This year, I’ve made it a point to incorporate healthier ingredients into my cocktails at home. I’m all about using the freshest ingredients, like in-season fruit, citrus, herbs, and even vegetables (like these healthy cocktails). Lately, I’ve had an obsession with kombucha and was super excited about using it in this Kombucha Sangria. Kombucha is a fermented tea, typically made from black tea or green tea and sweetened with sugar. During the fermentation process, a thing called a kombucha scoby (symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria) consumes the sugar and increases the number of healthy bacteria—AKA probiotics! Kombucha has trace amounts of alcohol in it, which to me, sounds like kombucha is a no-brainer ingredient to add to a cocktail!
Kombucha Sangria, serves 6-8
1 bottle pinot grigio
1/2 cup brandy (I used apple brandy)
2 bottles of kombucha (I used GT’s Strawberry Serenity)
1 cup orange juice
2 apples, chopped
2 oranges, sliced
1 cup mixed berries
1 handful fresh mint
Add apples, oranges, mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries), and mint to your pitcher. Pour in orange juice, brandy, and wine. Let steep in the refrigerator until chilled 1-2 hours. When you’re ready to serve, pour in kombucha and serve over ice and spoon fruit into each glass. For the orange juice and oranges, I used blood oranges because I was so excited to see them at the market. If you can’t find blood oranges, don’t fret, this recipe works perfectly with regular oranges and orange juice too.
This Kombucha Sangria is not only effervescent, fruity, refreshing, and so good for you, but it is so simple to put together. It is a great option to have on hand when you’re entertaining because it’s quick, your guests can self-serve (in something like this), and it’s pretty to look at, which makes it that much more delicious! Another great thing about this Kombucha Sangria recipe is you can swap out the white wine for red or even rosé, change the flavor of kombucha you’re using, and change up the fruit to make different variations depending on the season. I can’t wait to make this again because who doesn’t love a cocktail with added health benefits? 😉 xo Natalie
Kombucha Sangria, serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 bottle pinot grigio
- 1/2 cup brandy (I used apple brandy)
- 2 bottles of kombucha (I used GT’s Strawberry Serenity)
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 apples chopped
- 2 oranges sliced
- 1 cup mixed berries
- 1 handful fresh mint
Instructions
-
Add apples, oranges, mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries), and mint to your pitcher. Pour in orange juice, brandy, and wine. Let steep in the refrigerator until chilled 1-2 hours.
-
When you’re ready to serve, pour in kombucha and serve over ice and spoon fruit into each glass. For the orange juice and oranges, I used blood oranges because I was so excited to see them at the market. If you can’t find blood oranges, don’t fret, this recipe works perfectly with regular oranges and orange juice too.
19 Comments
Kombucha and sangria? What a combination! I love how photogenic it is! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thank you, Charmaine!
The cocktail sounds delightful!
It’s a very common misconception that Kombucha is probiotic! Some large, commercial brands add probiotic bacteria to curtail the activity of the yeast (and therefore keep the alcohol low enough for shipping/shelf stores). There are some SCOBYs that do have lactic acid bacteria (commonly considered probiotic), but those seem to be the exception rather than the norm. Check out MicrobialFoods.org’s article on this for some real science on the matter.
And if someone tells you it’s probiotic, use your skeptical skills. Microbial, yes. Probiotic, BIG maybe but most likely no. (Also, alcohol kills bacteria :))
Thanks for giving us more to think about and research Amanda, always fun to learn more! I do think GT Kombucha (used in this recipe, as shown in the photos) is probiotic, or at least that is what their website seems to suggest. But, admittedly, I am no expert. 🙂
GT is definitely probiotic! They’re where I learned what the role of the “probiotic sponge” added after fermention, is for.
Thanks, Amanda!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Amanda. I’m always learning and am new to drinking kombucha. I hope to be able to make it myself at home as well, so you’ve given me some things to think about. I do think, as Emma said above, that GTs is probiotic. I will be aware of other brands though in the future. Glad you liked the recipe otherwise.
Oh my goodness, this look absolutely divine !! I’ve always had such a soft spot for sangria I mean really … Who can refuse it lols. I love that you’ve done a little healthy spin on it! super excited to try it out!! Beautiful photos btw!
xx J
https://forevertwentysomething.ca
Thank you, Jess. I’m so excited for you to try this recipe.
What a genius combination! I love both pinto and kombucha, never thought to combine the two!
https://dreamofadventures.com/
It’s such a good combo!!
This sounds lovely! I’m a big fan of cocktails and sangria, so I’d love to try a Kombucha addition – especially with all that fruit! Dreamy. x
This looks so refreshing!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
That looks absolutely delicious! I’ve never tried kombucha, so I guess it’s time I do!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Count me in! I’ll have seconds, too!
Thanks so much, Rachel! Wish I could share a pitcher with you! xo
The photos look amazing and I’m really intrigued about adding kombucha to sangria. I must try this recipe. A cocktail with health benefits sounds wonderful.
Love the way this looks! Thanks for sharing such a beautiful looking recipe. Can’t wait to try making this at home.
So its not summer but I came across this and just had to make it! The picture looks so refreshing and I can assure anyone thats reading this that this is just as refreshing as it looks!