I’m back to bring you a little more non alc cocktail inspiration this Christmas with a delicious brand of water kefir I came across earlier this summer.
Water kefir is a naturally sparkling fermented drink bursting full of probiotics, beneficial bacterias and yeast, and widely touted to amp up immunity, slow cancer cell growth and improve overall health. It’s quite literally a powerhouse in a glass, and if you’ve not tried it yet, trust me, it’s absolutely delicious and the perfect good gut stuff for making low alc, live cocktails with this Christmas.
I’m slightly cautious of shop bought kefirs not containing as many strains of bacteria as home made versions, so hunted high and low for one that I knew would be good. Introducing Agua de Madre, an organic certified, award winning water kefir fermented in London. These lovely drinks are made from the tibicos mother culture discovered 2000 years ago in Mexico.
It comes in four flavours and they’re all flipping delicious! The beauty with these is that they each lend themselves beautifully to building cocktails, each with their own flavour profile, without adding too much extra to the party.
I started with the Pomegranate & Hibiscus – my ultimate favourite – and mixed in a little yuzu which gave it the perfect zesty lift, with a hint of spice. This on it’s own served in a flute with a garnish of red currants for a christmasy vibe made for the perfect swap to the traditional champagne cocktail. If it’s a longer drink you’re after, swap the glass for a tumbler, add a handful of crushed ice and garnish with disc of lime and you’ve got yourself a deliciously floral, gut loving drink.
The Passion Fruit and Raspberry works perfectly as a Mojito inspired cocktail. I muddled together some fresh raspberries (frozen works just as well) with some mint and a fine grating of ginger using the end of my rolling pin. Once all the oils were released from the mint and the fruit was crushed, I added a dash of maple syrup to taste, a handful of crushed ice and topped with kefir. A couple of fresh or frozen berries on top, and a sprig of mint to garnish and it made one super pretty kefir mojito.
I’ll be honest, I served the Original and Elderflower & Apple flavours straight up in a champagne flute, but both would make perfect longer drinks. I’m thinking cucumber and pomegranate seeds would work well with the Original, along with some lemon zest and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. And the Elderflower & Apple would make for the perfect martini. Grab a martini style of glass, rub a little mint between your hands, add a little lime zest and top with kefir. Both would make a deliciously refreshing Christmas combo.
And if it’s a hot toddie you’re after, Remedio Naturale is the perfect nightcap. A ginger and lemon infused golden remedy, a natural by product of the water kefir. I like to drink this with a tsp of turmeric and a little grind of black pepper for some extra tummy goodness.
If you’re intrigued, the guys at Agua de Madre are giving away a Mixed Starter Pack containing 4 x 500ml bottles and a jar of Remedio Naturale. To enter, head on over to Instagram, make sure you’re following @aguademadre and @happy_gut_co and tag in the name of the person you’d like to be drinking kefir ‘champagne’ cocktails with on Christmas day. Each tag counts as an additional entry, so go crazy and tag as many people as you like.
This competition closes on Saturday 12th December, just in time for the lucky winner to enjoy over Christmas.
And if that isn’t enough, I’ve managed to grab a 15% discount for all my lovely community to enjoy. Simply choose your goodies and enter HAPPTGUT15 at checkout. This discount code is valid for one week only, so get in quick. Delivery to mainland UK only.
I’ll be ditching the usual glass of champagne for one – or a few – of these on Christmas day AND my gut will love me for it! Here’s to feeling great this Christmas!