Ginger Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail

This kombucha mocktail is a tasty non-alcoholic cocktail that's perfect for the holidays. It brings healthy kombucha together with festive cranberry juice and a bit of fiery ginger ale. For a bit of extra pizzazz, I've made some simple cranberry and rosemary ice cubes to make these mocktails extra special. 

Recipe commissioned by BRITA. 

Christmas and New Years are the time of being merry, but that certainly doesn't have to mean alcohol.

I love having some nice mocktails ready for parties and get togethers.

Plus, any guests drinking can add a shot of spirit if they prefer.

This Christmas mocktail has tasty berry kombucha, cranberry juice and ginger ale to make it both festive and delicious. 

Also, I really enjoy testing mocktails recipes, so when BRITA asked me to come up with a festive mocktail using kombucha made with filtered water, I jumped at the chance.

This Ginger Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail recipe is full of flavour and also some extra goodness from the kombucha.

Ginger and cranberry are wonderfully festive flavours and they work beautifully together in this drink.

A sprig of rosemary is optional but adds a nice fragrance and contrasting colour. 

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented tea that's widely regarded as a probiotic and good for our guts.

It's made with tea (caffeinated or herbal), brewed in filtered water with sugar, which is then left in a jar with a scoby (symbiotic culture of acetic acid - a gelatinous bacterial and yeast mass that gives the drink it's goodness) for a week or so to brew. 

The results are a probiotic-rich slightly fizz and sweet drink with properties beneficial to gut health. You can drink it on its own, or enjoy it in a festive mocktail!

The brewing process for kombucha does result in a tiny bit of alcoholic content, but it's very very minimal and about the level of a non-alcoholic beer. 

Cranberry and Rosemary Ice Cubes

Christmas is a time for a bit of fun and frivolity, so I thought I'd also jazz up the ice cubes for these mocktails.

Simply pour filtered water into an ice cube tray and add a few fresh cranberries and sprigs of rosemary. Let them freeze and pop them into your drink!

They look great in the glass and are a super simple way to make a mocktail recipe extra special.

These ice cubes would also be perfect for my Cranberry Pomegranate Cosmopolitan Cocktail or Mulled Wine Spritzer. 

You'll need to make the kombucha for this recipe, which is super easy, but it does take a bit of no-effort time.

You just need to put it all together and then ignore it for a week. But your patience shall be rewarded with a healthy tonic with a subtle sweet flavour and a gentle fizz. 

You'll also need to procure a scoby. It's an alien-like gelatinous mass.

I borrowed mine from a kombucha-fanatic friend, but you can also get it online. Try amazon or a health food shop. 

To make this Ginger Cranberry Kombucha Christmas Mocktail recipe you will need: 

For the kombucha

• 1 litre jar (sterilise it in the dishwasher)
• tea towel
• filtered water
• white sugar
• berry tea bags (or green or black tea)
• scoby (try online or a health food shop)
• kombucha 

For the ice cubes (optional)

• ice cube tray
• cranberries
• rosemary
• filtered water

For the mocktail

• kombucha
• cranberry juice
• ginger ale
• rosemary, to garnish

How to make kombucha - step by step tutorial

Step 1: Bring half the filtered water to the boil and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add the tea bags, remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes to brew, then add the remaining cold filtered water. Stir and leave until cold.

Step 2: Remove the tea bags and pour the cooled tea into the jar.

Step 3: Place the scoby (shown above) into the jar and pour in the kombucha (a small amount of premade kombucha is needed to get it started).

Step 4: Cover the open jar with a tea towel and leave it in a warm room for 7 days.
 

Step 5: Remove the scoby and your kombucha recipe can be enjoyed! Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Kombucha tips 

• Kombucha scoby - this is a gelatinous mass that gives kombucha it’s fizz and goodness. You can buy it online or make your own by buying a bottle of raw unpasturised kombucha, pour it into a jar with a little bit of sugar and leave it for a month to form. You can then use the scoby again and again for your homemade kombucha.
• It’s important to use filtered water to remove any chlorine that could affect the scoby (I use the BRITA Style water filter jug)
• The purpose of covering with a muslin cloth or tea towel is to keep out any fruit flies or bugs who would love a sip!
• Leave it with the lid off otherwise it will build up gas and could pop!
• Leave your jar to ferment for a minimum of 1 week. If you can leave it a few days longer then it will get more acidic and less sweet which is great too.
• Do not leave the jar in direct sunlight.
• The fermentation process is faster during hot weather.
• The scoby feeds on the sugar, so don’t worry about having to add it. After a week of fermenting, most of the sugar is ‘digested’ by the scoby.
• Enjoy it on it's own or in this tasty kombucha mocktail.

