Healthy Whole30 Kombucha Mocktail

Sometimes you just need a drink in a pretty glass. Even if you’re doing Whole30. This Healthy Whole30 Kombucha Mocktail is my go-to drink whether I’m doing a Whole30 or not. It’s delicious, it’s pretty and it feels fancy on a weeknight.

My BFF Kate is doing her first Whole30 (and I’m so proud of her because both she and her husband have been rocking it!) Kate’s been doing an amazing job but she’s really been missing her daily Diet Coke. I get it. Sometimes you just want a cold fizzy drink. Recently, I shared my Healthy Whole30 Kombucha Mocktail with her and she loved it. So I decided to put it on the blog so you could try it too.

Video: Watch Me Make a Kombucha Mocktail

Let’s Talk About Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented tea dating back 2,000 years to ancient China. It requires tea, sugar, and an active starter culture of bacteria and yeast (called a SCOBY)*. You start with a black or green tea, then add spring water, your SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), and cane sugar. Then cover it, store it, and allow it to ferment for 7-30 days, to taste. (The longer it ferments, the more sour it becomes.)

So yes, kombucha is tart. But if you mix it with sparkling water, it cuts down on the sourness and pumps up the fizz. Win.Win.

And those “floaties” you sometimes see in the bottle? They’re a good thing. They are strands of healthy culture. The culture is not visibly present at the time of bottling, but forms afterwards as an indication that the product is still living and active. The longer that the product is bottled, the more culture strands form. Think of it like a coral reef that harbors billions of living probiotics.

Because it is a raw, living food, always keep your Kombucha in the refrigerator (33-40°F). Additionally, GT’s Kombucha should always be stored upright and never on its side.

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How Do You Know If Kombucha Is Whole30 Compliant?

According to  this post  from Whole30 Headmistress Melissa Urban, kombucha is allowed on the Whole30, if there is NO sweetener listed on the ingredients list. Here are a few other do’s and don’ts when choosing a kombucha:

• If you make kombucha at home and don’t add sugar after the fermentation process, is that Whole30-compliant? Yes.
• If you buy store-bought kombucha and sugar is not in the ingredient list, is that Whole30-compliant? Yes.
• If you buy store-bought kombucha and sugar is not in the ingredient list, but you do see fruit juice, is that Whole30-compliant? Yes.
• If you see store-bought kombucha and see any form of sugar (including stevia) in the ingredients, is that compliant? No.

Mix It Up

You can combine any kombucha you like with any mineral water you like.  Just be sure to check the ingredients if you’re doing a Whole30. I tend to prefer the pink kombucha but you do you. My favorite combos include:

1. Coconut LaCroix with GT’s Trilogy kombucha
2. Passionfruit LaCroix with GT’s Trilogy kombucha
3. Waterloo Watermelon with GT’s Watermelon Wonder kombucha
4. Plain unflavored LaCroix or Waterloo with GT’s Watermelon Wonder kombucha
5. Strawberry Spindrift with GT’s Trilogy or Watermelon Wonder

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