WHAT IS SPARKLING TEA?
Sparkling Teas are naturally fermented as the perfect, non-alcoholic alternative with a profile similar to a dry sparkling wine. We take the world’s finest loose-leaf teas and ferment them for 6 weeks, filter, and bottle age to create a well-balanced and beautifully complex non-alcoholic sparkling.
WHAT ARE WINE ALTERNATIVES?
In general, wine alternatives can be thought of non-alcoholic beverages modeled on the experience of wines, without trying to copy or imitate them. They are multi-layered compositions consisting of various ingredients. They are sometimes produced using different fermentation methods, such as kombucha, kvass, water kefir, vinegar, juices from fruits or vegetables, teas, and infusions of herbs, flowers, and spices.
IS WHAT YOU MAKE KOMBUCHA?
Great question! We wear labels loosely, but if you must put a label on sparkling tea, then we’d like you to think of them as a ‘cousin of kombucha’. We curate our culture (microorganisms) and monitor and control component changes of the culture’s metabolites in order to improve the taste and mouthfeel. Our proprietary process results in much high ratio of gluconic acid, glycerol and fruity esters. This is an importand distinction as Gluconic acid contributes a soft and refreshing sour taste with no odour, while the high ratios of Acetic acid found in Kombucha contributes to a sharp, astringent profile with a pungent odour.
WHAT DOES SPARKLING TEA TASTE LIKE?
We ensure that our Sparkling Teas achieve the perfect balance of top notes, astringency, acidity, and sweetness, just as winemakers do when fermenting their grapes. All our sparkling is lightly sparkling, dry with a bright acidity.
HOW IS SPARKLING TEA MADE?
In a similar way to Kombucha but with a curated culture involving a Non-Saccharomyces yeast and prolonged 60 day fermentation. We employ a few wine making tricks along the way to balance tannins and improve mouthfeel. We then blend, condition, pasteurisation, filter and package into bottles and cans.
HOW LONG DOES A BOTTLE LAST?
Hairy Armadillo Sparkling Tea should be stored in a cool place (ideally 20ºC or lower) and chilled before opening. Once opened, reseal using a champagne stopper to keep fresh and effervescent for around a week. Consume by the best-before date.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU USE?
We use only five ingredients: water, live culture, loose-leaf tea, sugar, water, and vegetable gum.
HOW MANY CALORIES ARE THERE IN A GLASS?
There are 6 calories per 100ml of our wine, meaning that an average 150ml wine glass contains around 9 calories. Not bad when compared to a glass of white wine, which is around 100 calories! See nutritional panel of each product for rmore info.
CAN I DRINK IT IF I’M PREGNANT?
We recommend that you consult your doctor before introducing anything into your diet while pregnant or breastfeeding. Our products contain a trace amount of alcohol (~0.2% ABV), which is by-product of fermentation. To put this into context a ripe bananas can contain up to 0.2% ABV.
Most of the concerns related to fermented drinks relate to the risk of fermentation after packaging which can result in higher than expected alcohol levels. At Hairy Armadillo we mitigate this risk by pasturising and filtering down to 1 micron in order to deactivate and remove the yeast responsible for ethenol production.
DOES SPARKLING TEA CONTAIN ALCOHOL?
Yes, ourNaturally Fermented Sparkling Teas contain a trace of alcohol as a by-product of the fermentation process. Our beverages typically contain around 0.2% ABV. A beverate with less than 0.5% ABV, this is legally considered non-alcoholic in the state of Victoria. In certain states this can be 1.15%. Always check the label.
DOES SPARKLING TEA CONTAIN CAFFEINE?
We brew with a strength of tea that is far below the level you’d have in a standard cup of tea, however, as it is a tea-based product so allergies and sensitivities should be taken into consideration.
ARE YOUR SPARKLING TEAS PASTEURISED?
We don’t pasturise but we do filter down to 0.8 micron to remove 100% of yeast. This ensures that we can safely bottle age and ship our wine alternatives without risk of bottle explosions.
WHERE CAN I FOLLOW YOU?
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