Traces of alcohol in kombucha is a taxing issue that Oregon lawmakers want to fix with an...

Currently, beverages starting at 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) are considered alcoholic, and their manufacturers have to pay an excise tax. The bill would exempt kombucha from those rules if it has less than 1.25% ABV, or about a quarter of the potency of an average beer.

Supporters say kombucha is rarely consumed for its alcohol content, but it can ferment past the legal limit on the shelf.

“Kombucha is not the same as beer or other alcoholic beverages, and it shouldn’t be taxed the same way,” Wyden said in a press release.