Democrats, that they are here to stay and the country can’t do without them. Fact. And…republicans can use the issue to fool people like you who don’t get that. Why do you think Congress won’t pass a law that fines businesses who hire them? It’s because a dozen industries would come down on them hard and take all their support money away. It was tried and politicians got the message years ago from over a dozen big industries. Hotel/motel, agriculture, restaurant and fast food, manufacturing, factory farms industries, etc.

      3. The M.O. of rapists, murderers and thieves: Make the victim the attacker.
        If you hadn’t figured it out, nothing but petty, soul-less and conscienceless crooks are in power in the U.S., which is why it is such an awful atrocity.

          1. @lindsncal – You can thank all of your crooked society that is functioning to its own detriment (and yours). Why make it about only one entity when it is all of them? Why make it about only one side when it is both? If you are to use the media as an example, they all perpetrate the same distraction stories that collude with the industrial monopolies intentions, talking points and agenda. One is no better than the other for they are all equally awful.

          2. The media, and especially fox news, is the country’s biggest enemy. It’s nothing but corporate rhetoric.

          3. Exactly and here is a sad one for you to think about; last night, in the wee hours of night, before twelve that is; I sat down and logged in 14 governor’s email addresses and 3 websites; then I sent them each a plea to go to Clash Daily, Doug Giles and read the sad story of A Soldier’s Story…they sent everyone of them back..they being HOTMAIL; this is the reason I left Yahoo. This story should upset, perhaps make we women cry for it is our sons, daughters, grandchildren/nephews, nieces, friends, etc., It is a story of a young soldier in Afghanistan; within it the way he writes is like this: he was homosexually assaulted by the other side; our own, that is right, our own side beat him up so badly he had to be hospitalized. He reported the incident from a hospital bed…that I am not sure of….but our uppity ups came to him and handed him a piece of paper, sign it or face a court martial; the paper, denying the incident ever happened…well, to find out how close I am on facts, I believe you can find it on Google Search. Don’t let it end there; Doug also has a piece on Google Search regarding the threats the Muslims made to the NJ school.

          4. I just got back from “CLASHDAILY”, and read that BOGUS “Soldiers’ Story”. It’s called FICTION.
            Until, and UNLESS, you can provide OTHER, LEGITIMATE links, I also call
            BULLS**T……. your turn, right-wing nut jobber….
            (c)2015, Tom Clancy, JR., *NON-fiction

    2. Yeah and they can pay each darn refugee $1500 a month and all the rest is free for them but our VETS cannot get medical/dental or vision health; our handicapped that would like a better way to live cannot work even a few ours or the darn government takes half! Some USA…and these louses in DC just turn their head away and close their ears.

      1. Agreed! I have a handicapped daughter and know what you mean. I worked at a school where the illegals lived better than those of us who worked there, driving better cars and enjoying everything we were scraping to afford for free.

        1. Yep, they want illegals who don’t know their rights and who don’t care about the toxic food. They don’t want informed, intellectual citizens. They want robotic slaves who work for the cheapest possible (yet another reason the U.S. is the worst: it has set the precedent of awful-ness for this world, the likes of which has never been seen before.

      2. It is because the refugee’s are an integral part of their causing chaos around the world. Without masses of moving people that cannot be contained or controlled, how could they create chaos and slip through borders? How could the petty criminals ruining the world subvert international laws without international crisis? They are one in the same and they perpetrate both to serve their own hidden agenda’s.

        1. Thanks for your input and you are right; now a little off target, if anyone is reading…call the Senators and demand they vote Yes on S 2146? This is the bill to do away with funding Sanctuary Cities and holding our police departments hostage.

    3. They are too busy encouraging welfare fraud to care about stopping it.
      If you haven’t noticed, the crooks in the system are intentionally destroying the U.S. They support what is wrong with the world and destroy anything that is good. They think they can drag the world down and build it back up again with only the rich, celebrities, and their toxic goon scientists to keep it going while getting rid of all of us “useless eaters” but the reality is they are merely destroying themselves a long with the rest of us, like the pathetic old cretin fools they are.
      This is what happens when sour old people get to run the systems of the world. They spite everyone else for their own gain.

