Fermented Futures: The Rise of Alt-Alcohols (Kvass, Tepache, Makgeolli)

There’s a quiet revolution brewing…not in the steel tanks of multinational beer brands or the oak barrels of billion-dollar wineries, but in humble kitchens, corner markets, and street stalls.
From Mexico to Korea to Eastern Europe, ancient drinks are bubbling back to life.

Tepache, Makgeolli, Kvass.

Say them aloud.
They fizz in your mouth like incantations, effervescent and mysterious.
These are the alt-alcohols: fermented relics of past civilizations making a modern comeback.

They’re not just beverages. They’re cultural time capsules.
Microbial love letters from ancestors who knew how to preserve flavor, calories, and joy long before refrigeration or carbonation machines.

Let’s take a deep sip into the world of fermented futures.

Kvass: Bread That Bubbles

In Slavic folklore, kvass is the taste of summer: cold, tangy, barely boozy, and oddly bready. Born from stale rye bread, kvass isn’t a waste product…it’s a resurrection.

For centuries, Russian and Ukrainian households brewed kvass at home by soaking toasted rye crusts, letting them ferment gently with yeast and sugar. What emerges is a beverage that sits somewhere between beer and kombucha: malty, tart, and barely alcoholic (typically under 1%).

But kvass isn’t just for nostalgia anymore.

Today’s kvass is cropping up in American breweries, Brooklyn cafes, and even Whole Foods shelves.
Artisanal producers are reinventing it with beet infusions, honey notes, and wild fermentations.
Some versions are sparkling and dry, others earthy and still.

Kvass is a new definition of what “low ABV” can taste like.

Tepache: Mexico’s Pineapple Gold

Tepache begins with the peels.

While the world slices pineapples for sweet reward, tepache makers keep the scraps…the spiky skins, the fibrous hearts. Add piloncillo (unrefined Mexican brown sugar), water, and a few days in the warmth, and the magic begins.
Wild yeasts do the rest.

The result?

A golden brew that tastes like pineapple soda took a dance lesson with rum. It’s sweet, tart, lightly alcoholic, and dangerously refreshing.

In street markets across Mexico, tepache is ladled from barrels into plastic cups. It’s a vibe.
A reminder that good things come from what others discard.

Now, modern mixologists are turning to tepache for low-alcohol cocktails and fermented mocktails alike. Some breweries even can it. And foodies are pairing it with tacos, ceviche, or spicy elote for a full-circle flavor bomb.

If you want to try making it yourself, you only need a few ingredients and a bit of time. (Just don’t forget the cheesecloth, pineapple pulp is a rebel.)

Makgeolli: Korea’s Milky Moon

Makgeolli is the drink of Korean farmers, poets, and now…you.

Made from fermented rice and nuruk (a wild fermentation starter), makgeolli is milky-white, lightly fizzy, and often served in wide, shallow bowls.

It’s slightly sweet, slightly sour, and carries a whisper of alcohol, like a secret it’s not sure it should tell.

Unlike filtered soju, makgeolli keeps the rice sediment suspended. It’s rustic. Real. Ancient and alive.

In Seoul’s hip bars, makgeolli is now flavored with yuzu, matcha, or even espresso. Young brewers are redefining the centuries-old drink as a cool, cultured sipper. And across the globe, fermentation enthusiasts are learning how to make it at home…despite the cultural complexity of nurturing nuruk and sourcing specialty rice.

Makgeolli doesn’t just quench. It nourishes.

Why the Comeback Now?

There’s a reason these alt-alcohols are bubbling up in the zeitgeist.

1. The Low-ABV Movement: Consumers, especially younger ones, are ditching hard liquor for lighter alternatives. Kvass and tepache often fall under 2% ABV, making them perfect for casual sipping without the next-day regret.

2. Fermentation Fascination: Thanks to kombucha, kefir, and sourdough TikToks, fermentation is having a renaissance. People are hungry for the funky, the fizzy, the living. Alt-alcohols offer a DIY thrill, a connection to microbiomes and memory.

3. Cultural Craving: In a globalized world, we’re rediscovering heritage. Kvass connects diasporas. Makgeolli tells a Korean story. Tepache celebrates the overlooked genius of Mexican street vendors. These drinks carry legacy in every bubble.

4. Sustainability & Scraps: Making alcohol from leftover bread, pineapple skins, or simple rice is the opposite of wasteful. It’s circular joy.

How They Compare to Modern Booze

Where wine is polished, these drinks are raw. Where spirits are filtered, these are cloudy with culture.

Alt-alcohols remind us that fermentation wasn’t always factory-bound. It was folk wisdom. It was survival. And it was delicious.

Make Your Own: The Home Fermenter's Guide

Tepache Starter Kit:
Get everything you need to start your own wild-fermented tepache at home with this fermentation kit.

