What Is Jun Kombucha?
Introduction
If you’ve heard of kombucha, you might have come across the term ‘Jun kombucha’ and wondered what makes it different. The short answer: it’s fermented with honey instead of refined sugar. But the longer answer is a lot more interesting.
Jun kombucha is often called the ‘champagne of kombucha’ – a rarer, more refined brew that produces a distinctly smoother, more complex drink. Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a naturally fermented tea drink made using a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). The SCOBY feeds on sugar and tea, producing a lightly carbonated, tangy drink rich in organic acids, B vitamins, and beneficial probiotics.
It’s been consumed for centuries – originating in Northeast China before spreading across Russia, Europe, and eventually the rest of the world. Today it’s one of the fastest-growing health drink categories in the UK.
So What Makes Jun Kombucha Different?
Regular kombucha uses refined sugar as its fermentation base. Jun kombucha uses 100% pure honey and has a different SCOBY to start the ferment.
The honey brings its own complex flavour compounds, natural enzymes, and antimicrobial properties to the ferment. The resulting brew is typically lighter, smoother, and more nuanced than standard kombucha. This blends perfectly with the added fruit flavours and spices, creating a rounded flavour that refined sugar simply can’t match.
A Jun SCOBY is adapted specifically to ferment with honey rather than sugar, and is generally considered more delicate and harder to cultivate. It’s one of the reasons genuinely good Jun kombucha is relatively rare.
What Are the Benefits of Jun Kombucha?
Like all good kombucha, Jun is packed with:
- Live bacteria and probiotics to support gut health
- Organic acids (including acetic and glucuronic acid) that support digestion
- B vitamins from the fermentation process
- Antioxidants from green tea
But because Jun uses pure honey rather than refined sugar, it also brings the natural enzymes, trace minerals, and antimicrobial compounds found in honey – making it a nutritionally richer choice.
Honey has a naturally lower glycaemic index than refined sugar, meaning it has a gentler effect on blood sugar levels – and the fermentation process converts much of the honey's natural sugars into healthy acids to support gut health.
How Is Pop Cultures Jun Kombucha Made?
At Pop Cultures, we brew our Jun kombucha in small batches in Brighton, using locally sourced organic honey and green tea. Our base ferment is aged in 100L oak barrels – a step that adds subtle depth and character you won’t find in mass-produced kombucha.
Once the base ferment is ready, each batch is flavoured with 100% pure fruit and spices. No artificial flavourings, concentrates, or 'natural flavours' – the bottles are naturally carbonated, so you'll get a gentle sparkle that develops over time. The end product is a refreshing drink that tastes great and is genuinely good for you.
Our current flavours are:
- Zingy Ginger & Lime — freshly squeezed lime juice and ginger, balanced by honey’s natural sweetness
- Raspberry & Ginger — 100% raspberry purée with a warming ginger background
- Apple & Cardamom — crisp fresh apple juice with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger
Where Can I Buy Jun Kombucha in the UK?
Jun kombucha is still relatively rare in the UK – which is exactly why we started Pop Cultures. You can order our award-winning Jun kombucha online, with delivery across the UK, or find us at selected stockists across Brighton and Sussex.
We offer mixed discovery cases (great for trying all three flavours) and single-flavour boxes. All orders are packed carefully to protect the live cultures inside.