    1. Yep and we Natives have to continually fight for our rights also off the Casinos. Give us rotten land, cannot even grow a mouse on it and when we find a way to support ourselves..here the SOBs come hands out for the refugees and illegals…this makes me so angry!

  11. They don’t want a healthy population. They want a sick, weak, uneducated public. The rich controls the government, the government keeps down the public, its a anarchy. Beware, don’t eat any process foods, its making the public sick and stupid.

    1. I agree, and all of this is happening because the crooks in the system are actually our enemies who are perpetrating the same toxic conglomerate that Germany used in WW2 to gain so much foothold in Europe: truthwiki dot org /ig-farben-pharmaceutical-conglomerate-1916-to-2015/

      1. Are you just a SHILL, or do you actually have a real reason to hate Germany so much? I DO want a real answer…..

    1. Right along with the EPA which Trump says will be gone or readjusted; same with BLM, Park Department, Fish and Game…all of them need to take a hike and let the average, everyday person take over that truly knows what they are doing and have the interest of not only the people at heart but also the wildlife and Mother Earth entirely.

  12. KOMBUCHA is a SUPREME health drink. Used by the ancients for remarkable strength and energy.
    That is why they want it off the shelve and out of your hands. Think of the millions of people that will now never need doctors, the FDA or their pharmaceuticals anymore.

    1. A heck of lot more expensive but Nano silver will do the same thing. It is hard to get it in the five pound pail for the EPA says it is hazardous to ship…nothing in it to explode!!!

  13. Okay, yet RED BULL and similar drinks which have a proven detrimental track record stay on the shelves …. once again the gov’t tries to suppress healthy and holistic products and practices. I will start making my own Kombucha 🙂

    1. I know of three young people that are dead due to Red Bull…how much is a life worth…nothing to these makers…beware, Pepsi uses infant tissues in their flavored drinks or were…I called them a couple years back and admitted to it..not in Pepsi itself, just the flavored drinks; Nestles add baby tissues to their products also…so no more Toll House chips for my cookies and fudge.

  14. Once again the attack from the Corrupt Bureaucrats who did not get enough payola to grease their palms. Yet these same Bureaucrats a approve high profit pharmaceutical poison drugs that kill and not cure anything. Why, the pharmaceutical cross their palms with payola and for that they would sell their own into death and coffin. Just why do you think the Pharmaceutical gave the FDA 26 million dollars? It sure was not out of the goodness of their heart. But, be sure no will mention that fact.

  15. I drank this tea for about five years; it helped me fight my forever weight gain and it handled my depression just super; it is also has been known to cure cancer and that is the problem…Big Pharma!

  16. How silly, lobbied regulatory agencies strike out against products and industries because it threatens profits. So a silly solution could be used: sell the kombucha not as a beverage, but as a decoration. Since these agencies have no regulatory authority over the arts and crafts industry, they would not be able to control it at all. Silly actions calls for silly responses! When will they realize that we will not be denied?

  17. Since Kombucha isn’t supposed to be consumed in doses higher than 4oz per day (i.e. an 8oz bottle lasts 2 days), repeated “abuse” of this product might put the flagrant criminal consumer in the hospital through acidosis before they ever got a buzz.

    1. I consumed two 16-ounce bottles in two days once, and it upset my stomach. These were the commercial varieties. Now, I limit myself to about 4 ounces of homemade a day. It seems like a sufficient amount. I also add it to other fermentations that call for whey.

      1. BTW, I got my information from the owner of a very major kombucha company, who supplies Whole Foods etc, and whose name I’m not going to say. But that was HIS advice.

  18. I brew beer at home (yes, it’s legal) and really, I couldn’t imagine anyone consuming enough Kombucha to get a buzz. Even store bought beer is cheaper at those levels. Although apparently there are some folks on Kombucha Nation who claim to drink a quart of it per day. I don’t care for the stuff, only wound up on this site for some research.

