Looking for natural alternatives to soda pop? Fermented non alcoholic drinks may be the answer. We share a few different types of alcohol-free fermented drinks you can brew at home with ease.
In recent years, the popularity of fermented non-alcoholic drinks has been climbing. Home fermenters are increasingly searching for alcohol-free recipes with complex and natural flavors, and which are enjoyable and satisfying to produce at home.
Fermented non alcoholic drinks are a great alternative to sugary sodas and juices, and come in a wide range of options from milk-based drinks such as kefir, to grain- and tea-based beverages like kombucha.
In this article, we introduce you to all the different types of fermented non alcoholic drinks you can brew at home, ranging from easy brews using nothing more than what is already in your kitchen, to more complex beverages.
Why are Fermented Non Alcoholic Drinks Popular?
The growth of TV and online cooking shows means we are keen to experiment with new ingredients, flavor combinations, recipes, and production techniques. Cooking techniques that once seemed exotic and impossible to achieve at home, are shown to be far from it, and fermenting our own drinks at home is one of those techniques.
Some other reasons fermented non alcoholic drinks are becoming so popular include:
- Interest in nutrition and probiotics has created new interest in health boosting edibles.
- COVID-19 restrictions enabled people to experiment with unfamiliar cooking techniques, including fermenting non-alcoholic drinks at home.
- We are becoming increasingly aware of our need to limit alcohol intake. Low-alcohol and alcohol-free fermented products are ideal alternatives.
- Fermented non-alcoholic drinks you can brew at home are cheap to produce, taste better, and are more fun than commercial brands.
Fermented Non Alcoholic Drinks to Brew at Home
Fermented drinks non alcoholic and alcoholic alike, are typically made from fruit juices, herbal infusions, soaked grains, as well as green and black tea. When it comes to alcohol-free fermented drinks, these can be divided into several categories:
- Fermented Milk-based Drinks
- Fermented Plant-based Drinks (inc. tea, grain, fruit)
Be mindful that just because the drinks are called non alcoholic fermented drinks, they will always contain some alcohol because of the nature of the fermentation process. For more explanation, check out our article does non-alcoholic beer contain alcohol?.
Next, let’s look at examples of fermented non alcoholic drinks you can brew at home from each category.
Fermented Milk Drinks
Kefir
- Base: Milk (cow, goat, sheep, buffalo)
- Origin: Russia, Middle East, Asia
Kefir is one of the oldest milk-based fermented non alcoholic drinks, which can be prepared from goat, sheep, cow, and buffalo milk. Historically made by the shepherds in the Caucasus mountains, Russia, the Middle East, and Asia. The Turkish word ‘kefir’ means ‘good feeling’ relating to how you feel after consumption. The drink is fermented in sewn animal hides, earthenware pots, or barrels. The milk is added to the fermentation vessel and can be fortified with cheese whey. A specific culture called kefir grains is added. It is a mixture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast and looks like grain. Fermentation is fast, between 18-24 hours, after which the kefir grains are removed and used again in a subsequent batch.
Kefir has a creamy taste, pleasantly acidic, and tart from the lactic acid fermentation. The yeasts and the small amount of alcohol create a distinctive aroma. Over the years, fermenters have developed their own ingredients, flavorings, and fermenting techniques to reflect the traditions of their countries.
Fermented Plant-based Drinks
Ginger Beer
- Base: Ginger
- Origin: England
Ginger beer is one of those fermented drinks that is equally popular as both an alcoholic and non alcoholic beverage. Originating in Yorkshire (England) in the mid-1700s, ginger beer was initially a low alcohol beverage, which took hold as a popular drink in the United States from around the 1800s. Today, non alcoholic variations also exist. The ingredients of ginger beer are surprisingly straightforward. It is simply ginger root, water, sugar and yeast. Lemon is usually added, as well.
The ingredients are mixed and fermented for a few days, before being bottled. The flavor is overwhelming ginger, meaning it is quite sharp and spicy, yet sweet. It is certainly not to everyone’s taste, but some people absolutely love it. Ginger beer is easy to make at home in a mason jar on your counter-top, and gives good insight into the process for brewing fermented drinks. All-in-all, it’s a good one to start with when learning how to brew.
Root Beer
- Base: Sassafras flavor, Wintergreen
- Origin: North America
Root beer is a fizzy beer-like drink based on a traditional beverage made by the indigenous peoples of North America. These early root beers used local plant roots, barks and spices, particularly sassafras root, which continues to be the main flavoring ingredient of modern-day root beers. Today, root beer is generally brewed from root beer extracts which consist of a blend of sassafras, wintergreen bark and other spices and flavors such as molasses, caramel and vanilla. Today’s extracts are made from artificial sassafras flavor, after the FDA discovered that a compound in sassafras (called safrole) was carcinogenic and subsequently banned its use in food since the 1960s.
The taste of root beer is often described as sweet and refreshing, with a unique spiciness similar to liquorice or vanilla. It truly is a flavor unto itself, that needs to be tasted to be understood. Making root beer today is a fairly easy process, which uses ready-made root beer extract, water, sugar and yeast. Like brewing regular beer, the ingredients are combined and fermented for several days, then bottled. Root beer is typically considered alcohol-free, although stronger variations may exist.
