Kombucha is that fermented, bubbly tea-based drink with a range of flavoring recipes often brewed with black or green tea. You can buy kombucha commercially at your favorite local stores or even retail chains like Target, Walmart, but you can also make it home. It isn't new, in fact, it's quite old! 

Whether it's your first time drinking the refreshingly tart taste of kombucha with your classic kombucha starter kit or you've made it hundreds of times, the fizzy drink has so much opportunity. You can go for a very tart flavor or nice & sweet. Brew whatever flavor you want, that's the great part about this drink! What are the best kombucha flavors? Do you prefer to use juice or fresh fruit?

Best Kombucha Flavors Best Weird Unique Better Booch San Diego kombucha brands Carmen Varner travel food wine influencer Best kombucha flavors


Shop for a kombucha starter kit - 1 Gallon Brewing Kit Includes Everything You Need To Brew Kombucha At Home. If you're wondering what is kombucha??? What brand of kombucha is best? Is Kombucha really good for you? then head over to my blog post: What is Kombucha? to give you a bit of background history.

Intro to Kombucha

In this blog post, I answer a couple bit questions: What are the flavors of kombucha? Is Kombucha supposed to taste bad? Whether you want to make homemade kombucha tea or you like adding ingredients to jazz up a bottle you've already got, there are tons of best kombucha flavor ideas. I included drink pairings but you could mix & match one or more ingredients, using fruit or juices such as apple apricot, mango carrot ginger, lemon and ginger kombucha, the list of kombucha flavor concepts goes on. 

One apple, one whole stick of cinnamon, or one cup of molasses will flavor an entire gallon of kombucha. You can opt for juice, fresh puree, fresh cut pieces of fruit, even chia seeds, herbs, and spicesAdd the delicious flavors of your choice. This is just a list of the best flavoring options, so you'll have to consult a recipe for the best way to make it, flavoring kombucha & exact measurements. 

Scroll down for answers to your hottest questions: What are the best kombucha flavors? What does the second ferment/second fermentation do? Where can you buy it? Is there a kombucha kit to help make it?

List of Kombucha Flavor Ideas: What are the best kombucha flavors?

  1. Acai
  2. Acerola
  3. Almond
  4. Apple 
  5. Apple Cinnamon
  6. Apple Raspberry with apple juice & raspberries 
  7. Apricot
  8. Basil Lime
  9. Berry Blend
  10. Blackberry 
  11. Blackberry Apple
  12. Blackberry vanilla kombucha
  13. Blueberry
  14. Blueberry Basil
  15. Blueberry Elderberry
  16. Blueberry Peach
  17. Blood Orange 
  18. Blood Orange Mint
  19. Cantaloupe
  20. Chamomile 
  21. Carrot
  22. Cherimoya
  23. Cherry
  24. Cherry Orange
  25. Chia Seed kombucha
  26. Citrus Mint Blend - Orange juice with fresh mint leaves 
  27. Clementine
  28. Coconut
  29. Coconut mango
  30. Coffee
  31. Cranberry
  32. Cranberry Apple
  33. Elderberry
  34. Elderberry Lemonade
  35. Elderflower
  36. Fig
  37. Ginger
  38. Ginger Fig
  39. Ginger Turmeric
  40. Grapefruit
  41. Grapefruit Rosemary
  42. Rosemary grape kombucha
  43. Guava
  44. Hibiscus flowers
  45. Hibiscus rose
  46. Honey Basil Peach
  47. Honeydew
  48. Kiwi
  49. Kiwi strawberry
  50. Kumquat
  51. Lavender
  52. Lavender Lemongrass
  53. Lavender Rose
  54. Lemon
  55. Lemongrass
  56. Lemon Ginger kombucha
  57. Lime Mint
  58. Loquat
  59. Lychee
  60. Mandarin
  61. Mango
  62. Mango Pineapple - mango puree with pineapple juice
  63. Maple Syrup
  64. Mint
  65. Mojito - ginger lime mint
  66. Mulberry
  67. Nectarine 
  68. Orange
  69. Orange Turmeric
  70. Papaya
  71. Papaya Pineapple
  72. Passionfruit (lilikoi)
  73. Passionfruit Tangerine
  74. Peach
  75. Pear
  76. Pear Vanilla
  77. Persimmon
  78. Pineapple 
  79. Pineapple Coconut
  80. Pineapple basil kombucha
  81. Pink lady apple
  82. Pitaya (Dragonfruit)
  83. Plum
  84. Pumpkin Spice (cinnamon, clove, ginger, etc)
  85. Pomegranate
  86. Raspberry
  87. Raspberry Lemonade
  88. Raspberry Lime
  89. Root beer
  90. Rose
  91. Vanilla 
  92. Vanilla Rose
  93. Spicy Jalapeno Ginger Mango
  94. Spirulina
  95. Starfruit
  96. Strawberry kombucha
  97. Strawberry Lemonade - strawberry lemon
  98. Strawberry Basil
  99. Watermelon
  100. Watermelon Rose
  101. Watermelon mint

