Cherry Vanilla

Inspired by its soft drink counterpart, our Cherry Vanilla is just as fizzy, but with far less sugar, and it uses only organic, all-natural ingredients. The flavor is soft and sweet with a touch of tart. It's an absolutely delicious booch to drink on its own—or as part of a kombucha float! Read on to see how you can make your own version!

Tea Base: Sencha + Assam (5 tbsps of loose-leaf total, in equal parts of each tea, per 1 gallon of spring water)
Second ferment ingredients (per 12 oz bottle): Vanilla bean pulp (1/2 tsp); Organic black cherry concentrate (1/2 tbsp).

Process:
Brew your kombucha to your usual tart/sweet preference. We fermented this one a bit more on the tart side, since we knew that the vanilla and cherry will be adding a nice dose of sweetness to the finished product.

For this recipe, we used a black cherry concentrate, which is a convenient ingredient to have around, if you plan on doing many cherry-flavored batches. It stores really well in your fridge, and you need to leave it out at room temp for only about an hour to warm it up. However, you can also use fresh cherries, cherry juice or frozen cherries that you've defrosted.

For the vanilla, we used the pulp from fresh Madagascar vanilla beans, which you can get at any market. We've experimented with vanilla oil in the past, but found with this recipe, that nothing is quite as satisfying as fresh vanilla beans. Simply slice the bean in half length-wise (using a sharp knife) and scrape out the pulp.

Once you're ready to bottle, get a funnel and your bottle of choice, and add the cherry concentrate, as well as the vanilla beans. Pour in your finished kombucha, seal tightly, label and date, and set in your kitchen cabinet for about 4 days.

The result will be a smooth brew with cherry and vanilla swirling beautifully together. Remember: There will be bits of vanilla pulp floating around, so be sure to strain them out before serving, if you prefer your booch pulp-free. This is a great brew to pair with coconut-based or any other nondairy ice cream! If you're just starting your home-brewing journey, be sure to check out our selection of home-brewing essentials, including kits and scobys!

If you're just starting your home-brewing journey, be sure to check out our selection of home-brewing essentials, including kits and scobys!