Mix it Up

We were surprised when we got carded while buying some kombucha, that probiotic-packed sparkling fermented tea that’s good for your gut.

Certain formulas, we learned, are now subject to the same regulations as beer, wine and liquor if they contain more than 0.05% alcohol.

Research has shown that kombucha may help immunity and digestion. A new study has even linked probiotics to improved thinking and emotion.

We figured that if we’re getting a kick from our kombucha, why not go all the way (sometimes)? Our plan: kombucha cocktails.

We found a kindred spirit in Rich Awn, the founder of the kombucha blog and brand Mombucha (named after his mother, who first taught him how to brew his own kombucha).

“Kombucha is naturally carbonated and acidified, adding subtle sweetness and sourness without all that high-fructose corn syrup and other artificial nasties in soft drink mixers,” he says. “You might use it like cola—or even a traditional shrub or drinking vinegar.”

So ward off the winter bugs and blues with his Black Magic, a black tea-, coconut- and pineapple-flavored kombucha cocktail Awn created for us.