Pick and choose a couple ingredients to create your own combination. 

Adding flavor to your kombucha drink & using your imagination is half the fun! Who doesn't love pure customization to create your own tasty blend? This list is great for kombucha lovers trying to come up with flavor blends. These are some of the best kombucha flavors to get you started! Browse this list of kombucha flavor ideas and maybe you'll invent a new flavor or add a little pizzazz to your own batch of kombucha. If you're making kombucha tea there are lots of fruit flavor kombucha options you can go for. 

Add herbs or seasonal spices to add flavor. You could utilize fresh fruit, fruit juice, frozen, berries, or dried fruit. Adding fruit can be great but it depends on the flavoring you're going for. Fresh fruit can have added nutritional value from the vitamins & micronutrients in the particular fruit. Do you want something sweet, sour, tangy? Find recipes online or in a cookbook that you love & then tweak ingredients. Find great flavor inspiration for your next batch of homemade kombucha! 

If you use rose water, make sure it's food-grade, not something you just spray on your face. Rose Flower Water, 10 OZ bottle, get it on Amazon - click here. Also, use it sparingly! 

Popular Kombucha Ingredients 

  • Zesty raw fresh ginger 
  • Fresh-squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
  • Apple juice to give a sweet taste 
  • Orange juice &/or orange zest 
  • Fresh juices such as Cranberry juice, watermelon juice
  • Pumpkin Spice like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom 
  • Honey, table sugar, Turbinado sugar, maple syrup, agave, cane sugar
  • Juice, fresh puree, fresh cut pieces of fruit
  • Vanilla, vanilla bean
  • Chia seeds 
  • Herbs and spices

Where to Buy Kombucha

If you want to buy kombucha in the store, it usually comes in one 16 oz. bottle. They usually come with added ingredients to give some extra flavor or else it'd be kind of bland or funky. Popular kombucha brands include Health-Ade Kombucha, GT's Organic (GT's Enlightened Synergy Trilogy), Brew Doctor, Humm Kombucha,  Wild Tonic Jun Kombucha, Kevita, & more. You can buy bottles of kombucha online too, such as Remedy Raw Organic Kombucha or Health-Ade Kombucha Tea Organic Probiotic Drink. Online doesn't have as much as say a health food store like Whole Foods or something that often has dozens of bottle choices. If you don't have much near you, online is still a great place to find kombucha.

Need to consult a recipe? The Little Book of Kombucha: Best Delicious Kombucha Recipes, Useful Tips & Tricks, Most Common Mistakes. Find it on Amazon - click here.

Drinking kombucha is a peaceful ritual for me. I crack open a bottle. I take great care as I open the bottle avoiding any carbonation explosion. The fizzy flavored kombucha tea smells fragrant as I inhale. Now for the first sip. I usually hiccup if something has a solid amount of carbonation. So sometimes I use the hiccup test if a kombucha or soda or carbonated beverage is carbonated enough for my personal taste.

