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Looking for some fizzy new flavor ideas for your homemade kombucha? Here are 19 of our best kombucha flavors, from refreshing ginger to cozy pumpkin spice. There’s a recipe for everyone, every kombucha maker level, and every occasion.
While kombucha can be a labor of love, sometimes taking weeks between starting to make a SCOBY and taking your first sip, this step makes it all worthwhile: the flavoring! Read on to learn the secrets to flavoring your kickass kombucha!
What is the second fermentation?
Flavoring kombucha takes place in what we call the second fermentation. While the first fermentation transforms tea into kombucha, the second fermentation carbonates that kombucha! To carbonate the kombucha, we do two things:
- Seal it: Bottling the kombucha in an airtight fermentation-grade bottle will trap the carbonation, making it fizzy.
- Add sugar: Adding sugar (like fruit, honey, or table sugar) gives the yeasts and bacteria in kombucha something to “eat,” and they make carbonation as a result!
Having trouble with flat kombucha? Check out our troubleshooting guide to fizzy kombucha here!
How to flavor kombucha
So you’ve got kombucha from the first fermentation, and now it’s ready for the second fermentation. Let’s add your flavors! Here’s a quick guide on how to flavor kombucha:
- Pour kombucha into fermentation bottles, leaving a little space at the top to add your flavors and to allow breathing space.
- Add flavors like fruit, sugar, honey, or table sugar.
- Seal tightly. An airtight seal is essential for creating carbonated and fizzy kombucha.
- Ferment for 3 to 10 days, somewhere dark and room temperature, until it reaches the carbonation level of your liking.
- Strain (optional) to remove debris before serving.
Kombucha FAQ’s
Here are the most common questions I receive about flavoring kombucha.
How can you flavor kombucha with frozen fruit? Frozen fruit can be used to make kombucha; just be sure to thaw it before adding it.
Can you eat the fruit from kombucha? Yes! The acidity of the kombucha preserves the fruit, meaning it is just as edible as the kombucha is drinkable!
Can you add herbs to kombucha? Herbs add a fun new dimension to homemade kombucha! For hardy herbs (like rosemary or thyme), add the whole sprig. Tender herbs (like mint or basil) can be added to the stem, roughly chopped, or blended.
Best kombucha flavors
After brewing homemade kombucha for years (and helping hundreds of people brew their own, too), I’ve settled on a few favorites. Here are my top 19 best kombucha flavors you can make at home!
1. Lemon Ginger Kombucha
2. Peach Pie Kombucha
3. Blueberry Kombucha
4. Strawberry Kombucha
5. Mint Lime Mojito Kombucha
6. Pumpkin Spice Kombucha
7. Apple Cinnamon Kombucha
8. Ginger Pepper Kombucha
9. Mango Kombucha
10. Chia Seed Kombucha
11. Pineapple Basil Kombucha
12. Zingy Raspberry Kombucha
13. Spiced Pear Kombucha
14. Blueberry Banana Kombucha
15. Rosemary Grape Kombucha
16. Blackberry Vanilla Kombucha
17. Turmeric Kombucha
18. Pomegranate Kombucha
Hey thanks so much for your recipes they are so helpful in getting amazing Kombucha just like in the stores! I was wondering if you had a recipe for cola flavoured kombucha? My husband requested it and I found some recipes for natural cola syrup but I wasn’t sure how to add those to the kombucha brewing process?! Thanks heaps!!
Oooh this is such a great idea! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I would try adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup per 4 cups of kombucha (in the second fermentation). Would love to hear how it goes if you try it out! I’ll add it to my list of flavors to experiment with š
I’m just about to do my first fermentation after making a nice healthy scoby following your directions, but I’m curious what differences you have seen if you chop and crush tender herbs versus just chopping them? My understanding is that crushing herbs helps to release the oil in the herbs which can extract more flavor.
That’s a great question, Gary! I haven’t tried it out, but I could see it making the kombucha more herby.
A few herbs (rose petals are a little like this) can become bitter when bruised as opposed to chopped or just stirred in. I’ve noticed this especially with astringent flowers with a delicate scent- the scent almost becomes overpowered and the astringency takes over when they are crushed. These plants might need to be treated more gently- has anyone else noticed this?
Hi Sarah.
I’m almost ready to start bottling my first batch and I’m very excited. I think I’m going to try something simple for my first flavour (probably lemon/ginger) but wondered what you thought about elderflower? Would you put the whole flowers in, or add a little syrup /cordial??
Thanks
I’ve only used elderflower syrup before, but it turned out great!
Will flavoring in the second fermentation lead to alcohol production? Why or why not? I’d really like to keep it alcohol free.
I don’t think it would make any more alcohol than what 1F makes, because it’s generally the same process. With that said, there will be some alcohol (read a bit on that here if you’re interested).
Strawberry Lime
Cranberry cinnamon
Strawberry banana
Cinnamon vanilla
Orange vanilla
Those are a few that Iāve had success with
Yummm those all sounds delish! š
If I want to do my F2 in the 1 gal jar so I can strain before putting into bottles, would putting a sealed lid on the jar be a good idea to get fizz?
Yep, you would need to seal it in order to get carbonation. This would need to be in a jar separate from your SCOBY, and ideally made for carbonation (flip top bottles are best). Happy brewing!
Thanks for the great flavor suggestions! We have loved doing Fig Lemon.
That sounds delish! I’ll have to give it a go š
Does straining, after 2nd ferment and before before chilling, make it less carbonated?
It will remove a little carbonation. I usually just strain it right before serving to prevent loss of carbonation! š
I love the organic PASSIONFRUIT flavoured kombucha …. and would love a recipe for PASSIONFRUIT. Thanks
I’ll try it out on an upcoming batch! š
Try hibiscus. You can buy bags of dried hibiscus flowers on Amazon or at Walmart online. Amazing flavor, gorgeous color (deep magenta) & hibiscus has tons of health benefits.