Cucumber Vodka Kombuchatini

One of Felix’s first words was “kombucha,” which should tell you how often he sees me drinking the fermented tea.

Some purported benefits of drinking kombucha–which has been around for more than 2,000 years–include:

• arthritis prevention (thanks to glucosamines)
• cancer prevention (due to glucaric acid)
• improved digestion and prevention of yeast overgrowth (because of probiotics)
• increased energy (from B vitamins and trace caffeine)
• enhanced immune function (courtesy of a high level of antioxidants)

Kombucha is also known to be a liver detoxifyer. On a recent Friday evening when my best friend from college, Mike, came over, we decided to mitigate some of the toxic effects of the vodka we planned to drink by mixing it with with kombucha. Other benefits of making a Cosmo-like drink with kombucha instead of cranberry juice:

• Cranberry kombucha has 3 grams of sugar per serving; Ocean Spray cranberry juice has 32.
• A serving of cranberry kombucha has 30 calories; a serving of Ocean Spray cranberry juice has 130.
• The natural carbonation of kombucha is like a refreshing splash of soda water in the kombuchatini.
• Honestly, the drink we made was way tastier than a regular Cosmo martini. The organic cucumber vodka I happened to have in my freezer was an unexpectedly delicious addition.

Cucumber Kombuchatini for Two

Combine 3 parts cucumber vodka, 2 parts cranberry kombucha, and 1 part cointreau in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well and split between two small martini glasses. Garnish with cucumber slices.

Of course, I drink my kombucha virgin style–it’s a wonderfully refreshing alternative to water or soft drinks on these stifling summer days.

Stay sane,