There are many different recipes for kvass, a healthy, non-alcoholic beverage made from fermented rye and barley.
Its origins are in Eastern Europe, and date back around 1,000 years.
However, its introduction to the UK is a bit more recent. And now, Edinburgh-based company Quas Drinks has taken the drink to new levels with a variety of flavours: with more than 500 billion colony forming units (CFUs) of more than 100 unique bacterial strains in each can.
The vegan drink is similar to fermented drinks many are already familiar with, such as kombucha and kefir. While kvass is considered a non-alcoholic beverage, a small amount of alcohol is naturally produced during the fermentation process. This means a can of Quas will contain about 0.5-0.75% (ABV) of alcohol.
We spoke with the founder of Quas, Anton Puzorjov, PhD, about the origins of the fermented drink, Puzorjov’s inspiration behind starting the company, and how the products are made.
Learn more about the company, its products, and kvass, by clicking here.
Jim Cornall is editor of Future Food Today and publisher at Ayr Coastal Media. He is an award-winning writer, editor, photographer, broadcaster, designer and author. Contact Jim here.
