Mustard Free Cherry Vanilla Kombucha
Tart cherries, floral vanilla, and the natural fizz of a second ferment come together in a drink that tastes like something you'd pay way too much for at a specialty café. The process starts with a quick honey-and-cherry syrup cooked down on the stovetop, which concentrates the fruit's deep, jammy flavor before it ever meets the kombucha. Vanilla powder blends seamlessly into the strained syrup, giving the finished drink a smooth, almost dessert-like warmth that plays beautifully against the tang of the ferment. Bottling the syrup with plain kombucha and letting it sit at room temperature for a day or two builds that satisfying natural carbonation — the kind that hisses when you crack the cap. The whole ingredient list is clean and straightforward, which means there's nothing hiding in here that could trip up anyone avoiding mustard or mustard-derived additives, a surprisingly common concern with flavored store-bought drinks and kombuchas. Chilled and poured over ice, this is the kind of homemade beverage that makes you wonder why you ever bought the bottled stuff.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 32 oz plain unflavored kombucha (store-bought or homemade first-ferment)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- ½ tsp vanilla powder
Instructions
- 1
Combine the tart cherries and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries soften and release their juice and the honey is fully dissolved, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- 2
Press the cooled cherry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl or measuring cup, pressing the solids firmly with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids. Stir the vanilla powder into the strained cherry juice until fully dissolved.
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