Water kefir recipes: easy mocktails, spritzes and brunch drinks
The basic water kefir recipe
Stir 40g organic cane sugar into 1 litre of non-chlorinated water in a glass jar. Add about ¼ cup of water kefir grains (and 15g unsulphured dried figs if you like), cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 24–48 hours. Strain, keep the grains for your next batch, then chill. Full method: how to make water kefir at home.
Water kefir is lightly sparkling, gently tangy and not too sweet, which makes it a brilliant base for mocktails, brunch drinks and even salad dressings. Here are our favourite water kefir recipes, from two-minute spritzes to party punches. Every one works with a bottle of PiQi organic water kefir or your own homemade brew.
Water kefir mocktails
- Kefir mojito, three ways: the classic with Original Fig, a raspberry mojito and a green mojito with Matcha & Mint.
- Mango & ginger mocktail: tropical and warming, made with Ginger & Lemon.
- Butterfly Kiss: a pretty pink mocktail made with Raspberry.
- Grapefruit & cardamom reverie: aromatic and grown-up, made with Original Fig.
- Christmas mocktails: six festive drinks, from a fig fizz to a big-batch ginger punch.
Four two-minute spritzes
- Fig & thyme spritz. Fill a wine glass with ice. Add 150ml Original Fig, a splash of soda and a sprig of fresh thyme. Finish with a thin slice of orange.
- Raspberry & lime fizz. Muddle a few raspberries with a squeeze of lime in a tall glass. Add ice, top with 200ml Raspberry and garnish with mint.
- Ginger mule. Fill a tumbler with crushed ice. Pour over 200ml Ginger & Lemon, add a squeeze of lime and a slice of fresh ginger.
- Citrus cooler. Pour Blue Spirulina & Lemon over ice with a squeeze of lime and a few cucumber ribbons.
Brunch and breakfast
- Kefir mimosa: orange juice topped with Original Fig, for a brunch with sparkle.
- Kefir overnight oats. Stir 50g oats with 150ml Original Fig and a grated apple. Cover and chill overnight, then top with plant-based yoghurt and berries.
- Overnight berry smoothie. Soak 2 tbsp oats in 150ml Raspberry in the fridge overnight. In the morning, blend with a handful of frozen berries and half a banana. Soaking lets the sparkle settle, so it blends smoothly (blending anything fizzy straight from the bottle can build pressure under the lid).
- Vegan banana & hemp pancakes: serve with a glass of something cold and fizzy.
Cooking with water kefir
- Ginger & lemon dressing. Whisk 3 tbsp Ginger & Lemon with 3 tbsp olive oil, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Lovely on grain bowls and winter slaws.
- Ginger shots: three easy homemade shots: classic, turmeric and orange.
Water kefir is best used cold. Heat means the cultures won't stay live, so add it to cold dishes, or at the very end of cooking.
How to flavour homemade water kefir
If you brew your own, a second ferment is where you make it yours. Add fruit or herbs to your strained kefir in a bottle with a silicone lid and leave it for about 24 hours. Each of these flavours 1 litre:
- Strawberry & vanilla: ¼ cup sliced strawberries and a dash of vanilla
- Lemon & ginger: 20g sliced fresh ginger and ½ lemon
- Raspberry & mint: ¼ cup raspberries and a few mint leaves
Our step-by-step guide covers the second ferment and how to keep it safe. New to brewing? The complete fermentation kit has everything you need in one box.
What can I mix with water kefir?
Almost anything you'd mix with a soft drink: fresh fruit juice, soda water, tonic, muddled berries, fresh herbs such as mint, basil or thyme, and citrus. Keep it cold and add it last, so it stays lightly sparkling.
Planning a month off? See our Dry January drinks and Veganuary ideas. Want to taste the lot? Taste the Rainbow has one bottle of each of our five flavours.
