By Jennifer Updated: . First published: . This post may contain affiliate links. 52 Comments
Back in the day I was somewhat of a Sarsaparilla and Root Beer junkie. I wasn’t grabbing a Mug or A&W root beer. No, no. I was going super gourmet and finding small batch brews with unique flavors. I used to have access to fresh brewed Sarsparilla and it sort of spoiled me. Seriously. Nothing like it.
Aside from my love of root beer and the like, I was not a big soda drinker. So it wasn’t *that* hard to give it up once I made the switch to a real food/unprocessed lifestyle. But every so often, I would get a deep yearning for some old fashioned Sarsaparilla or Root Beer.
I have been making fermented beverages for a few years now but had not mastered the art of making probiotic rich root beer. I tried again recently but wasn’t very impressed with the results. But then, a little light bulb came on.
Why not make Root Beer Kombucha or Sarsaparilla Kombucha?
So I did.
And the sun shown down so brightly that day because the universe knew that I had just created a life changing kombucha.
I suppose I could have looked up some recipe ideas online but being impatient for the glorious taste of Sarsaparilla, I tried the path of least resistance and came up with a winner!
Now – part of the reason why this tasted so amazing is that my base Kombucha is made from an incredible tea blend. I am not sure how great this would taste if your tea blend produces a strongly flavored kombucha. My kombucha is pretty mild, easy to drink plain, and agreeable to a wide variety of second ferment flavor combinations. It soaks up the flavors added to it very well! (If you want to try the tea blend I use, head over to my affiliate partner Kombucha Kamp and pick up a bag of Hannah’s Tea Blend. I promise you will not regret it!)
Ok – back to the Sarsaparilla Kombucha. You ready for the simplest recipe on earth? Here you go!
Looking for a fun and deliciously unique spin on kombucha? Love the flavors of root beer and sarsaparilla? Then you simply must try your hand at making my game-changing root beer kombucha and sarsaparilla kombucha.
Add the sarsaparilla root to the water and let it steep for 30 minutes
Strain the root out of the water
Allow the sarsaparilla water to cool to room temperature
Sarsaparilla Kombucha
Pour the sarsaparilla root water into your second fermenting vessel (I like to use these flip top bottles)
Add up to 16 ounces of Kombucha.
Put in a dark spot and allow to ferment another day or two. This simply increases the carbonation. You can also put it in the fridge and let it sit for a few days as well. I find it taste great either way.
Root Beer Kombucha Infusion
Put the sarsaparilla root and wintergreen leaf in a medium pot.
Add the filtered water and turn on high heat.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove herbs.
While warm, add the sugar and molasses and stir until dissolved. Add in the vanilla and lime juice and stir.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
This will create enough root beer infusion to use in a LOT of second ferments. Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Root Beer Kombucha
Add ½ cup of the root beer infusion to every 12-16 ounces of kombucha.
You can leave the second ferment out for a few days until it gets the carbonation you like. Alternatively, you can put it in the fridge and drink it after a few days.
I like to add a few raisins and a wee slice of ginger to the bottle I am putting the Root Beer Kombucha in. It seems to add something to it. But it tastes great without it as well!
Notes
You can adapt this recipe to fit whatever size bottles you do your second ferments in. The end product will be light in color. It won’t look like Sarsaparilla but it will sure have a wonderful taste!
This nutritional information was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circ*mstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Give one or both of these recipes a try and let me know what you think!
To get started, we recommend selecting a flavor profile you typically enjoy. If you're a fan of tropical fruits, try SYNERGY Mystic Mango or SYNERGY Guava Goddess. For those who prefer more tart beverages, try SYNERGY Gingerade or SYNERGY Trilogy.
Mango makes a great pairing with kombucha because it tones down some of the tartness commonly associated with kombuchas. Brewing hard fruit kombuchas requires sugar for an extended fermentation period, and mango puree is a great addition of a fruit for fermentation of these sugars.
You can use fruit in any form: whole, cut, pureed, fresh, frozen, etc. Our favourite fruit to flavour a bottle (750ml) of kombucha are: 60ml (¼ cup) pineapple chunks. 60ml (¼ cup) crushed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
The beauty of it is that it can be reused endlessly! Once you've finished fermenting your kombucha, simply recuperate the scoby and store it to start a new kombucha recipe. The easiest way to store a kombucha scoby is to start a new fermentation just after bottling.
With proper care, SCOBYs can last many generations. But when you see excessive, dark yeast growth on a SCOBY layer, or if it starts producing Kombucha that tastes bad or overly acidic, it's time to get a new one.
Some people may experience digestive upset when drinking kombucha, or from drinking too much. Symptoms such as gas, nausea, and vomiting may occur. These side effects may be more likely in people who drink too much kombucha.
Yes!If you are a little groggy in the morning and it takes you a while to get going, a glass of kombucha can give you a natural boost. Since it's made from tea, it contains caffeine and is a great source of energy to start the day. In fact, due to its low caffeine content, kombucha is a perfect substitute for coffee.
A lot of people think it's fine to use flavorings because a flavored batch of first fermented kombucha can often yield good kombucha at least a few times. But it's the long-term that's a problem. Sometimes problems won't manifest immediately.
One tip to keep in mind is that many people find that kombucha does not pair well with foods that are already higher in acidity because the flavor can become lost or overpowered.
Berries, particularly strawberries and raspberries, are some of my favorite flavor additions for kombucha. Peaches or nectarines are divine. Although it is possible to dice these fruits up finely and funnel them into the bottle, this is perhaps not the best method.
During kombucha fermentation, a pellicle will form on the surface or air-liquid barrier. This little (or sometimes very big if left alone) membrane has become the face of kombucha, sometimes referred to as the mother, mushroom, baby, or simply SCOBY.
If you are provided measurements in cups rather than ounces, just know that you will need 1.5 cups of kombucha starter tea per gallon. One cup per gallon is often sold to use for a gallon batch, don't settle for this.
Batch Size: To increase or decrease the amount of kombucha you make, maintain the basic ratio of 1 cup of sugar, 8 bags of tea, and 2 cups starter tea per gallon batch. One scoby will ferment any size batch, though larger batches may take longer.
If you feed it too much, the culture will be too dilute and the scoby will take longer to form. If you don't feed it at all, cellulose production will also be slow due to lack of nutrients. Our recipe feeds the culture at a ratio of 2:1.
-How much sugar should I use? Lila's golden ratio is 1 cup of sugar per one gallon of kombucha. You can adjust it depending how much kombucha you are brewing.
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