3 Recipes to SPARK up DRY FEBRUARY with kombucha

After a year of quarantines, lockdowns, working from home, homeschooling, and virtual everything, you might be feeling ready to cut back or take a break from alcohol. You’ve probably also heard of Dry February … or Dry January, Dry July, Sober September, or No-Fun-Vember, which challenge people to lay off the booze for a month and hopefully focus on healthier habits. If you’re newly sober curious, Dry February might be a good month to try taking that break, after all there’s only 28 days in this month! 

We don’t think cutting back means you have to cut out the fun or flavour of your drinks. We also don’t think you have to go cold turkey to get some health benefits either. Whether you want to go all the way, half-way, or just sometimes dry, we’ve got three ways you can add Spark Kombucha to the mix and spark up your Dry February challenge!

Kombucha Mimosa

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 thinly sliced orange wedges

• 2-3 large strawberries, greens removed and sliced

• 1 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed if you’ve got it!)

• 1 x 355 ml bottle Spark Kombucha Ginger Berry 

Instructions:

1. Divide and place orange wedges and sliced strawberries in the base of your glasses.

2. Pour 1/2 cup orange juice in each glass.

3. Pour kombucha over orange juice until it begins to froth at the top of the glasses.

4. Garnish with a slice or two of strawberry and orange.

5. Enjoy!

Hot Lemon Ginger Zinger

(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tbsp local honey

• Pinch of turmeric

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• 1 x 355 ml bottle Spark Kombucha Lemon Ginger

Instructions:

1. Add fresh sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, honey, turmeric, lemon juice, and kombucha to a pot and stir.

2. Heat carefully at low temperature for 10-15 minutes, but do not boil.

3. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 5 minutes, before straining into your favourite mug.

4. If you like it a little spicier, you can add a fresh cinnamon stick to the finished drink.

CUT THE BOOZE IN HALF

Maybe you don’t feel like going completely dry for 28 days. Maybe you just feel like cutting back, and that’s ok too. So why not replace some of the booze in your favourite beverage with your favourite kombucha and quickly cut the alcohol in half! 

BEER & KOMBUCHA

In some parts of the world they mix beer with a non-alcoholic drink, like lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, and call it a shandy. Other people mix beer with citrus juice, like lemonade or grapefruit juice, and call it a radler. Whatever you call it, it’s a refreshing way to cut back on the beer without feeling deprived. We’re going one step further and mixing a beer with kombucha – cut down on the alcohol and add some good for you probiotics at the same time! 

If you’re in Squamish, stop by A-Frame Brewing and ask for a SPARKler and they’ll mix up their Cream Ale with Spark Kombucha for you.
Ps. The same principle applies to cider too ;)

WINE & KOMBUCHA

Not a beer drinker? You can refresh your plain old glass of wine with kombucha too! Instead of adding sparkling water or club soda to your glass of pinot grigio, simply add 1 part of Spark’s Berry Hibiscus kombucha to 3 parts wine. Cheers!

TREAT YOURSELF

Another method of going “almost” dry is to limit your drinking to the weekend only. Take the week off and then treat yourself to a few cocktails over the weekend, but just remember to continue to pace yourself! You may feel the effects of even a few drinks now that you’ve cut back. 

Be sure to up your water intake when you’re drinking alcohol and have a few bottles of Spark Kombucha in the fridge for the morning after. According to Reader’s Digest, kombucha is a favourite hangover remedy for us west coasters and Spark Kombucha stands out because we don’t add any extra sugar to our brew. Just pure gut loving, hydrating, bubbles with benefits in our bottles! 

Or you could swap out the pop in your cocktail for some Spark Kombucha and start the hangover cure the night before. We like to think of this plan as the Detox + Retox = Net Zero.

Lemon Hibiscus Fizz

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of ice

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

• 2oz of your favourite gin (or skip it to stay dry!)

• 2 tsp Frostbites hibiscus & lemon syrup 

• 1 x 355 ml bottle Spark Kombucha Berry Hibiscus

Instructions:

1. Split the ice between two glasses, add lemon slices.

2. Add 1 tsp of Frostbites syrup to each glass, top with kombucha.

3. Stir and garnish (we used dried hibiscus)

4. Enjoy!

Which ever way you choose to go dry(ish) this February, we’re here to remind you that still enjoy a tasty beverage or your favourite brew, just lighter! So, which kind of dry will you be this February? And which Spark Kombucha flavour are you going to try with your new dry routine?

If you’re ready to take on the Dry February challenge then don’t forget to book your Spark Kombucha home delivery to get stocked up for the month!

Place your order online by Sunday at 5pm and your case of Spark Kombucha will be on your doorstep on Wednesday.

Cheers!