Holiday Hibiscus Kombucha

This recipe is a twist on our classic Hibiscus Kombucha! We normally use plain teas for our basic brews but the mulling spices and hibiscus petals have worked wonderfully in this first ferment, just in time for the holidays!

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar or sucanat
1 kombucha scoby
1 cup Kombucha Starter
12 cups filtered or spring water with minerals
2 tea bag (Green, Black, or White)
1/3 cup dried hibiscus flowers (you can find these at local health food stores or online)
1/4 cup Mulling spices or 1-2 mulling spice tea bags

Instructions

Bring 12 cups of water to a boil.
Add brown sugar and dissolve.
Add tea bags, Hibiscus flowers, and mulling spices in a tea bag, or loose, to water and sugar mixture
After 5 minutes, turn off heat and let brew for at least 10-20 more minutes. The longer you brew, the stronger the flavor.
Strain your tea, if necessary, into your brewing vessel. Let cool.
Once completely cool, add your kombucha starter liquid and SCOBY.
Cover with a thin cloth or a towel and rubber band to secure.
Let brew from 6-14 days. Houses warmer than 70 degrees will take less time than cooler houses.
When your kombucha is to your taste, you can drink right away or store in bottles* in the fridge.
Reserve 1 cup of starter liquid to use on your next brew.

Notes

To make an even more festive recipe, second ferment 13 ounces of this hibiscus brew with 2 ounces orange juice and 1 ounce of cranberry juice for 5-10 days!

* If storing in bottles, make sure you use thick glass bottles made for brewing.

Note: This will create a pink-hued SCOBY. Whatever type of tea and sugar you use will change the color of your SCOBY and that is perfectly fine!