Second Chances: Health-ade Kombucha

Yes, the title is misleading. This isn’t one of those prolific moments to share, but it is momentarily life changing. I first tried kombucha years ago, just around the time it started to become the new buzz drink. I could barely get past the first sip. It tasted like fizzy vinegar, and who wants to drink that on a regular basis, regardless of any health benefit? Gaby, from What’s Gaby Cooking, is crazy about the stuff, and often posts about it on snapchat. So, when I saw this brand, one she’s mentioned, I decided it was time to give it another try. Holy wow, people.

That fizzy vinegar experience is still there, and it makes perfect sense since this is a fermented tea. The difference with this Health-Ade kombucha is that the flavors were more nuanced than the other popular brand I tried way back when. The ginger, lime, and cayenne all blend together beautifully, and made me a convert. Now where to find it around here? I’ll have to keep my eyes open for it.

I happened upon this bottle at Oren’s Daily Roast while making a crazy day trip to NYC for a meeting on Thursday. That, my friends, is the reason I missed this week’s Thankful Thursdays. Rather than curl up with my laptop on Wednesday night, I decided to cozy up around the sofa with homemade pizza and my girls to watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I knew you’d all understand.

Regarding the health benefits touted about kombucha, I decided to do some super brief scratching of the surface on them—more for personal curiosities’ sake, than any journalistic endeavor. Ellie Krieger notes that probiotics don’t survive past the pasteurization process, so there goes all those good-gut probiotics you thought you were getting, depending on the brand you choose. As for Health-Ade, their website notes that it’s not pasteurized.

I chose the Cayenne Cleanse kombucha because I know that cayenne and ginger are both good for joint pain (when did I get old?). I also knew it’d give me a much needed jolt for the 225 mile drive I was about to embark upon. I’d already driven 225 miles to get to my meeting, and was turning the car around to go straight back to Maryland.

Okay, I’m off to get some errands done before picking up the kiddos from school. We’re upstate bound this weekend for a very short visit (just about 36 hours). Much as I don’t want to clock another 650 miles roundtrip, there’s some stuff to be done before we move back in June. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

xo

 

 

 

 

Some more information on kombucha.

Kombucha: Is it Really Good for You? By Ellie Krieger

Kombucha Tea Health Benefits by Food Renegade

How to Make Kombucha Tea at Home by The Kitchn