Theakston Brewery and kombucha producer Equinox Kombucha have joined forces to launch Hopbucha, an alcohol-free fermented drink combining the brewing heritage of traditional British beer with kombucha. The drink is fermented using Equinox’s SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), delivering the live cultures and mouthfeel associated with kombucha. Hopbucha follows Theakston’s existing move into the alcohol-free category with its Nowt Peculier 0.0% beer. However, the new product moves beyond conventional alcohol-free beer by combining hop character with the fermented positioning of kombucha. Equinox has been producing craft kombucha near Halifax for almost 15 years, while family-owned Theakston Brewery was founded in Masham in 1827 and is known for beers including Old Peculier.