Ring in the holidays with a refreshing and delicious low alcohol cocktail. A twist on the traditional Americana Cocktail using kombucha for a little extra gut health love. The perfect light, tasty, fresh cocktail for a holiday party!
I am about to let you in on a little secret. This is the first cocktail recipe on Abra's Kitchen, but it is definitely not the first cocktail I've ever made. I spent almost 10 years working as a bartender in Greenwich Village in NYC. I am a bartender turned nutritionist. More accurately a singer/performer (musical theater) turned bartender, turned nutritionist, oh and I guess most, accurately nutritionist + food blogger.
I have made thousands of cocktails, lit-rally thousands (said in a strong British accent).
I was pretty good at it too.
Since I hung up my bartender shoes many moons ago, I have taken a huge step back from creating creative libations. Until, on a whim, I poured kombucha into a cocktail.
Um… you should probably stop reading this right now and just pour yourself a kombucha cocktail so you understand the immense love I am feeling right now.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha, or “booch” if you are in the know 😉 is a fermented, effervescent, slightly alcoholic tea beverage. Known as a “functional beverage”, kombucha is made by fermenting tea using a bacteria and yeast “Scoby” called the mother or mushroom. None of that sounds very appealing, and when I tasted my very first Kombucha years ago I brought it to customer service at Whole Foods and told them it was bad. Customer service said, “no, that's just kombucha”.
I have since become a HUGE booch fan, loving craving, obsessing over when I will get my next “booch” fix.
How to Make the BEST Kombucha Cocktail
- This cocktail is a spin-off of the classic “Americana” cocktail. Traditionally made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. I simply replaced the club soda with kombucha, added a splash of fresh orange juice and garnished with fresh orange and thyme.
- Campari is an aperitif made from the infusion of fresh herbs and fruit. Campari is characterized as “bitters” and supportive for digestion. It is also lower in alcohol, typically around 20%. Combining sweet vermouth, also an herbal infusion, with Campari is a traditional base for many cocktails including a negroni and a boulevardier.
- Don't forget the garnish! Fresh thyme is the perfect counterpart to this herbaceous, slightly bitter beverage.
What Kind of Kombucha Should I Use for a Cocktail?
- I used Health-Ade's plain variety but I tested the recipe with over 4 other flavors. I ended up preferring plain and allowing the herbaceous vermouth, and bitter Campari to shine. However, a close second was the Health-Ade's Holiday blend and the GTS Synergy brand Euphoria blend of pomegranate, cayenne, and ginger. Honestly, I think just about any flavor of kombucha would work in this cocktail.
Why You Should Add Kombucha to your Cocktail
- Kombucha is a great addition to just about any cocktail, it is effervescent, filled with flavor, and already very slightly alcoholic so it blends perfectly.
- Kombucha is fantastic for gut health (it's fermented and all, ya dig! You can read all about fermentation benefits here), why not add a little bit of gut support to your cocktail!
- Create a low alcohol beverage. I am not the booze police, but I am a big fan of low alcohol cocktails. Personally, I prefer them for many reasons. Lower alcohol equals less detrimental health impact. It's as simple as that.
I hope you LOVE this cocktail as much as I do! Would you like more cocktails from the Abra bartending archives? I was thinking about doing a series of low alcohol or “healthier” cocktails in the new year.
MORE HEALTHY-ISH COCKTAIL/MOCKTAIL RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
The Best Kombucha Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth
- 4 ounces Kombucha I prefer plain
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Garnish
- orange slice
- fresh thyme
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker combine ice, Campari, sweet vermouth, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Shake until well combined and ice.
- Pour into a glass filled with fresh ice and top with plain Kombucha (about 1/4-1/3 cup of kombucha per glass).
- Garnish with an orange slice. Slice orange in large rounds and spear 3 sprigs of thyme into the center of the orange. Place orange in center of glass so it floats.
Notes
- I used Health-Ade's plain kombucha for this recipe but also tested it with pomegranate, lemon cayenne, and GTS Synergy Euphoria (cayenne, ginger, pomegranate combo). They all worked very well, but plain was my favorite.
Pin this to your Healthier Cocktail Board!
Dana Suss says
Genius!!! So creative. So excited to try this for the holidays!
Billy says
Thanks for sharing this! I think this is definitely a good way to make a cocktail and have it be semi healthy at the same time! Can’t wait to try this at home.
AbraPappa says
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you love the cocktail 🙂