‘Everyone is looking for something different’:  Ireland's first 'hard kombucha' being brewed in Cork

Times are changing when it comes to socialising and catching a few bevvies with pals.

Lives are busy, demanding careers require the A-Game to be always on, and Wellness trumps The Fear. All of which means that, for a growing number of us, what to drink is becoming a very different proposition – we want a drink that tastes good and does good too.

Recently, a new alcoholic drink was launched that claims to deliver exactly that. Kombeara is Ireland’s first hard kombucha, founded by serial tech entrepreneurs Feargal Harrington and his wife, Rena Maycock, head booch brewer Ding Prud’homme, and Beara Distillery founder John Power.

But first, what is kombucha?

The buzz word in food and drink for the past decade has been fermentation.

You’ve likely heard of krauts and kimchi on the food side and kefir and kombucha on the drinks side, tried some, and enjoyed them.

Increasingly, we are learning how these funky-flavoured ferments are beneficial to health and wellness by feeding the gut microbiome with good bacteria. We also know that what happens in the gut has a direct effect on our health – physical and mental.

Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea; traditionally, black tea. Tea is packed with powerful antioxidants called polyphenols and flavonoids, the benefits of which are amplified when it’s fermented into kombucha. The funky flavour is refreshing, hydrating and an easy way to incorporate more fermented things into the everyday diet.

Kombeara takes this idea and adds a secondary fermentation and natural flavourings to create a drink that is lightly alcoholic and fruity flavoured to create hard kombucha. This is kombucha with a kick, a refreshing alternative to those seeking the buzz of a social drink while supporting their wellness goals.

Kombeara’s genesis is in West Cork’s wild Beara Peninsula where the drink brand’s founder, Feargal Harrington, spent many a carefree childhood summer with his grandparents.

Feargal Harrington and his wife Rena Maycock, both successful tech entrepreneurs, stumbled upon the appetite for hard kombucha during business trips to the US.

Recognising how the drink could be a good fit with Ireland’s growing wellness culture, they set out to become Ireland’s first hard kombucha brand.

At a glitzy launch event at Mitchell & Son Wine Merchants on Dublin’s Harcourt Street recently, Feargal and Rena celebrated their success with guests including film director Jim Sheridan, Love Island star and influencer Billykiss Azeez, and famed hypnotist and magician, Keith Barry.

The glamour of the capital is in sharp contrast to the wild and rugged Beara coastline and the bustling fishing port of Castletownbere where Kombeara originated, and from where the drinks’ signature ingredient of seaweed is sourced.

At Kombeara’s purpose-built kombucha brewery in the West Cork Gaeltacht town of Ballingeary, head brewer Ding Prud’homme fuses the key ingredients of Sencha tea, Irish seaweed and real fruit to create a beverage that’s lively, refreshing and better-for-you, naturally low in sugar, gluten-free and vegan friendly.

It took three years to refine and perfect the recipe to get the look and taste of their drinks just right, but, Feargal says, it was worth the investment.

“There is a fundamental sea change in attitudes to drinking that’s happening across all demographics,” Fergal says, adding what they thought originally would be their target market (Gen X and Z) has been blown apart.

“Everyone is looking for something different,” he says.

“Within the first month of launching, we sold 10,000 cans. Our aim is to hit consistent sales of 40,000 every month,” says Feargal.

“I think people see the merit in the drink we have created, and there’s a demand for it.”

However, there is still an education needed among drinkers which will drive lots of activity in 2026, particularly with in-store tastings across Ireland.

“Many people know what kombucha is, but there are plenty who don’t – let alone what a hard kombucha is,” he says.

“We spent a long time perfecting our flavours, so we know when people taste it, they really enjoy it. Kombucha is not an easy thing to make; it’s a live product so there are lots of things at play and that really speaks to the skill of our head brewer, Ding, in balancing everything.

“We dialled back the flavour of the kombucha a little bit, just because we know it wouldn’t be for everyone.

“But our experience is that when people taste Kombeara, they love it. They tell us it’s light, refreshing, invigorating, and easy to drink.

“They feel there’s something different about it, that they can sip away and enjoy three or four cans of Kombeara and still feel great in the morning.”

Kombeara comes in 330ml cans and in three different flavours: Grapefruit, Blood Orange & Yuzu; Blueberry & Sicilian Lemon; and Mango & Passionfruit, but Feargal says which one is his favourite changes with each day and his mood!

With Christmas on the horizon, I ask how best to drink Kombeara and what foods to pair with.

“Kombeara is best served chilled as it contains live cultures. For Christmas, I would serve our Grapefruit, Blood Orange & Yuzu as a brunch drink as its perfect with a stack of fluffy American-style pancakes.

“The Blueberry & Sicilian Lemon pairs well with Poached Salmon and Samphire Butter Sauce for a light dinner, and the Mango & Passionfruit is great with desserts, especially sorbets. All are delicious paired with sushi, a fresh crudo or ceviche.”

This is a drink for a new era of refreshment, for sure. Perfect for raising a glass to good times and good choices!

• Kombeara is available from Fresh The Good Food Market, Carry Out, Centra, and Mitchell & Sons, and from 2026 in Dunnes Stores and Tesco nationwide. www.kombeara.com