HI, KOMBUCHA LOVER It’s true we just met, but there’s an elephant in the room. Or more like a gelatinous blob. And we need to talk about it before deciding if we’re going to make delicious kombucha together. It’s the SCOBY. • If the thought of a SCOBY makes your stomach turn a little, see here to understand where your future friend is coming from. • If you’re already down with your SCOBY, jump to here to make your first master kombucha tea. • If you and your SCOBY have made a lifelong commitment, start experimenting with healthy and flavorful infusions here. Happy brewing! Copyright © 2015 by Rockridge Press, Berkeley, California No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 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Photography © 2015 by Shannon Oslick Illustrations © 2015 by Tom Bingham ISBN: Print 978-1-62315-475-2 | eBook 978-1-62315-476-9 CONTENTS Hi, Kombucha Lover Foreword I AN EXPLORATION OF BUBBLY GOODNESS CHAPTER 1 KOMBUCHA FOR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS CHAPTER 2 YOUR KOMBUCHA KITCHEN CHAPTER 3 YOUR FIRST BREW II NOURISHING KOMBUCHA RECIPES CHAPTER 4 QUICK MIXES Ginger Kombucha Vanilla Kombucha Blush Rose Kombucha Peach Kombucha Lassi Chia Kombucha Refresca Hibiscus Kombucha Cooler Crisp Apple-Orange Kombucha CHAPTER 5 EFFERVESCENT INFUSIONS Lemonade Kombucha Orange-Fennel Kombucha Cherry Faux Soda Blackberry Zinger Pomegranate Kombucha Blueberry-Ginger Kombucha Peach Blush Kombucha Mint Kombucha Chamomile-Lemon Kombucha Lavender-Mint Kombucha Watermelon-Jalapeño Kombucha Tart Citrus-Rosemary Kombucha Razzpeary-Ginger Kombucha Elderberry-Spiced Kombucha Chile-Lime Kombucha Root Beer Kombucha Spiced Kombucha Juniper-Citrus Kombucha Hoppy Kombucha Mango-Cayenne Kombucha Tangerine Kombucha Blackberry-Sage Kombucha CHAPTER 6 JUICES Cran-Apple Kombucha Juice Ginger-Pear-Pineapple Kombucha Juice Cantaloupe-Basil Kombucha Fresca Grape Kombucha Juice Açai Berry Burst Kombucha Juice Salted-Grapefruit Kombucha Juice Orange Kombucha Juice Minted Apple Cider Kombucha Carrot-Beet Cleanse Kombucha Tangerine-Carrot Kombucha CHAPTER 7 BLENDED DRINKS Blueberry-Lime Kombucha Smoothie Mango-Lemon Kombucha Smoothie Fruity Kale Kombucha Smoothie Strawberry-Banana Kombucha Smoothie Green Dream Kombucha Smoothie Strawberry-Papaya Kombucha Smoothie Pineapple-Mint Kombucha Smoothie Coconut-Strawberry Kombucha Smoothie CHAPTER 8 HEALTHY MOCKTAILS Kombucha Margarita Piña Komlada ’Buch Bloody Mary Kombucha Fizz Raspberry-Mint Kombucha Mojito Cinnamon-Cherry Kombucha Mocktail Fruity Lemon Kombucha Mocktail Faux Gin and Tonic Kombucha Shandy Kombucha & Soda Oolongtini Kombucha Kosmo Appendix A: The Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen Appendix B: Measurement Conversions Resources References About the Author Also in the DIY Series FOREWORD Every kombucha brewer has an origin story. I refer to mine as the pear fiasco, but it could equally be called the pear miracle. Five years ago I started my kombucha business in San Francisco. In the beginning, I sold my brew at farmers’ markets and depended on those sales to keep brewing. My clientele gave me flack because I used white sugar in my kombucha, which I now know is absolutely irreplaceable. But I was a novice trying to get my business off the ground, so I went looking for a sugar alternative. A local farmer told me to try using pears since their natural sugar content is quite high. He gave me four boxes of overly ripe pears and I got to boiling and puréeing them right away. I won’t mince words: substituting pear sauce for sugar resulted in an undrinkable bucket of tea. However, I had an inspiration. I added the pear sauce to a finished batch of regular kombucha made with gunpowder green tea, a smoky tea that is perfectly balanced by the pears. I didn’t find a way around using sugar, but I managed to create a new, delicious brew. Smoked Pear sold out everywhere we introduced it. But there were two big problems. The sugar from the pears caused bottles to explode upon opening and the numerous boxes of ripe pears in our tiny space compounded preexisting fruit fly issues. The stress of trying to meet demand, manage the fruit flies, and attend to customer complaints got to me. With both relief and regret, we put an end to Smoked Pear, the inspired and beloved brew that put the House Kombucha name on the map, but almost broke me in the process. Your kombucha journey is about to begin. There will be successes and failures. Hopefully there will be a lot of experimentation, too. Follow the instructions and recipes laid out in these pages just enough to figure out how to deviate from them. For me, making kombucha has involved a whole lot of trial and error, and a whole lot of luck. I am grateful to have been able to grow my business each year, but I can assure you of this: nothing tastes better than your homemade batch. Try as we may, no commercial producer can guarantee that each piece of fruit we use is perfectly ripened. As a do-it-yourself home brewer, you can ensure that only the best ingredients go into your kombucha. From my family’s kitchen to yours, may your homemade brews be filled with new experiences, rich tastes and smells, and may they serve as catalysts for your own unique stories. Rana Chang Owner/Founder, House Kombucha