Kvass Recipe Basics:

Toast rye bread until dark
Soak in hot water with sugar
Add yeast
Let sit 1–3 days at room temp
Strain and chill

Makgeolli Tips:

Use sweet rice (glutinous rice)
Nuruk is key…don’t skip it
Ferment in a warm dark place
Stir daily, strain after 7 days

Safety note: Always research sanitation practices before fermenting at home.

The Microbial Orchestra Behind Fermentation

When you sip kvass, tepache, or makgeolli, you’re not just tasting ingredients, you’re tasting microbial choreography.

Wild yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and ambient spores all play a role in these transformations.
In kvass, bread-based sugars invite subtle bacterial tang.
Tepache thrives on pineapple peel bacteria, creating that lightly funky, effervescent charm.
Makgeolli’s fermentation is more complex, relying on nuruk’s blend of molds and yeasts to break down rice starch into sugar, and sugar into alcohol.

Unlike commercial beer or wine, these drinks often rely on open-air fermentation, making them hyperlocal and deeply alive.
Every batch is slightly different.
Temperature, time, and even the mood of the maker can influence flavor.

It's less chemistry lab, more alchemy.

Colonial Erasure and the Rebirth of Traditional Brews

Many of these fermented drinks nearly disappeared…not because they lacked appeal, but because colonialism and industrial alcohol tried to wipe them out.

Colonial governments often banned or taxed traditional brews to force indigenous populations to purchase imported liquors.

Kvass was sidelined by vodka’s rise in the Russian Empire.
Tepache was reduced to street status as mass-market cervezas took over Mexico.
Makgeolli faced similar pressures during Japanese occupation of Korea, which prioritized sake production.

What we’re seeing now isn’t just a foodie trend, it’s cultural reclamation.

People are rediscovering the flavors their ancestors were told to abandon.
And with each batch brewed today, there’s a quiet act of resistance against the erasure of edible history.

Alt-Alcohols and the Wellness Generation

There’s a growing generation of drinkers who don’t want to drink the way their parents did.

For many Millennials and Gen Z, wellness isn’t just a buzzword it’s a lifestyle.

That’s why kombucha exploded.
That’s why the term “functional beverage” keeps showing up in startup decks.
And that’s why kvass, tepache, and makgeolli are gaining traction: they offer a hint of alcohol with a helping of gut health and ancient tradition.

These drinks contain live probiotics, digestive enzymes, and a lower ABV than most beers.
They fit neatly into the sober-curious movement, providing ritual without the hangover.
For those craving something fermented but not fluorescent, alt-alcohols are the perfect compromise between indulgence and intention.

How Climate Change Is Shaping the Future of Fermentation

The future of drinking may be lighter, not just in alcohol, but in environmental footprint.

Grapes, hops, and barley are all struggling under rising temperatures and unpredictable weather.
Water shortages are already reshaping where beer and wine can be produced.
But kvass? It uses bread you were about to throw away.
Tepache? Just the pineapple scraps.
Makgeolli? Rice and wild fermentation, no frills.

These drinks don’t require pristine vineyards or multi-acre farms.
They thrive in kitchens and community spaces.
If we’re serious about sustainable sipping, alt-alcohols might be our most delicious climate solution.

They’re proof that future-friendly drinks can still taste like joy.

The New Alt-Alcohol Scene: From Pop-Ups to Prestige

What began as quiet revivals is turning into a full-blown movement.

Pop-up makgeolli bars in LA.

Tepache tastings at food festivals in Austin.

Kvass flights served alongside sourdough at bakeries in Copenhagen.

Forward-thinking sommeliers and chefs are incorporating these drinks into tasting menus.
They’re not seen as primitive or passé anymore, they’re exciting, complex, and even chic.
Social media has also played a role, with DIY fermentation influencers sharing recipes, failures, and bubbling jars like proud parents.

Some brands are pushing alt-alcohols into cans, making them shelf-stable and trendy.

But at the heart of it, this isn’t about monetization.
It’s about rediscovering what flavor really means when it’s alive, ancient, and unapologetically different.

What We’re Really Drinking

With each sip of kvass, tepache, or makgeolli, we’re not just tasting yeasts and sugars.

We’re tasting history.

Colonialism buried a lot of these drinks. So did industrialization. But they’ve survived in grandmothers’ kitchens and roadside stands, quietly resisting erasure. Now they’re reemerging…not as novelties, but as revelations.

As we move toward an uncertain future (climate change, mass-produced sameness, and cultural loss) maybe alt-alcohols offer a gentle rebellion. A way to remember who we were. A reminder to waste less. To drink slowly. To ferment joy.

A Toast to the Microbial Muse

If there’s poetry in fermentation, these drinks are its most overlooked verses.
Sour, sweet, fizzy, faint. Each one carries a memory we forgot we had.

Here’s to kvass in a mason jar.
Tepache on a hot porch.
Makgeolli poured under the moon.

Here’s to the rise of alt-alcohols…bubbling up through time, and finally being heard.