Kombucha Winter Sangria

Kombucha is a slightly effervescent fermented tea. Here in North America those of us who follow modern diets tend to miss out on anything fermented. The fermenting process changes the components of a food or drink, leading to an item high in probiotics and other nutrients. From a digestive and nutritional point of view we can all benefit from consuming probiotic rich food because the good bacteria helps to balance out the bacteria in our large intestines (colons), a.k.a. our gut flora, so that the potentially bad guys (like Candida) don’t go on a rampage and start causing health issues. The proper balance of this intestinal flora has a great effect on our health in many areas, ranging from our energy levels to the strength of our immune systems. Some other more well known fermented foods are kimchi, sauerkraut, raw apple cider vinegar, yogurt, wine and miso- but the key is that lots of those available in our stores have been so processed that a significant portion of the delicate probiotics have been killed off. Ideally we would all have a little home brewery station for kombucha and make raw sauerkraut from scratch regularly, but a good place to start is trying what is readily available and incorporating anything you find that you like into your diet. Due to the fermentation process, all kombucha has a small amount of naturally occurring alcohol. It is too minor to be listed on the label but too much can lead to some giggles, similar to a light champagne drunk. Generally it is advised not to have more than one cup per day, exceeding this hinders the medicinal benefits.
Kombucha has become more popular in the past couple years so most health foods and more and more grocery stores carry quite an assortment of flavors and brands. The store bought varieties are all a bit stronger tasting than homemade versions and they definitely require an open mind. Like all fermented food they have a slight sour taste and most of them have a hint of vinegar. My favorite brand is GT’s Kombucha and they have lots of options, some even have juice mixed in so the kombucha itself is less prominent and some are loaded up with chia seeds, making for a killer pre-workout energy boost. The trick is to get ones that are still in their raw state, so avoid labels that say “pasteurized”, these brands probably won’t be in the refrigerated section with the raw ones. Pasteurization is a common sterilization practice (often made mandatory by the government) which heats the product up to high levels that kill off the bacteria- but in kombucha the bacteria is the kind we want. That being said, don’t go trying homemade versions from a kitchen that does not have proper safety measures in place, fermenting does require diligence and attention to detail to be done well and properly.

There are a few flavors of kombucha that taste reminiscent of red wine, they are grape (obviously) and cranberry but my other favorite is ginger. For this sangria I combined one bottle of ginger with one bottle of cranberry then added in two cups of fresh apple juice to neutralize the sharpness of the kombucha and make it sweeter like a traditional sangria. The types of fruit matter too much, they come down to personal preference but the pear, orange and pomegranates are all good seasonal options. Fresh cranberries and grapefruits are also seasonally available and frozen grapes can substitute for the blueberries. Just make sure the fruits are appealing enough to be eaten afterward, that’s an extra health benefit to this drink. It can be made a few hours in advance, this will make the flavor of the spices more prominent and marinate the fruit, just be sure to cover the pitcher very tightly so that the kombucha doesn’t go flat. It is still good on the second day as well, it will be a bit sweeter but completely flat and the fruits will be very well marinated.