If you hang around the ‘natural’ scene, you’re probably familiar with that funny fizzy drink they call kombucha. It’s been gaining popularity, and the large commercial brewer, GT’s, is everywhere these days. And it’s no wonder – the exotic bubbly tea is charming and RAW and utterly unique. But at a pricey $3 a bottle, it also costs a pretty penny for its pleasures.
And so, I’ve done what any industrious urban homesteader would do – I did it myself! DIY brew is pretty simple and totally economical, not to mention a boatload of fun. And of course, I think my homemade elixir is the very best I’ve had!
So I bet you’re thinking, ‘What is this stuff, and why would you want to drink it?’
Kombucha popped up in China over 2,000 years ago, and has been traveling the world in various incarnations ever since. The love-child of an affair between acetic acid bacteria and yeasts, it’s as if vinegar and beer made a baby. The yeast and bacteria co-exist in a culture called a SCOBY, which stands for ‘symbiotic colony of bacteria & yeast’. Clever, eh?
The SCOBY – sometimes mislabeled a ‘mushroom’– devours sugar and caffeine, and ferments the fluid around it. The resulting liquid is a complex tonic that carries all sorts of associated benefits. The RAW, living potion is packed with active enzymes, probiotics (the ‘good’ intestinal flora), amino acids, and energizing B vitamins. Kombucha is purported to improve digestion, increase metabolism, regulate hunger and blood sugar, detoxify the body, and strengthen the immune system. Unfortunately, there are no scientific studies to corroborate these claims.
All I know is, I feel great when I drink it!
I've enjoyed a straight-up kombucha pint, an elegant kombucha mimosa, and a glamorous kombucha cosmopolitan!
I love my kombucha (I named it Scoby-doo!) and I want to share the love with you! So check back soon for a complete, step-by-step guide to home brewing. ¡Viva Kombucha!
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