Bloody Mary Kombucha Recipe

Name: Bloody Mary Kombucha Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 16 OZ Kombucha from a finished primary fermentation; 6 OZ Tomato Juice; 2 OZ Kimchi or Pickle Brine OR 1-2 tsp Soy Sauce (to taste–start small); 2 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce; 1/4 tsp Maple Syrup; 1 tsp Horseraddish (optional); Hot Sauce (To Taste); Cayenne Pepper to taste; Freshly Cracked Black Pepper; 1 16 Oz Kombucha Bottle(s); Funnel; Measuring Spoons

Whats your favorite way to garnish a bloody mary?

Savory, rich, tangy, spicy, and indulgent–all elements of the perfect bloody mary. Kombucha and tomatoes might sound like an odd couple, but, oh man, are they meant to be! If you think of kombucha as vinegar, it makes a little bit more sense. Bloody Marys are notorious hangover cures–providing a comforting dose of vitamins and salt to help your body recover. Adding kombucha’s B-vitamins to the mix brings it up to the next level.

PRIMARY VS SECONDARY FERMENTATION

It’s important to note that brewing homemade kombucha is almost always a two-step fermentation process. Brewing kombucha is only a one-step process for those who prefer an unflavored flat kombucha. Otherwise, the steps consist of a primary fermentation and secondary fermentation.

Primary Fermentation: The primary fermentation is the first step of the kombucha brewing process. This is where your SCOBY transforms regular sweet tea into the tart and slightly sweet kombucha we love. At the end of this stage, you will have finished kombucha, but it will be flat and unflavored. Have you skipped this step? Then check out our guide on making kombucha at home or our guide on making jun kombucha at home. Traditional kombucha is going to yield a bolder brew, while jun kombucha is milder and a bit more tart.
Secondary Fermentation: The secondary fermentation is the step where you bottle, carbonate, and flavor your kombucha by the addition of sugar and flavors. This step is essentially adding a bit of sugar/flavor to each airtight bottle and letting it ferment a little longer, allowing the yeast to carbonate the beverage in an airtight environment naturally. How exactly does this happen? See our post on kombucha secondary fermentation here.

Since this recipe is for the secondary fermentation, to make this recipe, you’ll need to have kombucha that has finished the primary fermentation and ready to bottle.

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Juice: Provides a thick nutritious base to which all the other flavors play off.
2oz Kimchi or Pickle Brine OR 1-2 tsp Soy Sauce (To Taste–Start Small): Provide a great umami punch.
3 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce: Gives the tomato juice a little facelift, taking it from plain to elevated.
1/4 tsp Maple Syrup: Sub honey or sugar, just dissolve either first to make it easier to incorporate.
1 tsp Horseradish: This is optional.
Hot Sauce: The spiciness lingers with you after you’ve finished each sip and works with the saltiness to finish off the experience.
Cayenne Pepper: The spicer the better.
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

SECONDARY FERMENTATION PREPARATION

This recipe makes one 16 fluid ounce bottle. For a 1-gallon batch, make 7 16 ounce bottles of kombucha or times the ingredients by 7. Before beginning this recipe, you will want to:

Reserve 12 – 16 fluid ounces of kombucha and your pellicle from your completed primary fermentation and set aside. It’s best to pour from the top of the brew jar as the bottom will have a much higher yeast concentration. You will use this as your starter for your next gallon batch of kombucha.
With your kombucha starter tea and SCOBY placed aside, you will now have enough kombucha left to make seven 16 oz bottles. These bottles are the most popular as they are considered the best bottles for kombucha secondary fermentation, but any other airtight bottles made for carbonation will work.