Shop the Kombucha Crafter's Logbook: A Journal to Track and Record Your Kombucha Home Brews. Find it on Amazon - click here!

Best Kombucha Flavors: Best, Weird, & Unique

SCOBY

Brew kombucha with SCOBY, which is an acronym for "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast." SCOBY forms after it goes through a fermentation process of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, & yeast. These mesh together to create a sour flavor that you can find in kombucha and kimchi. Click here to get SCOBY. If the recipe seems complex, take it one ingredient at a time.

Second Fermentation

Watch your SCOBY grow during the first fermentation. The second fermentation is essential to brewing kombucha. The second fermentation allows for the flavors, fermentation, & carbonation to really infuse. Second fermentation can usually be done in airtight bottles. But choosing the right bottles is almost like an art form. The second ferment allows the yeast to consume the sugar which is part of the carbonation process. 

The quality of the ingredients added can potentially impact your brew. The fermentation process takes a few days, depending on the recipe. The second ferment process builds that fun fizzy carbonation that kombucha is so known for. Do you have tips for the second fermentation process?

Sugar 

You could use honey, table sugar, Turbinado sugar, maple syrup, agave. Even some of the sugar from the fresh fruit can add to the flavor & taste profile. 2 tablespoons of honey, sugar, maple, etc. seems to be a good amount, kombucha is not a super sweet drink. Some of the sugar can get eaten awake during the fermentation process. Click here to get sugar such as organic cane sugar or organic honey.

Tea

Don't forget that there is tea in your drink; it's a fermented tea beverage & you might use different types of tea, green tea, you might even see rooibos tea.

Need recipe inspiration? Find a recipe online or in a book! The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea. Find it on Amazon - click here.

Juice

People tend to sweeten their homemade kombucha using a variety of fruit to fruit juice options, depending on the recipe. You can use orange juice, grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed lime. Get creative & see what You have in your fridge or cabinet. Each recipe is unique, one can add anything they see fit or want to taste. Try different juice combinations to customize the perfect color.

Buying Stuff Online

I briefly talk about different flavor options, the second fermentation, but I'm not an expert at making kombucha. There are lots of great resources online if you want to make kombucha at home. There are recipe books & so many options out there to understand the kombucha brewing process. There's always a new flavor or combination or even limited edition bottles. An open bottle/bottles of kombucha can last 3-5 days in the fridge. Once opened, it starts to lose its carbonation.

100% Pomegranate Juice - USDA Organic Certified - Glass Bottle (2 Pack), click here to get it. This adds the perfect color too.

Get a starter kombucha making kit, including 1-gallon glass jar, SCOBY, Tea, Sugar and Guide to Brewing, Multicolor: Shop it on Amazon - click here. That way you can customize your own kombucha flavors!

Is Kombucha Supposed to Taste Bad?

If you think kombucha tastes bad, you're not alone. It's not for everyone. It's a good idea to try different kombucha flavours. It can certainly have funky flavoring for some people. My boyfriend isn't a particularly huge fan of kombucha. It likely has to do with the flavor & the fizzy aspect, some people just don't like those refreshing tart beverages. 

The best thing you can do is try it & that's about it if you don't like it, no worries. If you don't like the taste, try adding extra fruit to your drink! The flavorings are added for taste anyway, why not add chopped strawberries or fresh raw ginger or whatever you have on hand. 

Using different recipes, you can brew something that you truly love. It may take a few days time to ferment & bottle & make everything, but it'll be a great experiment. There are also a variety of delicious kombucha flavors, so you might find one that you love.

Shop the Kombucha Starter Kit (Deluxe with Heating Mat) SCOBY, Jar, PH Test Strips, Fermenting Ingredients & more - Get it on Amazon - click here.

What's your go-to recipe or the best flavor? Do you like fresh fruit or fruit juices in your kombucha? What recipes do you love using? Each person might have a different idea of the best kombucha flavors so it's really up to your taste buds!