In 2017, I’m partnering with Pompeian to bring you the latest recipes that are currently #TrendingInTheKitchen with this year’s trendy ingredients and their olive oils and vinegars. Thank you for supporting the partnerships that allow Brewing Happiness to grow and exist. xoxo.
5 MINUTE FAUX KOMBUCHA
Don't spend exorbitant amounts on kombucha - you can make this 5 minute faux kombucha at home! OACV gives it all the same fermented benefits with no effort.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup fruit (ie. mango, strawberry, raspberries, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon Pompeian Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 12 ounces purified water
Instructions
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Add your fruit and honey to a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
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Pour your blended fruit into a jar or glass and top with water and Pompeian Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. Shake vigorously.
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Pour over ice and DRINK UP.
Years and years ago my boyfriend at the time (a born and raised LA boy) forced me to try a sip of his kombucha. It’s fermented tea? I asked. Why is it bubbly? Is it carbonated? He said he didn’t know. So I took a sip.
And I HATED it.
I hated that my Southern pallet couldn’t figure out just what was happening in my mouth. It was fizzy, but not carbonated, sour, but kinda sweet. I was hardcore not down.
Cut to years later, I was living in LA and becoming acquainted with the health world of instagram, I was eating as “clean” as possible because mentally I was really unhealthy, and I was comparing my body to that of the #fitspo queens on social media. It was then that I read about the metabolism boosting properties of fermented foods, and how they can heal the lining of your stomach. I read those words and my mind twisted them into *they’ll make you skinny.*
Mind you, I was already drinking a gallon of water a day under the pretense that it was healthy, but the real secret reason was that my twisted mind told me that if I was full from drinking things I would eat less. So I added kombucha to my liquids diet. And I went in hard. At times I drank two a day. I remember googling, “is it possible to drink too much kombucha?” (The answer is… probably. Don’t push the limit. lol.)
Kombucha, if you have never tried it, is fermented tea. It’s usually combined with some sugar and fruit flavor. It’s effervescent (not carbonated), and I have now come around to the belief that it’s delicious. The benefits from kombucha center around the fact that it is fermented. And, yes, fermented foods are great for your digestion and stomach health and immune system and skin.
My version contains Pompeian Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, which is raw and unpasturized. It also contains “the mother” which is like the epicenter of all the enzymes and health benefits of ACV. So you get the same gut-healing, immune-boosting, glowing skin benefits, but you don’t have to go through the process of fermenting your tea. This way you can just blend and go, knowing that you’re getting all the good stuff. Plus you can customize your flavors. I used my favorites (strawberries, raspberries, and mango), but you can go wild. Just know that some fruits will separate a bit more than others. (Don’t worry, just shake it up before you drink it.) This 5-minute faux kombucha won’t be effervescent or bubbly, but it has that same sweet/sour/fruity thing going that makes kombucha so delicious to me.
These days I drink kombucha when my stomach is upset or if I just want a delicious bubbly treat. I’m not obsessive and crazy over my liquids and I appreciate the health benefits but I’m not obsessed. I don’t need to “get skinny” anytime soon. However, kombucha is FRIGGIN EXPENSIVE. It can cost anywhere from $4-$9 a bottle, which is insane. I can’t afford that shit often. So I’m really thankful now to have this alternative with all the flavor and benefits. Now my wallet and my stomach is happy.
No health food is going to solve all of your problems and make you #goals anytime soon. Faux kombucha won’t make you skinnier, or magically heal your skin issues. But it is a really nice thing you can do for your body. And you should. Because your body is special and it deserves the best. xoxo.
Rachael @ Rachael's Foodie Life says
OMG YES!!!!! I buy way too much booch and it needs to stop,that money needs to go towards our new house. i am way beyond excited for this recipe!! i drink ACV every morning with lemon juice and water but i cannot wait to make this as well!
Haley says
YAY! I’m so glad. I think you’ll love it! xo
Tessa | Salted Plains says
I am SO excited about this! ACV is my daily routine and I can’t wait to try out your recipe.
Haley says
YAY! It’s such an easy way to spice up your daily routine! xo
Katie says
I’m excited to try this! Kombucha is such a drain on the wallet but it makes me feel amazing so this recipe could be a lifesaver.
Haley says
I’m right there with you! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. xox
B says
If you use seltzer or sparkling water instead of plain it is nice and bubbly too.
I got hooked on the booch in ’08 back in SoCal too. I am already awful with spending and have a fairly addictive personality, especially when it comes to things that sparkle. Took me years to kill the soda habit back in middle school. Anyway, I started making this with ACV lemon juice, ginger juice, and lemon lime seltzer. It’s also good for blood sugar!
I now drink something like this nightly because I have high blood sugar from binge eating. Drinking it lowers my morning fasting sugars, and drinking it prior to meals helps slow the release of glucose into my bloodstream. BG strips have confirmed this.
Only thing is now I do not have a juicer in NY for the ginger, so I either 1. Don’t use it or 2. Splurge on a ginger shot lol. I also still drink way too much booch.
Why be flat when you can sparkle!
Haley says
That drink of yours sounds delicious! I may have to start juicing ginger and adding it to this faux kombucha! Keep sparkling. xo
Kenan Hill says
Ohhh I definitely want to try this! Could you swap in some carbonated water for the effervescence?
Haley says
I tested the recipe with sparkling water, but it reacted a little too violently with the ACV and didn’t settle well. That’s why I used purified water. But you might could top it off with some sparkling water.
Anonymous says
I think I will try this recipe using mineral water instead of regular water to make it bubbly, thanks for the idea.
Haley says
You can try that. I tested the recipe with sparkling water, and it reacted a little too much with the ACV and didn’t settle well. That’s why I suggested using purified water. But you may like it, who knows!
michelle @ hummingbird high says
i hated kombucha when i first tried it, but now it’s one of my favorite things! i can’t have too much though because it if i do, it actually upsets my stomach… so there’s that. lol
Haley says
I’m right there with you, I’m borderline obsessed these days. Hopefully this version won’t upset your stomach! xo
Christiann Koepke says
What a fun summer post and recipe!! YUM!!! -CK
Haley says
Aww thank you Christiann! ENJOY xo
thalia says
OATH. kombucha is crazy priced here too. i bought a caramel coffee kombucha yesterday for like $6. lol. but seriously, i need to try your faux version!! i adore the vibrancy and i can imagine it tastes so delicious, especially for the summer! Xx
Haley says
It’s nuts how much I’ll pay for a small glass of kombucha! So I figured this way I could drink as much as I want and not go poor by the time I’m 30. I hope you enjoy the drink and all of the summer sunshine you can! xo
DessertForTwo says
This is freaking incredible. I’m making it for my 2-year old this afternoon, who is obsessed with kombucha! She loves all things vinegary, and it’s her favorite drink. I love your version because it doesn’t have tea or any residual alcohol! PERFECT!
Haley says
YAY! Please let me know what she thinks! If she likes vinegary things, I think she’ll love this. I didn’t even think about the alcohol thing in kombucha and kids. (Shows you how out of touch with children I am. haha) But I’m glad this will be a good alternative for her! xoxo