BRITA filtered water

I used my BRITA water filter jug for the kombucha, and it's widely recommended that filtered water is used for making your own kombucha. 

Tap water typically contains chlorine, which can kill the live bacteria in the scoby.

However, filtering tap water in a BRITA removes chlorine, limescale and other impurities.

Also, I have very hard water where I live, so using my filter jug makes it taste great through their unique filtration system. It's also really convenient and I love that filtering my tap water at home means I can fill up a reusable bottle and have great tasting water out and about.

Get the Ginger Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail Recipe

Ginger Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

This kombucha mocktail is a tasty non-alcoholic cocktail that's perfect for the holidays. It brings healthy kombucha together with festive cranberry juice and a bit of fiery ginger ale. For a bit of extra pizzazz, I've made some simple cranberry and rosemary ice cubes to make these mocktails extra special.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Freezing 58 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American, International

Servings 1

Calories 34 kcal

Ingredients

 

Per cocktail

• Ice
• ¼ cup (75ml) kombucha {recipe below}
• ¼ cup (75ml) cranberry juice
• Ginger ale

To garnish

• Cranberries
• Sprigs of rosemary

For the kombucha

• 4 cups (1 litre) filtered water divided (filtering the water is important so there’s no chlorine in it which would affect the live yeast bacterial cultures)
• 5 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 berry tea bags , you can also use standard black tea or green tea
• 6 oz plain raw unpasturised kombucha (you can buy a bottle from a health food shop)
• 1 scoby (see notes)

For the cranberry rosemary ice cubes

• filtered water
• handful of raw cranberries
• sprigs of rosemary

Instructions

 

For the cranberry rosemary ice cubes (optional)

• Pour the filtered water into an ice cube tray and add a few cranberries and a sprig of rosemary to each section. Freeze until solid.

For the mocktails

• Fill glasses with the cranberry ice cubes. Add the kombucha (recipe below), cranberry juice and top up with ginger ale. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

For the kombucha

• Bring half (2 cups / 500ml) of the filtered water to the boil and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add the tea bags, remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes to brew, then add the other 500ml of cold BRITA filtered water. Stir and leave until cold.
• Remove the tea bags and pour the tea into a 1L glass jar, then place the scoby into the jar (it should float near the top) and pour the kombucha in.
• Leave the jar with the lid off and cover the jar with a tea towel or muslin cloth and elastic band and leave it out of direct sunlight in a warm room (20C/70F is ideal) for 7 days.
• Remove the scoby. To store it, place it into a bowl covered in some of the kombucha (this will be the starter for your next batch).
  The rest is ready to be enjoyed! Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Notes

Kombucha tips 

• For the kombucha scoby - this is a gelatinous mass that gives kombucha it’s fizz and goodness. You can buy it online or make your own by buying a bottle of raw unpasturised kombucha, pour it into a jar with a little bit of sugar and leave it for a month to form. You can then use the scoby again and again for your homemade kombucha. 
• It’s important to use filtered water to remove any chlorine that could affect the scoby (I use a BRITA water filter jug)
• The purpose of covering with a muslin cloth or tea towel is to keep out any fruit flies or bugs who would love a sip!
• Leave your jar to ferment for a minimum of 1 week. If you can leave it a few days longer then it will get more acidic and less sweet which is great too.
• Leave it with the lid off otherwise it will build up gas and could pop!
• Do not leave the jar in direct sunlight.
• The fermentation process is faster during hot weather.
• The scoby feeds on the sugar, so don’t worry about having to add it. After a week of fermenting, most of the sugar is ‘digested’ by the scoby.

Nutrition

Calories: 34kcalCarbohydrates: 9gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 57mgSugar: 9gVitamin C: 6.9mgIron: 0.2mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

Disclosure: This Christmas Kombucha Mocktail recipe was commissioned by BRITA. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to write Veggie Desserts.