Kratombucha: alcohol-free but with a sedative effect

To be completely honest, I’m getting a little tired of all the twisted versions of dishes or drinks. The Crompouce is obviously by far the high point (or low point?) of this trend, but the Kratombucha can hold its own too; this is namely not Kombucha. But I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt, because it does sound seriously delicious.

Funny: the Kratombucha is a creation of The Bulldog. That’s right, Amsterdam’s oldest coffeeshop. And you wouldn’t expect it, but this drink contains no alcohol. Drugs, then? That’s not too bad either.

But what is actually in Kratombucha?

This drink takes its name from the tropical kratom tree, which is widespread in Thailand. The leaves of this tree are said to produce a kind of sedative effect. Growing it is completely legal, and it is even often used when people want to wean themselves off opioids. In low doses, kratom increases alertness, while in high doses it makes you feel more drowsy. So, basically, it has a bit of the same effect as alcohol — but without actually drinking alcohol.

You can take kratom as a capsule, simply chew the leaves, drink it as tea or now also have it as Kratombucha. You notice the effects about half an hour after taking it, and they last for two to four hours. I’m a real scaredy-cat when it comes to this kind of thing, but I am quite curious about this. Maybe this will be the hit during Dry January?

Also read: 

• CBD sriracha exists, for a double kick
• New in the Netherlands: cannabis wine
• I ate a cannabis burger and this is what I thought of it

Image: The Bulldog