I quit drinking diet pop (yes, we call it pop in Minnesota) almost 2 years ago. It was my last unhealthy vice. I had long given up buying it to have around the house, but inevitably, any time I was out and about, a bottle of Diet Pepsi ended up in my hand. I knew the health dangers of aspartame but like any good junkie, I rationalized my addiction.
On a dare from my husband, I quit, cold turkey.
Since then I've traded in my unhealthy habit for a new healthy one. A love for fermented and probiotic drinks, like kombucha and this sparkling probiotic beverage pictured below.
I started brewing kombucha a couple of months back. This promptly stopped me from picking up a bottle on our weekly grocery shopping trip. However, instead of kombucha, I started imbibing in a bottle of Kevita, a different type of sparkling probiotic drink.
I spotted a new flavor a few weeks back and loved it so much, I decided I could “hack” it. After reading the ingredient label, I thought, “how hard could it be?” The answer to that question, “not hard at all.”
The cool thing about this easy recipe is you can let your taste buds do the talking and adjust the ingredients to suit you. Start with the basic recipe below and then if you:
- Like it spicy, add a little more kick of cayenne.
- Like it tart, add more lemon.
- Like it sharp, add more apple cider vinegar.
- Like it salty, add more Celtic sea salt.
- Like it sweeter, add a few extra drops of stevia.
Wanted to add a note about the drinking ensemble pictured above. My very thoughtful friend, who knows how much I love Mason jars, gifted me with a set of drinking jars with handles along with the cool lid and stainless steel straw. You can find these items on Amazon, just click on the links provided.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Club Soda or Filtered Water (Chilled)
- Juice from One Lemon
- 1 Tbsp. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 pinches Celtic Sea Salt
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 10 drops Liquid Stevia
- 1 Probiotic Capsule (Optional)
Directions
- To a mixing glass add club soda, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Celtic sea salt, cayenne pepper and stevia.
- Using stir stick, mix and taste. Adjust if necessary.
- Open probiotic capsule and add to lemonade and mix again.
- Fill two pint glasses with ice and serve lemonade.
- Enjoy!
Click +1 Below. Do you have a favorite probiotic drink?
I saw these for first time today! Then I see this. I guess I am supposed to try it!
I love KeVita too. It’s about the only probiotic drink that feels good. I’ll try this recipe and see if it does the same things!
Sounds yummy. Are you actually juicing the lemon in a juicer or just squeezing the lemon by hand? Would love to try to get it right the first time. Thanks.
I am doing it by hand…get about 1 oz. of juice from a whole lemon.
Thank you. I thought it may yield a bit more juice if a juicer was used. Maybe not. Sounds like my next experiment … after I make this delicious treat. 🙂
I would love to know where you found the lovely jar lid with the straw hole in your picture. And, thanks so much for this and all of your other recipes. I appreciate all your creativity and your willingness to share.
I spill the beans on the lovely jar, lid and straw in the blog post. Hint, it’s near the bottom, before the recipe. 😉
My bad…sometimes I think I have read it all but I haven’t. Must be my age. 🙂
Wouldn’t the acid from the ACV and lemon juice make the probiotics ineffective? Just like our stomach acid can interfere with probiotic capsules, if the capsule disolves in the stomach.
Apple cider vinegar is a prebiotic…this actually feeds the probiotic. While lemon juice is acidic, the different strains of probiotics actually thrive in an acidic envrionment.
Tasted great. I substituted grated ginger for the cayenne (cause that’s the KeVita flavor I like), and then strained it. My new breakfast drink!
Glad you enjoyed it!
So grateful I stumbled on your website! Your ideas look so delicious , and i love the simplicity of them. Anxious to try them all!
Could I substitute honey for the liquid stevia or would this interfere with the “balance” of this beverage?
I don’t use honey, so I don’t know.
Which probiotic do you use? This is different than a kombucha drink right?
This one.
I have a batch of water kefir fermenting right now. I love it with raspberries and blackberries in the second ferment. So delicious.
I love this idea! I’m in the process of healing my gut and thrive on kevita but cannot afford to always but not can I always find them. My favorite is the mojito lime! Do you think you can give me an idea how to make that one? Also , do you have to let it go thru a ferment process before you drink? Thank you!
We like the mojito lime too. I don’t a recipe for it….yet. Kevita is not fermented like kombucha.
What is the benefit of adding the probiotic versus not adding it?
Perfect! I just tried the cayenne version of Kevita this last week, and am a fan! Went back to buy more, but it’s pricey! Was sitting here staring at my Sodastream and thinking that there has to be a homemade version! I don’t have the probiotic tabs, but I’ve got the other stuff! Yum! Thank you!
I love this! Do you think you could dissolve a regular probiotic tablet rather than a capsule? Weird question, but I feel like it would work?
I never seen a probiotic tablet.
Wife and I are going to try this, we love kavita and it’s a pricy habit
Thrilled to see your recipe. I don’t do the cayenne version due to instant heartburn from it but LOVE the mojito lime mint version. I am on weekly chemotherapy and feel that Kevita is one of the very best foods I can put in my body when nothing else tastes good, etc. Very pricey but I feel it is medicine for me. You have a wonderful website that I found today and have enjoyed looking at your recipes, etc. Very nice.
Hi Kandy. Blessings on your healing journey!
I am SO going to try this. I was wondering if there is a way to make a big batch of this and keep it in a pitcher? For me, it would be easier to just have it ready (Too lazy to do it every morning, to be honest). Thank you! Can’t wait to try!