People, mainly millennials, drink kombucha for many reasons. Most drink it because it tastes so delicious. It’s bubbly, it looks beautiful and the flavors are endless. Oh yeah, and it’s incredibly healthy for you!

Maybe you were introduced to kombucha by a health-conscious friend who juices their own fruits and vegetables. Maybe it was that friend who is into meditation, yoga, and mindfulness. Sure, kombucha is healthy for you, but let’s not get away from the tastiness of this amazing beverage.

Keep in mind kombucha is made with organic products. And guess who’s snapping up organic products faster than anyone else? Millennials are purchasing more organic products than any other segment of the population.

Because it is so tasty, healthy and low in sugar, kombucha makes a great substitute for other typically high in sugar beverages. Kombucha is a functional beverage. Functional beverages are classified by the fact that while consuming them, they provide added benefits to your body.

Some companies are even using kombucha to recruit and appeal to millennials in their work environment by offering kombucha on tap. Not only are millennials flocking to their office spaces, but these organizations are demonstrating that they see the connection between gut health, overall health, and productivity.   

So, if you’re looking to build up your kombucha bar, or just looking to create a unique experience for your next get together, we’ve got you covered! Next time you’re having friends over and want to offer them a stocked bar to show off your mixology skills, kick the high sugar drinks out of the cupboard and bring on the booch!

Step 1: Take stock of what’s in a traditional bar setup.

Most bar setups include beer, wine, sugary soft drinks, and juices. Kombucha is a fermented beverage, which makes it a perfect alternative to these traditional bar essentials. Most bar setups also include fun glassware. Kombucha doesn’t belong in a bottle. It wants to be out socializing just like you, so don’t be afraid to serve your kombucha in one of these fancy glasses.  

Step 2: Get to know your kombucha

The basic ingredients in kombucha are water, tea, sugar, SCOBY and a little bit of starter liquid. Kombucha selection is diverse in terms of flavors that are added to the final drink, but it is even more complex when you look at tea. The world of tea is incredibly varied, including over 1,500 different varieties of tea worldwide. Each one of these teas gives kombucha a unique flavor and aroma.

Green Sencha tea gives grassy notes where green jasmine tea is more floral. Black tea is deep in flavor and some can be more bitter on the tongue. Herbal tea can be woody, floral, or fruity. So, when shopping for your bottles of kombucha, take note of what tea was used to make the kombucha.

Step 3: Substitute, substitute, substitute.

As we’ve seen in the range of kombucha, there are infinite ways to substitute or combine kombucha for traditional bar drinks.

The simplest way to add kombucha to your bar offering is to mix it with beer or wine. An IPA paired with a kombucha, flavored with hops and citrus, highlights the aromatics from both drinks. A wine spritzer made with a tropical kombucha is a great way to bring out the natural tropical notes in a sauvignon blanc.

If you’re looking to scrap the sodas in your bar setup, then look for kombucha with similar taste profiles. Substitute lemon-lime sodas with green tea based kombucha. Substitute colas with black tea based kombucha (there’s even root beer and cola flavored kombucha).

Whatever you substitute with kombucha, it provides guests with a refined, organic product that is interesting and tasty.

Step 4: Create inspiring cocktails or mocktails

Feel free to get creative here! Once you have stocked your bar with your selection of green tea, black tea, white tea, and herbal tea kombucha, it’s time to get mixing. Don’t be afraid to just dive in and experiment – that’s how many cocktails are born.

A few things to keep in mind. When mixing kombucha in a cocktail shaker or blender, the bubbles will escape, creating a smoother, less carbonated drink. If you want to keep the bubbles in your drink, then add kombucha after mixing the other ingredients. Simply top the cocktail or mocktail with kombucha. Either way, your guests will still get the health benefits of the kombucha!

To get you started, here are a couple of recipes you can mix up at your next gathering! Happy mixing!

Strawberry Basil Boocharita

Ingredients:

2 parts strawberry basil kombucha

½ part lime juice

½ part orange juice

1 part tequila (optional)

½ part Cointreau (optional)

Method:

Mix lime juice, orange juice, tequila and Cointreau in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into a margarita glass and top with strawberry basil kombucha. Feel free to garnish with a slice of lime, strawberry or basil leaves.

Singing Kanary

Ingredients:

2 parts citrus green tea kombucha

1 part pineapple juice

½ part Lime Juice

1 part vodka (optional)

Method:

Mix kombucha, pineapple juice, lime juice and vodka in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into a rocks glass with ice. Feel free to garnish with a slice of pineapple and one of those little umbrellas.

About the Author:

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.