With a new year comes new habits and resolutions. For many, it may mean dry January (this post is for you) or just cutting back a bit on drinking. I like to find healthier cocktail recipes that are lower in ABV but also have other benefits. One easy way to do this is by adding something you usually drink for health, like tea or Kombucha to a drink. Health-Ade sent me several of their products to mix up some kombucha cocktails. I came up with a few that I thought you would like as well.
What is kombucha?
You may not be familiar with kombucha. Or you might drink it all the time but not really know what it is. Kombucha is a fizzy fermented tea. It is made with a SCOBY, not unlike a sourdough bread starter, that helps with the fermentation process. SCOBY is short for a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The SCOBY is added to sweetened black or green tea in order to start the fermentation process. Making kombucha takes between 1-4 weeks. Several studies on Kombucha have found a variety of health benefits. The probiotics occurring in kombucha can help with better digestion, reduced cholesterol, and boosted immunity. These benefits might be slightly diminished by the alcohol in kombucha cocktails.
Pomegranate Whiskey Sour
I really liked all the kombucha cocktails I made, but I’ll start with my favorite. This is loosely based on a whiskey sour. I swapped out the simple syrup for dry curaçao and lemon juice for pomegranate kombucha. Because the sweetness is coming from the dry curaçao, instead of syrup, the cocktail is nicely balanced with only a hint of sweetness. The color is also quite pretty.
Pomegranate Whiskey Sour
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz whiskey
- 2 oz pomegranate kombucha
- 0.75 oz dry curaçao
Instructions
- Add whiskey and dry curaçao to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir 20 seconds and strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Top with the pomegranate kombucha and stir lightly. Serve.
Cherry Berry Margarita
Margaritas are the perfect recipe to mix flavors into. From spicy to watermelon, they all seem to work. For the kombucha margarita, I chose the Cherry Berry Health-Ade. It has the perfect level of tartness to balance the cocktail. I used Tapatio tequila, which is just delicious. The level of carbonation in this drink was also perfect.
Cherry Berry Margarita
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz tequila
- 0.75 oz lime juice
- 0.5 oz agave
- 2 oz cherry berry kombucha
Instructions
- Add the first three ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake 20 seconds and strain into a glass with ice.
- Top with the cherry berry kombucha and stir lightly.
Pomegranate Gin Fizz
For the final drink, we’re going to make a gin fizz riff. I made versions with both orange juice and lime juice. If you prefer sweeter drinks, use fresh squeezed orange juice. For those of you who aren’t gin fans, try this recipe with vodka instead. It’s a light and bright cocktail with a great, fizzy texture.
Pomegranate Gin Fizz
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz gin
- 1 oz lime juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 3 oz pomegranate kombucha
Instructions
- Add the first three ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake for 20-30 seconds until the tin is cold.
- Strain into a fizz glass with ice. Top with kombucha and garnish with dried fruit.
And there you have three tasty kombucha cocktails to bring health to your new year. If you can’t find these flavors of kombucha near you, check out Health-Ade’s website to order some. Cheers to a great year ahead!
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