Kombucha Revolution: 75 Recipes for Homemade Brews, Fixers, Elixirs, and Mixers
is a great starting point if you are new to brewing Kombucha and have just purchased (or received) your first Scoby. I wish I would have had this book the first time I tried to brew my own Kombucha, it would have saved me so much time and my first batch of Kombucha would have so much better. The minute I got this book I had to brew a new batch using "Stephen Lee's Master Plain Kombucha Recipe". It was so easy to follow (although I substituted bottled water for the Purified Water). Eight days later, it came out great. Now I want to try out some of his "Citrus Kombucha" recipe, when my Scoby has produced a baby for me. This book is a must have if you enjoy drinking Kombacha and want to brew your special blends. I found the Kombucha Revolution book to be very well written and very informative. I loved the authors writing style. He fed the reader information while making it interesting to read.
The author does provides some interesting factual information on the history of Kombacha and relates his own experience in brewing with his first Scoby. I love that he takes the time to explain how to care for the Scoby and why it is so important to have the right blend of sugar to tea ratio. I don't have time to read an encyclopedia on the subject matter and appreciate it when authors provide useful information in a concise amount.
Besides some really interesting recipes for brewing different type of Kombucha, the author also offers a great body scrub recipes for those of us who don't want to waste the Scoby babies that are not going to be used for a different brew. The Table of Contents is pretty straight forward and lists the great variety of recipes offered in this book.
Chapter Two is a "Juices and Smoothies" section that offer some fun recipes to use up your brew. For those who are really adventurous, Chapter Three has some interesting cocktail recipes that includes a great Martini concoction. Chapter Four is all about "Dressings and Dunks". The Kombucha mustard recipe is great if you like your mustard with a bit of a kick (otherwise don't include the horseradish in the recipe).
Chapter Five is a bit more complicated because it centers on salads and sides. The "Wilted Spinach with Bacon Kombacha Dressing" has an interesting flavor that I found paired really well with Kale. The Kale is not part of the recipe, I just like a crunch in my salad and added 1 cup to the recipe to make it more crunchy. If you like Collard Green, give the "Comforting Collard Greens in Kombucha" recipe a try. It will not disappoint.
Chapter Six focuses on "Sweets And Ices". Depending on the Kombucha recipe you use, I find it tends to naturally be sweet anyway. It makes total sense to use the brew for dessert recipes. The "Mango Booze Ice" recipe is a clear winner here. I personally tried it with both Vodka and without. I preferred it without, but that could be attributed to the brand on Vodka I used in the recipe.
I love that this is not just a drink recipe book. I was able to find at least two recipes that I liked in each chapter. Since I am not that great a cook, that can often be a challenge for me. However, these recipes are so easy to follow that I did not have issues with them. I have read each chapter and really enjoyed the recipes offered in this book. This is one book that I can recommend if you are just starting out on your Kombucha experience and need some brewing information. It is also great if you just want some great recipes that incorporate Kombucha and its many health qualities in your beverages and meals.
If you need to order a Scoby, Kombucha Kamp offers some great kits at an affordable price through Amazon.
Note: I was not paid for this review. I was given a copy of this book by Blogging for Books in return for my own honest review.
