Kombucha is all the rage these days. Get the recipe to make your own kombucha, plus recipes for 2 fun kombucha cocktails!
There’s an effervescent, healthy elixir that seems to be sweeping across the country. It’s called kombucha and everyone seems to be drinking it these days.
In the United States, commercial kombucha really took off in California around 2005. It has since then spread throughout the west coast and the ‘booch wave is now hitting the rest of the country in a big way.
Kombucha is basically fermented tea. The basic recipe for kombucha is as follows:
For a 1 Gallon Batch:
2-3 tablespoons loose tea (green, black or a mix of the two)
1 cup sugar (organic cane sugar is recommended)
13-14 cups water
2 cups starter tea/kombucha (from a store bought original, unflavoured kombucha)
1 scoby (3 ways to get a scoby)
Directions:
Heat water to desired temperature to brew tea. Brew tea and add sugar. Let cool to room temperature. Add starter tea/kombucha and scoby. Cover with a tightly woven cloth and secure with a rubber band. Wait 7-10 days, then drink or bottle!
It’s recommended to taste your kombucha after day 3 to get an idea as to the speed of fermentation. Initially the tea will taste sweet, gradually the tea will get more and more tangy.
Document when you bottle the kombucha so you can play around with the taste and bubbles in the future.
Once the basic kombucha is mastered, it’s time to get creative! Different flavoring agents and sweeteners are added in the second fermentation to give your kombucha your unique take.
This is a great time to use some of those herbs, plants and flowers from the garden. The combinations are endless: strawberry & mint, blueberry & rosemary, lavender & chamomile.
Other than drinking it straight, a great way to incorporate kombucha into your diet is through mocktails and cocktails! Kombucha makes a great substitute for mixers like pop and high sugar juices. Creating kombucha cocktails is also a great way to use those herbs, plants and flowers from the garden.
Garden Kombucha Sunrise
Ingredients:
2 sprigs of herbs
¼ of a lemon
1 ounce herb/ginger syrup*
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces lemon juice
2 ounces kombucha
Directions:
Place herbs, lemon, syrup, vodka and lemon juice in a cocktail mixer with ice. Shake for 15-20 seconds. Pour into a glass and top with kombucha.
Spicy Kombucha Spritzer
Ingredients:
1 cup white wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ounce herb/ginger syrup*
½ cup of ginger kombucha
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 20 seconds. Strain over a glass filled with ice.
*Herb/Ginger Syrup:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 sprig herb (rosemary, mint, basil)
Herb Syrup Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine ingredients and bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat. Steep for 20-30 minutes, then remove herbs and cool completely. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
About Drew Williams
Drew Williams is the co-founder of BOOCHFEST, the creator of the first International Kombucha
Festival BOOCHFEST is dedicated to sharing and celebrating kombucha with the world by
hosting kombucha events, competitions, contests and educational conferences all year round.
These cocktails would be perfect to start off a great weekend outdoors! They would be great to serve to family and friends, too!
The spicy kombucha spritzer looks good, I would definitely make this when I have friends are over.