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.
Celebrate spring with our newest shrub! Ripe California strawberries and aromatic fennel make a refreshing pair. We added unpasteurized white wine vinegar infused with toasted fennel seeds, and topped it off with just the right amount of raw local honey to balance the tang of this oxymel (vinegar-infused tonic beverage).
A shrub is a traditional fruit concentrate, like a syrup, preserved with vinegar and used to make or flavor beverages. Unlike many others, our version uses raw honey for a treat free of refined sugars! A few ounces with bubbly or still water makes a fabulous drink all on its own (we recommend 4 or 5 parts water to 1 part shrub), and there's no reason you couldn't use it as a cocktail mixer. Shrubs can also add zing to jam or salad dressing, and make a wonderful glaze for grilled meats.
Ingredients: strawberries,* fennel,* white wine vinegar* infused with fennel seed,* raw unfiltered honey (* = organic)
Recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and GAPS-diet friendly.
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.
Recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free, and GAPS & Paleo Diets-friendly.
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.
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)
This seasonal beverage features Yerba Santa, a California native plant that was valued by the First Peoples, that has historically been used to treat asthma and other respiratory issues. It is also known as Mountain Balm and the Concow people of northeastern California call it wä-sä-got’-o. The plant also has the reputation of clearing and moving grief, and is used in environmental restoration as it can restore damaged lands and overgrazed ranchland. The flavor of our beverage is citrusy and refreshing, with subtle herbal notes.
Ingredients: filtered water, organic white tea,* lime juice,* lemon juice,* lemon zest,* fresh thyme,* foraged yerba santa leaves, organic cane sugar* (* = organic)
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)
Organic gunpowder green tea and unrefined sugar are cultured with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and then flavored with organic grape juice for a delicious fermented kombucha drink. Kombucha is considered by many to have a detoxifying effect on the body.
Ingredients: filtered water, gunpowder green tea*, cane sugar*, Concord grape juice* (* = organic)
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)
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)
This kombucha is brewed almost 3 times as long as our other beverages, resulting in a distinct flavor profile. English Breakfast tea and unrefined sugar are cultured with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and that probiotic base is balanced by the addition of sweet apple juice and finished with a gentle kick of freshly juiced ginger. Sour apple with a punch!
Ingredients: filtered water, Darjeeling tea,* cane sugar,* Bernie's Best gravenstein cider,* ginger* (* = organic)
Delicate, jasmine-scented green tea makes an excellent backdrop for the sweetness of California strawberries! We ferment organic tea and unrefined sugar with a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), resulting in a probiotic, antioxidant-rich beverage. A generous pour of housemade strawberry juice adds fresh flavor and color.
Kombucha is considered by many to have a detoxifying effect on the body.
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. The brew is then flavored with blueberry juice to produce a bubbly probiotic "soda." Fresh juniper berries lend this fizzy beverage a rich and complex flavor, balancing the unrepentant deep sweetness of blueberry juice.
Ingredients: filtered water, blueberry juice*, juniper berries* vanilla bean*, cane sugar*, molasses*, lemon juice* (* = organic)
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*
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.