  19. kombucha too healthy for bigpharma if people in Hawaii reversing diabetes and meth addiction within a week on kombucha detox and as a result avoiding amputations!.. too competitive for the bigpharma who runs the fed govt. good thing can make your own

  20. “It seems unlikely that the government would go after kombucha without prodding from some special interest. Has the soft drink industry detected a threat from arapidly growing market and decided to use the power of the federal government to eliminate competition? There doesn’t seem to be another explanation.”
    Liberals. Always blame the private interests.
    How about we just eliminate the regulation of alcohol in the first place. It’s not like we’re living right after the Prohibition anymore. There’s less regulation of legalized marijuana than freaking Alcohol. And because of our 21 age limit the kids make a big deal about it, unlike in euro countries.

  21. I thought it was already regulated like alcohol. I’ve been asked for ID a few times to buy kombucha and the GT’s says on the bottle you must be 21 or over to purchase.

  22. I agree with you. I am not only growing my own vegetables and apples for fermentation, but learning to save seeds. I am also learning to grow my own herbs for medicinal and culinary purposes so that I don’t have to use big Pharma doctors and drugs. In the coming years, self-sufficiency is going to become more important.

    1. Probably also going to become illegal as the crooks crack down on anyone who doesn’t want to be forced into having bad health for the profits of the few jerks who don’t even deserve to exist (the crooks running this nightmare).

  23. How do you explain Obama’s 1 billion in both elections while both Republican candidates got only a little over half of that? I don’t know where you are getting your info from but you are not using your logical brain and common sense. Plus, for the 2016 election almost all conservative candidates have only less 10 million dolllars each, including Carson who is practically the no. one candidate right now. The Koch brothers and big corps do not give to conservatives but only to RINOs and Democrats. Hillary Clinton have over 100 million and Jeb Bush have about the same. Those who fall in between conservative and RINOs’ beliefs have only a few big corps helping them so they got about 30 million each. The Koch brothers announced that they were financing Carly Fiorina. They don’t seem to be financing anyone else.
    By the way, the Democrats are not true socialists. They are really ‘capitalists’, meaning that they are somewhat socialists but they cater to big corps first, over the voters and the poor. Only Bernie Sanders is more authentic than the other Democrat candidate and just like the conservative candidates, he get mostly voters funding his campaign. Don’t be soo gullible.

    1. Sorry, you’re really to uninformed to talk to.
      Here’s a list of big donors so far. The top 34 donors are all to republicans and from mostly Wall st and the oil industry. The 35th top donor is Soros.
      The Koch Bros alone said publicly that they’re going to spend a billion dollars on the next election. Two guys, who if one person, would be the richest person in the world.
      Please, don’t bother me. Whoever you’re listening to is going to feed you B S forever and you’re not worth talking to.

      1. You never explained where you get your source from. I read the news EVERYDAY from difference sources, so don’t tell me I am uninformed. You just fault information about the Tea party. How do you even know you are getting fault info about everything else? You really are rude and arrogant.

        1. We have yet to see your sources, too, because that works in both directions. You seem so angry in some of your statements that it is difficult to understand what you are trying to tell us.

    2. You are why today’s republicans are considered the dumbest voters in
      U S history.
      Looking at your posts again only confirms that everything you say is a lie that you could easily discover if you only took a few minutes to research it all….but you won’t.
      good luck

      1. I have nothing to lie about. The Democrats and the RINOs are doing the lying. HOw do I know that? Because I still remember the things they said years or months ago but then say something else later. The conservatives in the Tea Party and Libertarian Party are WAAY more consistent and firm in what they say and believe in. Disguised communists are told to lie because America still see communism as a scary and bad political system. You need to study communism to understand how they infiltrate society slowly over the years. They are succeeding because people like you don’t bother to get educated about the truth that is going on DC and the UN. You don’t seem to have a clue.

        1. Please….take your meds.
          Republicans threw the Kochs (tea party) out of the conservative movement in 1980 for being greedy and only interested in their own profits. Now….they are paying for what you’re saying…you just don’t know it.
          Limbaugh from the kochs last year…$8 million…hannity $6 million …oreilly $4 million and more to other r w talk.