Sarsaparilla
- Base: Smilax plant
- Origin: North America
Like root beer, sarsaparilla has its origins with the indigenous peoples of North America, where it was traditionally used for medicinal purposes to treat skin and joint problems. It gained popularity in Europe during the 1500s via Spanish explorers, and was re-introduced to America in the 1600s by British Colonists as a medicinal plant and flavoring agent for food and beverages.
Sarsaparilla is a fizzy beverage made from several varieties of the Smilax plant. The Smilax extract (sarsaparilla root extract) is combined with water, sugar and yeast, and fermented for a few days as with beer-brewing. The flavor is often described as similar to root beer, but earthier and spicier. Like root beer, it is a unique flavor, that cannot be easily compared to other drinks or flavors. It can be found with relative ease from stores as an alcohol-free carbonated drink, so pick up a bottle and give it a try if you’re curious.
Fermented Cola
- Base: Cola nut, Spices
- Origin: United States
Cola as we know it today, was originally brewed as a fermented non alcoholic soda drink, prior to the invention of carbonation technology. As carbonation methods and bottles to contain carbonated sodas became available, fermenting cola became a tradition of the past. Some artisan makers still produce traditional fermented cola, but for the most part colas are now carbonated using CO2 gas injection rather than fermentation.
It is certainly still possible to brew cola the traditional fermented way, using cola nut combined with other flavors such as caramel and vanilla, plus water, sugar, lemon and yeast. Using the same fermentation method as fermented cola, it is possible to brew many other healthy soda-style drinks, simply by swapping the flavoring agents.
Kombucha
- Base: Tea
- Origin: China
Kombucha has been made for over 2000 years and is a fermented, slightly alcoholic, sweetened drink based on black or green tea. It originated in China but is now popular worldwide. Kombucha is fermented with a mixed culture of live bacteria and yeast, called a ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast’ (SCOBY), which can be easily cultivated at home and reused for future batches. Citrus fruits, apples, and blackberries are popular flavorings, along with herbs such as chamomile. Kombucha is prepared by brewing the tea in boiling water for 10 minutes, then adding a small amount of sugar. Once cooled, the culture is added and fermented for 1-8 weeks. A longer fermentation increases the alcohol content and the intensity of flavor.
Shrub
- Base: Vinegar, Fruit
- Origin: England
Shrub is a drink that fell out of mainstream awareness for a long time, but is starting to see a resurgence. Shrub is a vinegar-based drink that is similar to kombucha is many ways in that it relies on a mother culture for fermentation, but instead of a SCOBY as in Kombucha, it uses a different culture called a Mother of Vinegar. Like SCOBY, the Mother of Vinegar is made from yeast and bacterial culture. When you look at a bottle of traditionally brewed apple cider vinegar, you may see cloudy blob – that is the Mother of Vinegar.
Unlike making Kombucha you don’t typically need to acquire and maintain a Mother of Vinegar to make Shrub. Instead, you would use traditionally-brewed vinegar, combined with sugar, fruit and other flavors. The mixture is fermented for several days, and the resulting vinegar liquid is diluted with still or sparkling water for a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage. Shrub can be flavored with all types of fruits, herbs and spices, but always with an underlying tartness from the vinegar.
Kvass
- Base: Grain (rye, barley)
- Origin: Russia
Kvass is so popular in Russia and eastern Poland as a soft drink it is widely available in fast food restaurants. Made from readily available and cheap ingredients, the cereal element is usually rye, barley malts, rye flour, or stale rye bread. Kvass carries the flavor of rye bread and is light amber in colour. There are different recipes, but traditionally, a batter is made of water and stale sourdough or rye bread. This is mixed with water and left to allow the sediment to separate. Sugar is then added, and the fermentation starts, creating a wide range of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, which vary depending on the added ingredients and fermentation techniques. The finished product can be sparkling, sour, or sweet, depending on the amount of added sugar. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals.
Hardaliye
- Base: Fruit (grape)
- Origin: Turkey
A fruit-based drink, Hardaliye, is made from a combination of red grape juice, crushed black mustard seeds, and occasionally, the leaves of the sour cherry tree and crushed grape skins called pomace. Its origins lie in Thrace in the Marmara region of Turkey, where it is still widely made domestically, although there is some industrial production. After the ingredients have been crushed, they are mixed with water, and the naturally present lactic acid bacteria and fungal spores are sufficient to start the fermentation.
This continues at room temperature for 5-10 days before the finished Hardaliye is filtered and bottled. The grape skins colour the finished product, which is enjoyably acidic and fruity in flavor. Other typical flavors include cranberries, stone fruit, and wild apples. The main fermentation agents in Hardaliye include lactic acid bacteria and fungal spores. Research has shown several other bacteria species often also add to the flavor profile.
Local Variations and Specialties
As well as these alcohol-free fermented beverages, there are many lesser-known fermented non alcoholic drinks and regional variations that have not been listed here. One local variation that comes immediately to mind is Sima, a fermented drink (non alcoholic) that has been in my Finnish family cooking history for many generations, which is essentially fermented lemonade flavored with hops.
