Nourish
COULD KOMBUCHA-BASED MOCKTAILS BE THE NEXT BIG THING?
Not so long ago, ordering a non-alcoholic beverage meant getting a club soda with a sad wedge of lime in it. We’re thrilled to say that there’s a major shift happening. Lately, restaurants around the country have been creating mocktails with the same lens they use to make the “real” thing, using ingredients like herbs and fresh juices to get nuanced (and delicious) results.
Inspired by the trend, we turned to Sam Ueda, who heads up the bar program at Afuri, a wildly popular Japanese restaurant that was just named one of Bon Appetit magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurants. We knew Sam could whip up a delicious mocktail any day of the week, so to make the challenge more intriguing we asked him to use kombucha as a base. Knowing that Sam is as big a fan as we are of Brew Dr.’s raw, tea-based kombuchas, we asked him to choose two of their flavors and let the creative juices flow. (Turns out he took that part literally—both of his mocktails feature fresh juice!) Both are so fantastic that the B3 home office team can’t pick a favorite, but we can agree on one thing: We’ll take these over club soda and lime any day.
LA ZANA
Sam’s note: This one is a daiquiri-style mocktail with a splash of kombucha for fizz. I call it La Zana because zanahoria is carrot in Spanish.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. fresh carrot juice
.5 oz. lime
.5 oz. agave syrup (2 parts agave to 1 part water)
3 dashes of orange bitters
1.5 oz. of Brew Dr. Ginger Turmeric kombucha
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a cocktail shaker, combine everything except the kombucha and shake.
- Add the kombucha to the shaker, and then strain into a martini glass. The carrot really pops, and it’s great on a hot day!
SAUVIE’S SWIZZLE
Sam’s note: I love tiki drinks, so this was a fun one. Bonus: It’s got healthy juices! You’ll need a big glass for this, or double it up and throw it in a flower vase or a large vessel with straws and have a friend over! It’s named after my favorite beach in Portland.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
1 oz. fresh bell pepper juice (orange or yellow)
.5oz. grapefruit juice
.75 oz. honey syrup (2 parts honey to 1 part water)
.75 oz. lime
5 dashes Angostura bitters
3 oz. Brew Dr. Clear Mind kombucha
Nutmeg
Fresh mint
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a cocktail shaker, shake all ingredients except kombucha with crushed ice
- Add the kombucha and pour the drink directly into a glass. Add more ice crushed ice on tip to give the garnishes a place to “sit.”
- Garnish with grated nutmeg and a mint sprig. Cinnamon works in place of nutmeg if needed.
Not so long ago, ordering a non-alcoholic beverage meant getting a club soda with a sad wedge of lime in it. We’re thrilled to say that there’s a major shift happening. Lately, restaurants around the country have been creating mocktails with the same lens they use to make the “real” thing, using ingredients like herbs and fresh juices to get nuanced (and delicious) results.
Inspired by the trend, we turned to Sam Ueda, who heads up the bar program at Afuri, a wildly popular Japanese restaurant that was just named one of Bon Appetit magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurants. We knew Sam could whip up a delicious mocktail any day of the week, so to make the challenge more intriguing we asked him to use kombucha as a base. Knowing that Sam is as big a fan as we are of Brew Dr.’s raw, tea-based kombuchas, we asked him to choose two of their flavors and let the creative juices flow. (Turns out he took that part literally—both of his mocktails feature fresh juice!) Both are so fantastic that the B3 home office team can’t pick a favorite, but we can agree on one thing: We’ll take these over club soda and lime any day.
LA ZANA
Sam’s note: This one is a daiquiri-style mocktail with a splash of kombucha for fizz. I call it La Zana because zanahoria is carrot in Spanish.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. fresh carrot juice
.5 oz. lime
.5 oz. agave syrup (2 parts agave to 1 part water)
3 dashes of orange bitters
1.5 oz. of Brew Dr. Ginger Turmeric kombucha
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a cocktail shaker, combine everything except the kombucha and shake.
- Add the kombucha to the shaker, and then strain into a martini glass. The carrot really pops, and it’s great on a hot day!
SAUVIE’S SWIZZLE
Sam’s note: I love tiki drinks, so this was a fun one. Bonus: It’s got healthy juices! You’ll need a big glass for this, or double it up and throw it in a flower vase or a large vessel with straws and have a friend over! It’s named after my favorite beach in Portland.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
1 oz. fresh bell pepper juice (orange or yellow)
.5oz. grapefruit juice
.75 oz. honey syrup (2 parts honey to 1 part water)
.75 oz. lime
5 dashes Angostura bitters
3 oz. Brew Dr. Clear Mind kombucha
Nutmeg
Fresh mint
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a cocktail shaker, shake all ingredients except kombucha with crushed ice
- Add the kombucha and pour the drink directly into a glass. Add more ice crushed ice on tip to give the garnishes a place to “sit.”
- Garnish with grated nutmeg and a mint sprig. Cinnamon works in place of nutmeg if needed.
