10 Mixes for Amazing Kombucha Cocktails

Kombucha drinks, anyone? The popular beverage is perfect for lots of libations! Let’s delve into some awesome kombucha cocktail recipes.

 

So What Exactly is Kombucha?

It's tea. Mostly. Specifically, kombucha is a time-honored fermented tea drink made by adding a mix of yeast and bacteria to sweetened green or black tea. The concoction sits for a few weeks, during which time the yeast and bacteria absorb the tea and create healthy acids, producing antioxidants and probiotics. That sounds pretty healthy. And it might be, but the health benefits of kombucha aren't yet settled science. What is for sure, sweet-and-sour kombucha is awesome for making cocktails.

 

Kombucha Bloody Mary

What would brunch be without Bloody Mary’s? But does that tradition have to be so traditional? Not if you mix in some kombucha. You have to be a little careful here; the sweetness of kombucha really isn't what you want in a good tangy Bloody Mary. Go with a more neutral flavor. An ideal ratio is two parts tomato juice, one-and-a-half parts kombucha, and one part vodka. Mix with chili powder, lemon-pepper, lime, horseradish, and dashes of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces as you would with a conventional Bloody Mary.

 

Kombucha Mojito

As the mint flavor is integral to a mojito, this is another one where it’s best to use a neutral flavor of kombucha. Though lemon-ginger kombucha pairs particularly well with mojitos. Combine mint leaves and sugar in a cocktail glass and grind them down with a wooden cocktail muddler. Squeeze in lime and muddle some more. Add two ounces of rum and stir in kombucha until the cocktail suits your taste.

 

Kombucha Colada

The pineapple-tastic flavor of a classic piña colada makes it perfect for a sweet infusion of kombucha. Just add pineapple-flavored kombucha to the mix in a two-to-one ratio to the coconut flavored liqueur Malibu Rum, along with pineapple juice, coconut cream, Maraschino cherries, and chunks of fresh pineapple. Blend in a blender until it's smooth, pour, and serve.

 

Ginger Kombucha Moscow Mule

Of course, a classic Moscow Mule should be served in a copper mug that brings a refreshing chill to your mouth with each sip; an amazing summertime cocktail. But Moscow Mules are still pretty tasty in regular glasses. Especially when made with ginger kombucha. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add in a generous shot of vodka, juice from half of a lime, and four ounces of ginger kombucha. Shake, pour into a mug filled with crushed ice and top the cocktail off with some more kombucha.

 

Kombucha Sangria

One of the wonderful things about making sangria is that there are no hard-and-fast rules. Mix up any wine you wish with a liqueur, a sweetener, and soda. Toss in a bunch of fruit and you have the quintessential summer refresher. In keeping with the fruitiness of sangria, you'll want to go with orange, cranberry, cherry, or mango-lime kombucha. Mix and serve over ice.

 

A New Old Fashioned

They don't call the classic cocktail an Old Fashioned for nothing—it's been around since the early 1800s. But adding kombucha is a new twist, all the better if you use ginger-lemon flavored. Mix the kombucha with orange juice, bourbon, maple syrup (or simple syrup) in a glass and stir. Pour over ice—in an Old Fashioned glass if you've got one—and savor.

 

Kombucha Mimosa

A classic mimosa is a pretty simple affair: champagne and orange juice. But it doesn't have to be; you can complicate mimosas with some awesome results. How about a pomegranate kombucha mimosa? Dust the rims of your glasses with coconut sugar for an extra sweet effect. Mix in pomegranate seeds, some orange juice, orange kombucha, top it with champagne, and garnish with fruit.

 

A Modern Mint Julep

No law says you have to wait for the Kentucky Derby to enjoy a Mint Julep, nor one that says you can't mix in some delicious kombucha. Muddle mint and sugar at the base of your glass. Add ice. Pour in some bourbon and top it off with kombucha—mint-lime flavor works best but you can go with any flavor of kombucha you're fond of.

 

Kombucha Martini

Martini purists will scoff at this one—just imagine James Bond ordering his "shaken-not-stirred" martini with kombucha! But 007 has probably never tried a lemongrass martini. Fill a martini shaker with ice, pour in your vodka (or gin), and juice from half a lemon. Shake, pour, and top off with lemongrass kombucha. You may never go back to traditional martinis again!

Sure, there are lots more. The possibilities of kombucha mixed drinks are limited only by your imagination. So, will your next cocktail have kombucha?

Written by William McCleary for Knockaround.