The Kombucha recipe
for your table
Put the tea in the hot water and let it steep for ten minutes. Remove the leaves, stir in the sugar until everything has dissolved, and let it cool to room temperature. Hot tea kills the culture, so waiting here isn’t a suggestion but the most important step of the recipe.
Pour the cold tea into a clean glass jar, add the starter kombucha with the culture, and cover the jar with a tea towel or coffee filter and a rubber band. Do not seal it: the culture needs air and the gas needs to escape. Leave the jar at room temperature for 7 to 14 days, out of direct sunlight.
Taste from day seven using a clean glass or plastic straw along the edge of the jar. Once most of the sweetness has disappeared and the drink tastes fresh and tart, it’s ready. Keep 20 cl plus the culture in the jar; that’s the starter for your next batch.
Fill flip-top bottles to a few centimetres below the rim, add grated ginger or crushed fruit, and seal them. Leave them at room temperature for 2 to 4 days, then refrigerate. In the sealed bottle, the kombucha produces its own carbonation, so open it over the sink.
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The story
Kombucha is less a recipe than a collaboration. The jar contains a culture of yeasts and acetic acid bacteria that take turns: the yeasts convert the sugar into alcohol, and the bacteria then convert that alcohol into acids. That is why the result tastes sour rather than sweet, and why little of the sugar you add ultimately remains. A smooth, pale mat forms on top, the new culture, which you simply use again for the next batch. At home, this has continued for generations, from jar to jar, because each batch provides the starter for the next.
The right glass
Kombucha is served cold, and a spacious, stemless tumbler of 30 to 45 centilitres works best. Spacious, because the carbonation from the second fermentation foams up considerably when poured, and otherwise you have to pour it in two rounds. Clear glass shows the colour, which ranges from pale gold to dark amber, depending on the tea and steeping time. If you want to get more of the aroma, pour it into a bowl with a narrow rim. Models for the hot side of the tea section can be found among the tea glasses.
Pasabahce Allegra Focus Tumbler 42.5 cl (6 pieces)
Chef & Sommelier Open Up Pro Tasting Wine Glass 32 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 72,90.
The right tools
For kombucha, alongside the glass, use a wooden muddler to crush ginger and fruit for the second round, and a fine strainer to keep it out again when bottling. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 57,85.
Which splash belongs in a kombucha?
Kombucha is best enjoyed neat, but it mixes excellently. A splash of liqueur or a measure of gin turns it into an aperitif, while limoncello complements the tea's acidity. On every drink page, you'll find the percentage, how it tastes, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Ginger with lemon is the classic for the second round, but raspberry, peach, and elderflower work just as well. Green tea gives a lighter, more floral kombucha than black tea and is ready in about the same amount of time. You make a jun with honey instead of sugar and with green tea; it ferments faster and tastes milder. If you want it less sour, strain it a day or two earlier. More inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Serve kombucha ice-cold and pour it slowly along the side of the glass, because a successful second fermentation makes it come fizzing out of the bottle. A few ice cubes are fine, but don't dilute it with water if you want to taste the acids. Store the bottle upright in the refrigerator; the yeast sediment will then settle to the bottom and whatever you pour will remain clear.
Good to know
Why the tea must be cold first
The culture is alive and is damaged by heat. If you pour lukewarm or warm tea over the starter, nothing will happen afterward and sweet tea will remain, which may still start to grow mold. So let the sweetened tea cool all the way to room temperature, even if it takes a whole night.
No metal and no lid during the first round
Ferment in glass, not in a metal pan or bowl: the acids that form react with metal, and the culture is affected by that. Brief contact while straining or pouring is not a problem, but leaving it in contact for days is. Also don't seal the jar during the first round, because the culture needs air and a lid builds up pressure. A tea towel secured with a rubber band is just right.
Which teas do and don't work
Ordinary black or green tea works best. Stay away from tea containing oil, such as Earl Grey with bergamot, and from herbal tea without real tea leaves, because the culture feeds on what is in the tea plant. Sugar is not a flavoring but food: less sugar mainly means slower and weaker fermentation.
How to tell that it's going well
Within a few days, a pale, smooth layer forms on top: the new culture. Brown strands hanging beneath it are yeast and are part of the process. It smells of vinegar and apple, sharp but clean. If something goes wrong, you will see dry, fuzzy patches in blue, green, or black on top. That is mold: discard the entire jar, including the culture, and start over with a fresh starter.
Hygiene without sterilizing
Wash your hands and rinse the jar, bottles, and funnel with hot water. Soap residue is more troublesome than a few bacteria, so rinse well. Sterilization is not necessary because the acidic starter keeps things under control, but this only works if you always carry enough starter kombucha over to the next batch.
How much alcohol it contains
Alcohol naturally forms during fermentation; the bacteria convert most of it back into acids. As a result, most kombucha stays below 0.5 percent, the same threshold that applies to alcohol-free beer. Fermenting it for too long, especially a vigorous second round in a sealed bottle, raises that percentage. You cannot measure it at home, so do not treat it as a children's drink, and keep it in mind if you do not drink alcohol yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What is kombucha?
Kombucha is sweetened tea fermented with a starter culture of yeasts and acetic acid bacteria. In seven to fourteen days, most of the sugar disappears, leaving a fresh, slightly sour drink. A second fermentation in a sealed bottle creates the carbonation.
How long does it take to make kombucha?
The first fermentation takes 7 to 14 days at room temperature, depending on how warm it is in your home and how sour you want it. The second fermentation in the bottle takes another 2 to 4 days. After that, it goes into the refrigerator, where it will keep well for a few weeks.
Does kombucha contain alcohol?
Yes, a small amount, because alcohol is an intermediate step in the fermentation process. Most kombucha stays below 0.5 percent, the same threshold that applies to alcohol-free beer. A long second fermentation in a sealed bottle can push it above that level, and you cannot measure it at home.
Which glass do you drink kombucha from?
From a spacious, clear tumbler holding 30 to 45 centiliters. Spacious because it can foam up considerably during the second fermentation, clear because its color ranges from pale gold to dark amber. For more aroma, pour it into a goblet with a narrow, tapering rim.
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