Kombucha-Vodka Cocktail

This is a kombucha-vodka cocktail and it is my latest obsession. Kombucha is a vastly popular fizzy fermented beverage made from tea that is refreshing but according to many, loaded with potential health benefits.  For those unfamiliar, kombucha is beverage made from sweetened tea (most commonly black tea) that has been fermented by a bacteria and yeast culture which infuses it with probiotics.

What most don’t know, is a small amount of alcohol (less than 0.5%) also forms during this fermentation process, which is why one often gets carded when buying it. Kombucha is absolutely everywhere these days, and its surge in popularity over the past few years has not gone unnoticed by many.

Both tea and probiotics have grown in popularity in recent years finding their way into more and more foods and beverages promoting better digestion and boosting metabolism.  Kombucha is marketed as doing both and it is now increasingly available everywhere from health food stores to swanky resort swim-up bars.

If you’re truly ambitious, you can even make it yourself at home. But truth-be-told, kombucha has actually been around for over 2000 years. First brewed in China, kombucha spread to Japan and then Russia. Its popularity in Europe did not come till in the early 20th century. The United States was late to the game and only paid attention to it once it was sold as a health and energy drink.

So with this popularity came my curiosity.  And what I found was a delicious ginger-lemon flavor that I fell in love with. Kombucha is also often loaded with sugar and caffeine, so if drinking regularly, be mindful of that. I’m not a big soda or juice drinker, so I’m not looking for an alternative daily beverage, but what I learned was how delicious kombucha was when mixed into a cocktail.

The effervescent aspect of kombucha mixed with vodka and freshly squeezed lemon juice was delightful, so much so that I had to blog about it.  So, whether you’re a kombucha lover or skeptic, this fresh, citrus kombucha-vodka cocktail is an absolute must-try this Spring.