Some other regional specialties include:
- Jun (Himalayas; Green Tea)
- Tepache (Mexico; Pineapple)
- Switchel (America; Vinegar, Ginger)
- Filmjölk (Sweden; Milk)
- Jallab (Lebanon, Syria; Carob Molasses, Grape)
To include all regional variations would be an almost impossible task, as many have developed independently over centuries and have not come into mainstream awareness in the English-speaking world. A good place to learn about these lesser-known fermented non alcoholic drinks is to acquire old cookbooks specialising in certain regional cuisine (eg Russian cookery), however, you may have a hard time locating ones written in English or a means of translating them.
How to Make Fermented Non Alcoholic Drinks at Home
Recipes from around the world for home-fermented drinks often originated in poorer communities. Consequently, the ingredients and the equipment required were simple and cheap. Fortunately, this is still true, so you can start experimenting today with little outlay.
As with any fermentation process, hygiene is essential. If your fermentation bucket and the rest of your equipment are contaminated with bad strains of bacteria or yeast from the air, this can be enough to start replicating in your brew. Once established, this can produce too much acid and foreign flavors, which will easily taint your finished product. So, a good hygiene technique and sterilisation are vital.
Equipment Requirements
Fermenting bucket & airtight lid – with a tap at the base for drawing off after fermentation. The lid needs to fit tightly onto the bucket. The lid should also have an integral airlock, allowing carbon dioxide produced by bacteria and yeast to escape without outside air contaminating the batch. The size is variable, a typical beer fermenter is around 6-8 gallons (25-30L), but smaller vessel would be better if you just want a small batch.
Sterilizing tablets, powder or solution – dissolve or dilute in water, which can be used to sterilize all the interior surfaces of your equipment. If you’re making a tiny batch of something simple, say a mason jar of shrub, then you can sterilize using boiling water. Also known an sanitizing (technically sterilizing and sanitizing are different, but I wont go into it here).
Hydrometer – enables you to measure the alcohol content of each batch. Especially important for fermented drinks that are intended to be non alcoholic, so you can ensure the alcohol content isn’t out of hand.
Thermometer – for measuring the temperature of hot ingredients when starting a batch, and ensuring they’ve cooled to a temperature that is suitable for yeast to survive and work.
Long-handled spoon – for stirring and dissolving ingredients, such as sugar.
Siphoning tube – if the bucket doesn’t have a tap, then a siphoning tube is a quick and easy alternative for getting your brew out of your fermenting vessel.
Method
The method for each type of fermented non alcoholic drink will vary, but the general principle is to combine all the ingredients (sometimes they are simmered, but often not). You then bring the liquid to a temperature suitable for yeast to both survive and thrive, around 70-75°F (21-24°C).
Next, you allow the mixture to bubble (ferment) for 4-7 days at room temperature. Once the yeast has finished the fermentation, you bottle the liquid with a little bit of sugar for natural carbonation (bottle carbonation). Some drinks also require it to be aged, up to 3-6 months in some cases.
For a full list of equipment, check out our Non Alcoholic Beer Brewing Equipment 101 article, where we discuss all the parts listed above plus more.
Health Benefits of Homemade Fermented Non Alcoholic Drinks
Most health benefits of fermented drinks are associated with prebiotic and probiotic activity.
Prebiotic colonies aim to nourish the existing flora in the gut, while probiotic colonies aim to increase the number and diversity of flora. More research is needed to qualify the advantages, but the positive effects of such flora are becoming recognised as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant agents.
That said, there are clear examples of fermented drinks used for vitamin deficiencies. Sorghum beer, a good niacin source, successfully reduced the severity of pellagra (niacin deficiency) in Southern Africa.
Conclusion
I hope this article has given you some good insight into the different types of fermented non alcoholic drinks that you can brew at home. Most traditional fermented soft drinks are relatively unknown in the mainstream, as they are largely based on old traditional recipes that have fallen to the wayside due to the growing popularity of carbonated sodas and soft drinks. However, fermented soft drinks are a wonderful alternative to commercially-produced sodas.
Fermented non alcoholic drinks feature more complex flavors and real health benefits compared with the bubbly sugar water you get from the shop. Making them is also surprisingly easy as long as you stick to a few golden rules such as sanitize your equipment and keep the brew within a set temperature range during fermentation. Once you understand the rules, you will see that all fermented drinks follow essentially the same process, with a few tweaks to make each one unique.
Lastly, it is important to point out that while we call them fermented non alcoholic drinks, they will always contain some alcohol, usually below 0.5% abv which is the legal threshold for alcohol-free beverages. Home-fermented drinks often contain yeasts as part of the fermentation process, and one of the byproducts of their metabolism is alcohol. Although for most recipes, the quantity of alcohol is small, it’s worth checking with a hydrometer if alcohol content is a concern. We explain this in greater detail in our article does non alcoholic beer contain alcohol.
For other alternatives to commercial sodas, be sure to check out our articles about what are cordial drinks and elixir drinks.
Happy fermenting!
