It originated in Asia, moved to Europe, and is now consumed worldwide—a slightly fermented tea that is purported to cure everything from indigestion to cancer. We’re talking about kombucha, which has exploded in popularity in the last quarter century. While the exact health benefits of kombucha remain unproven, it’s quite certain that the effervescent elixir provides its worldwide fans with a spiritual lift unlike any other drink.

Journalist and author Duff McDonald takes us inside the biological, physiological, and spiritual benefits of this beloved beverage, one of a remarkable category of liquids known as "living drinks." Packed with healthy probiotics, kombucha is, quite literally, alive and McDonald makes a very good case that the life in the drink adds to the life of the drinker. Threaded through that narrative is his own remarkable experience with the drink, one that started with a sip but has transformed into an entire home-brewing operation. Over the course of that journey, he discovers that kombucha has indeed transformed his life, pointing the way to the answer to many of life's vexing questions.