NO! You wouldn't shake a beer or a soda, so don't shake your kombucha. If you see bits of mystery ingredients settled at the bottom of your kombucha bottle, those are naturally-occuring bacteria that make kombucha kombucha.

Do you drink the stuff at the bottom of kombucha?

You won't miss out on any health benefits by doing so. “It's not required that you consume it,” Dave explains. “It's not like that is the nucleus of health and wellness of the beverage. It's more just a visual cue [that the kombucha was properly produced].”

Why shouldnt you shake kombucha?

It's recommended you don't shake kombucha before opening it because it's a carbonated drink and can explode if shaken up before opening. You can however stir or swirl kombucha before opening to distribute the healthy bacteria and yeast sediment that sometimes settles at the bottom of the bottle.