Cultured Beverages
One of the most refreshing sources of active probiotics and herbal nutrition is an artisanal, lactofermented beverage. From slightly sweet and fruity, to salty and slightly sour, our Kombuchas, Kefirs, Juns, Kvasses and Cabbage Tonics offer something for every palate. To support a healthy microbiome, drink at least 4 ounces a day.
Blood Orange Grapefruit Honey Shrub
375 ml bottle
For this colorful shrub, we infused Bernie's Best raw apple cider vinegar with zest from local grapefruits and blood oranges. We added fresh juice from those same fruits along with raw local honey for a delicious take on the traditional tang of the oxymel (vinegar-infused medicinal tonic). Our version includes raw honey for sweetness and nutrition, rather than refined sugars.
A shrub is a traditional fruit concentrate, like a syrup, preserved with vinegar and used to make or flavor beverages. A few ounces with bubbly water makes a fabulous drink all on its own, and there's no reason you couldn't use it as a cocktail mixer if that's your thing! Shrubs can also add zing to jam or salad dressing, and make a wonderful glaze for grilled meats.
Ingredients: grapefruits,* blood oranges,* raw unfiltered honey, Bernie's Best raw apple cider vinegar* (* = organic)
Recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free, black pepper-free and GAPS Diet-friendly.
Beet Kvass
750 ml bottle
Beets are sliced and cultured in water with yogurt whey and Celtic sea salt to make this traditional tonic drink. Sally Fallon Morell describes this drink as being "valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are just loaded with nutrients. One 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments..." (Nourishing Traditions, page 608)
Ingredients: beets,* yogurt whey,* Celtic sea salt (* = organic)
Recipe is gluten-free.
Friar's Cyder
8 oz bottle
Recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free, and GAPS & Paleo Diets-friendly.
Turmeric Ginger Cabbage Tonic
750 ml bottle
This delicious seasonal offering of cabbage tonic features anti-inflammatory turmeric and ginger to keep us limber in the cooler seasons.
Ingredients: filtered water, green cabbage*, turmeric root*, ginger root*, Celtic sea salt (* = organic)
Recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and GAPS Diet-friendly.
Cardamom Mint Kombucha
750 ml bottle
This refreshing kombucha has lovely, aromatic notes over a subtle sweetness. Perfect mixer for a summer evening cocktail! Organic white peony tea and unrefined sugar are cultured with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and that probiotic base is flavored with an infusion of cardamom and fresh mint.
Ingredients: white tea,* cane sugar,* fresh mint,* cardamom pods* (* = organic)
Cherry-Ginger Kombucha
750 ml bottle
Organic darjeeling tea and unrefined sugar are cultured with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and then flavored with cherry and ginger juice to produce a mildly tart, not too sweet drink. Kombucha is considered by many to have a detoxifying effect on the body.
Ingredients: filtered water, darjeeling tea*, cane sugar*, cherry juice*, ginger* (* = organic)
Ginger-Lime Kombucha
750 ml bottle
Organic white tea and unrefined sugar are cultured with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and then flavored with fresh ginger and lime to produce a slightly tart and bold flavor. Kombucha is considered by many to have a detoxifying effect on the body.
Ingredients: filtered water, white tea*, cane sugar*, ginger root*, lime juice*, lime zest* (* = organic)
Hibiscus Kombucha
750 ml bottle
Organic white tea and unrefined sugar are cultured with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and then flavored with a cold infusion of hibiscus flowers for a slightly tart, slightly effervescent cultured beverage. Kombucha is considered by many to have a detoxifying effect on the body.
Ingredients: filtered water, white tea*, cane sugar*, hibiscus* (* = organic)
Kumquat Rose Kombucha
750 ml bottle
Organic rooibos "red bush" tea (no caffeine!) and unrefined sugar are cultured with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and then flavored with kumquats and rose petals to produce a distinct beverage. The refreshing flavor of this komucha has made it a staff favorite! Kombucha, a traditional probiotic beverage, is considered by many to have a detoxifying effect on the body.
Ingredients: rooibos tea,* cane sugar,* kumquats,* rose petals, honey (* = organic)
Root Beer Kefir
750 ml bottle
Dairy-free water kefir. Water kefir grains, also called tibicos, are used to ferment a base of filtered water with unrefined cane sugar and just a touch of molasses. The sugars are metabolized by the kefir grains to produce a light but rich effervescent base. This old-timey brew is then flavored with sarsaparilla, sassafras leaf, ginger, turmeric and other herbs and spices to produce a bubbly probiotic “soda.” Vanilla bean lends this fizzy beverage a rich and complex flavor. If you are a root beer lover who is ready to graduate to a real roots beer, this is the drink for you!
Ingredients: filtered water, sarsaparilla, cane sugar*, molasses*, turmeric root*, ginger root*, licorice root, cinnamon*, vanilla bean*, sassafras, black peppercorn*, cardamom pods*, allspice* (* = organic)
Recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free*
NATURAL GROCERY ONLY 375ml -- Beet Kvass
375 ml bottle
THIS PRODUCT IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH BULK SALES TO BERKELEY AND EL CERRITO NATURAL GROCERY -- IF YOU SEE IT ON OUR WEBSITE, PLEASE DON'T ORDER IT. THANK YOU.