‘Never drinking those again’: Customer buys Twisted Tea, finds something unusual at the bottom of the can
This woman said she'd never again drink a Twisted Tea after seeing what was inside her drink.
Twisted Tea is an alcoholic canned drink made up of brewed tea and liquor. It's a popular choice for many due to its flavor variety, pricing, and grab-and-go nature. It's also readily available at corner stores, gas stations, and grocery stores.
In a viral video with more than 840,000 views, Maggie Mae Wilson (@maggiemaewilson) shared the horrifying thing she found in her go-to beverage.
Mystery substance
"I will never ever, ever in my life be drinking a Twisted Tea," Wilson said.
In the TikTok, Wilson explained that she was drinking her beverage when she suddenly felt something firm on her tongue.
"What the f-- is that?" she said.
She poured the rest of her drink into a glass and found nothing, so she cut the can open.
Inside, she found a brown meatball-esque blob sitting at the bottom.
Wilson couldn't help but gag as she showed it to viewers.
@maggiemaewilson WTF is in my drink @Twisted Tea ♬ original sound - Maggie
Twisted Tea responds
In a follow-up video, Wilson shared that Twisted Tea sent her a check for her experience, though it's unclear how much.
But the mystery of what the blob was has yet to be solved. Even the beverage brand was unsure, saying it might be a form of yeast, according to Wilson.
Multiple people in the comments section theorized that the brown blob is a SCOBY.
"It’s called a scoby. Look it up. It happens when tea ferments. It’s how they make kombucha," a top comment read.
What is SCOBY?
SCOBY stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast," according to Healthline.
A SCOBY is one of the key ingredients for making kombucha, as it helps with the fermentation process. You can buy one from the store or online for $20 to $40 or make it at home using kombucha, tea, and sugar.
If you know anything about breadmaking, a SCOBY is akin to a sourdough starter.
SCOBY is usually thick, rubbery, and round and gets darker in color over time. That description doesn't seem to match the unidentified mass in Maggie's drink, which looks considerably softer and unshaped.
You'll know a SCOBY has gone bad if it's moldy or has a strong cheese-like smell. This is an indication that it's decaying.
And yes, it's OK to eat the SCOBY, but this Kombucha expert stated that it's unclear what nutritional value it has. Some think it has concentrated amounts of good bacteria and yeast, while others think it's just a cellulose byproduct. There are recipes out there for SCOBY jellies, fruit, leather, and some people pop it into their smoothie, You Brew Kombucha wrote.
People in a Kombucha Reddit thread largely agreed that a SCOBY actually won't do all that well in a Twisted Tea because of the alcohol level and the fact that the tea might not have much yeast for the SCOBY to feed off.
Others had jokes.
"That’s the twisted part," a person said.
"Scoby snack," another joked.
The Daily Dot reached out to Wilson for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to Twisted Tea via email.
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