Beat the Summer Heat with Refreshing Kombucha DrinksThe perfect low calorie, gut friendly drink with summer ingredients and a pleasant finish, you’ll stay cool as long as the sun is out.
It’s Hot Out There!Looking at the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, it looks like this summer will be a hot one. All but a few states are expected to experience above-normal temps through summer and beyond. One thing we experts on heat know: nothing cools off a hot day like a cold drink.The problem with a lot of cold drinks is that they come with too many calories. They are sodas, juices, lemonades and sweetened teas whose deliciousness comes with a high-caloric price. Even the alcoholic drinks are made with syrups, juices or wine that many people don’t necessarily want. Thankfully, these days, consumers have more choices when they are looking to cool off and enjoy a refreshing beverage.Kick the Summer Heat with KombuchaKombucha provides all of the flavor with little of the calories of many popular drinks. Unlike a summer favorite, lemonade, which can have over 200 calories per cup, many kombuchas contain around 30 calories per bottle, making it an enjoyable beverage for any time of day. Right out of the refrigerator, an iced-down cooler, or poured over ice, kombucha refreshes with no guilt.Kombucha has a wild side, too, and is trending as an alternative to traditional sodas and tonic mixers. When making an alcoholic beverage, try using kombucha as a mixer. It offers unique flavor combinations with just the right amount of fizz to make any mixed drink a memorable one. Offer it to your guests and see their eyes open wide when they experience flavors they can’t quite put their finger on but instantly love. Your new concoction just might be the talk of the block and become your signature drink.Love this one! Need some inspiration? Try some of our most popular kombucha cocktails at your next get together or just when you want to cool off with a drink that has a little kick:Pomegranate-Orange Gin SpritzerKombucha Whiskey SourCranberry-Mint SparklerSpeaking of mixers, have you ever tried kombucha in your smoothie? With so many kombucha flavors from which to choose, there is virtually no limit to the flavors you can create when mixed with fruits and greens. We have a fantastic “Superberry Smoothie” and a green smoothie recipes you just have to try, but the sky’s the limit when kombucha is added to the mix.Keep You and Your Kombucha ColdKombucha is complicated in the best possible way. The ingredients are special and quite sensitive to temperature. While you’re trying to stay cool, keep in mind that kombucha contains live microorganisms that can get overheated, just like you. To keep your kombucha refreshing and full of all of its probiotic goodness, keep it chilled at all times and enjoy as quickly as possible if in the heat. Better yet, pour it over ice or combine it into a smoothie.When you’re buying kombucha, make sure the supplier has the kombucha refrigerated. If you can’t get the kombucha in the refrigerator within 30 minutes of your drive home, consider putting it with other cold or frozen items in your shopping bag or place it in a cooler in your car. If your kombucha gets to room temperature or warmer, it won’t destroy it but it could impact the bacteria within. Kombucha for Every SeasonKombucha may become your favorite summertime drink, but don’t worry, it’s great all year long. Many devout kombucha fans enjoy mixing up the flavors to fit the season.Related: Which Brew Dr. Kombucha Should I Choose?What we're currently drinking! Strawberry Basil, with a green tea base, summer strawberries and two types of garden basil. Clear Mind starts with green tea with organic rosemary, peppermint, sage and dandelion root.Happiness is soft white tea base with rose petals.Love is our jasmine green tea, blended with lavender, chamomile, damiana and rose.Any of these summer favorites are beautiful and refreshing alone, in a smoothie or the perfect mixer in a summer cocktail. If you’re ready to kick the summer heat and the calories, try kombucha instead. You’ll never look at summer the same again.