          1. What an idiot you are. Conservatives were happy with Reagan and the GOP party for the most part, until after Obama became president and we noticed that the GOP were too busy kissing Obama’ bottom and the big corps. That is when the Tea Party began. The Koch brothers have said that they are LIbertarians(look it up), not TEa Party. The two parties are NOT the same thing. You are soo brainwashed that you don’t even bother to research anything I said. IT is you that need to take meds. You have your head on wrong.

      2. Like a typical liberal you are very condenscending and blind. Just go to a Youtube video and watch how UNinformed Democrat voters are. Conservatives can laugh out loud at the naiveness and stupidty. On the other hand, conservatives understand what they are voting for. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t care for the truth but is only interested in being blindly loyal to a cause that is actually cause more damage than good.

          1. I have stated many facts but because you don’t like those facts you call me ignorance. The ignorants are those who like having their heads in the sand because the view is better there. They can’t handle the truth. What a stupid way to live.

    3. I see that everybody is wrong, but you. Interesting. It must weigh so heavily on you to know everything and be right all of the time. ROTFLMAO

      1. I gave facts that I read many times in many news sources but you had nothing and yet you are saying that I am trying to be right? Do you understand what facts are? Why don’t you get off your lazy bottom look up what I said for a change?

        1. I still haven’t seen any links to any facts/sources, and STOP trying to belittle me – it won’t work. Are those news factual sources or are they someone’s opinions written on a blog? That is not a news source. If you are making the argument, it is up to you to supply the source of it; otherwise, all we have is your word which is, well, just words. I will never find any value in your argument if you won’t provide the source. It isn’t my argument so why should I provide you with a source! Yes, and I am going to continue to laugh.

  24. It is useless to argue with those that know everything. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. Have a great day!

    1. I hate to say it, but “lindsncal” sounds like a crazy person – irrational, illogical, angry, hate-filled…..etc….
      BOTH the so-called “right” & “left” have their share of true believers, and crazies….. I’m a registered INDEPENDENT voter, and here in New Hampshire, there’s MORE of US, than EITHER Repubs -or- Dems…..

  25. Abe, yes, indeed I am! Thanks for this post, I mean it, sincerely thank you; I thought I had archived it…if I did, it disappeared mysteriously. I need to figure out how I can follow you…I respect you for your honestly, your lack of intimidating an old lady and other comments. God Bless

  26. Yeah, anything that is good the U.S. destroys. Anything that is awful, the U.S. supports.
    The U.S. is literally the worst place in all of existence, the destroyers of love, the destroyers of life and the world. There is nothing good about the U.S. except is inevitable downfall into oblivion and self-destruction. Only then will the world be spared from the misery and anguish the U.S. intentionally wroughts upon it. truthwiki dot org /ig-farben-pharmaceutical-conglomerate-1916-to-2015/
    U.S. took over germany’s chemical conglomerate during WW2 and brought it back to the U.S., which is just one of the reasons the U.S. is an Atrocity upon the Earth.

  27. As with unpasteurized raw milk, kombucha heals the gut. This is an obstacle to the organizations trying to destroy your immune system. They being, those who are behind the production of vaccines and GMO foods.

  28. You mis-posted…..Without the hyphen, “collectiveevolution” is a vacant domain for sale…..The REAL site has the hyphen:
    >collective-evolution<…. &Thank-you, my friend…..

  29. so why worry about commercial kombi when you can make it at home, or get a scoby form a farmers market?

  30. Several accredited laboratories that do know how to test alcohol have found these products to be largely above 2% ABV and quite a few as high as ca. 5% and are labeled as “non-alcoholic”. Its is time you folks got to grips with how incredibly complex these ecologically diverse mixes of organisms, that produce the fermented Kombuchas, really are. Some ferments are very alcoholic in nature and its very, very expensive and difficult to remove alcohol to get them to low levels – that is why you may be finding that many producers are choosing to just ignore this issue – hoping it would just go away. Well get ready folks, it will not and many many laws at both Federal and State levels are being flouted as a result.

  31. Kombucha made me horribly sick!!! I eat very clean and eat fermented foods and take several probiotics throughout my lifetime. I tried about an ounce of kombucha at my local organic CSA and got very ill for weeks (honestly not sure if things are better (6wks later)!!!! A friend of mine said she had the same reaction! Like food poisoning that lasts much too long!

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