Kombucha, Kefir & Natural Sodas: A simple guide to creating your own
Nina Lausecker, Sebastian Landaeus (2020)
Sign. UB 2 Lau

Making thirst-quenchingly healthy kombucha, kefir and natural soft drinks at home is easier than you probably think – this book breaks the process down step-by-step.

This simple and stunningly photographed book explains the basics of brewing your own komboucha, kefir and natural soda – right from your very own home. Truly, this book couldn’t arrive in your life at a better time. At this crucial moment of consumer awareness, many of us are starting to make better and informed choices about what we eat and drink – and we’re given plenty more choice than in the years gone by. The drinks section in all supermarkets and corner stores are now laden with healthier options which challenge the classic selection of commercialized, sugar-filled soft drinks of our youth.

Today you’ll find anywhere a whole range of naturally low-sugar, fermented alternatives such as kombucha, switchel and kefir – all healthy, gut-friendly drink options. These thirst-quenchers might seem too complicated to consider making yourself – but, in fact, fermented drinks are much easier to create at home than you might think. That’s the thing about fermentation You just bottle it up and wait.

The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
Hannah Crum, Alex LaGory (2016)
Sign. UB 2 Cru

Brew your own kombucha at home! With more than 400 recipes, including 268 unique flavor combinations, you can get all the health benefits from this fermented drink — for a fraction of the store-bought price.

This complete guide, from the proprietors of Kombucha Kamp, shows you how to do it from start to finish, with illustrated step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips. The book also includes information on the many gut health benefits of kombucha, fascinating details of the drink’s history, and recipes for delicious foods and drinks you can make with kombucha (including some irresistible cocktails!).

The Wildcrafting Brewer: Creating Unique Drinks and Boozy Concoctions from Nature’s Ingredients
Pascal Baudar (2018)
Sign. UB 2 Bau

Fermentation fans and home brewers can rediscover “primitive” drinks and their unique flavors in The Wildcrafting Brewer. Wild-plant expert and forager Pascal Baudar’s first book, The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, opened up a whole new world of possibilities for readers wishing to explore and capture the flavors of their local terroir. The Wildcrafting Brewer does the same for fermented drinks.

Baudar reveals both the underlying philosophy and the practical techniques for making your own delicious concoctions, including:

Wild sodas
Country wines
Primitive herbal beers
Meads
Traditional ferments like tiswin and kvass.

The book opens with a retrospective of plant-based brewing and ancient beers. The author then goes on to describe both hot and cold brewing methods and provides lots of interesting recipes; mugwort beer, horehound beer, and manzanita cider are just a few of the many drinks represented. Baudar is quick to point out that these recipes serve mainly as a touchstone for readers, who can then use the information and techniques he provides to create their own brews, using their own local ingredients.

The Wildcrafting Brewer will attract herbalists, foragers, natural-foodies, and chefs alike with the author’s playful and relaxed philosophy. Readers will find themselves surprised by how easy making your own natural drinks can be, and will be inspired, again, by the abundance of nature all around them.

The Big Book of Cidermaking: Expert Techniques for Fermenting and Flavoring Your Favorite Hard Cider
Christopher Shockey, Kirsten K. Shockey (2020)
Sign. UB 2 Sho

With expert advice and clear, step-by-step instructions, The Big Book of Cidermaking equips readers with the skills they need to make the cider they want: sweet, dry, fruity, farmhouse-style, hopped, barrel-aged, or fortified. The Shockey’s’ years of experience cultivating an orchard and their experiments in producing their own ciders have led them to a master formula for cidermaking success, whether starting with apples fresh from the tree or working with store-bought juice. They explore in-depth the different phases of fermentation and the entire spectrum of complex flavor and style possibilities, with cider recipes ranging from cornelian cherry to ginger, and styles including New England, Spanish, and late-season ciders.

For those invested in making use of every part of the apple, there’s even a recipe for vinegar made from the skins and cores leftover after pressing. This thorough, thoughtful handbook is an empowering guide for every cidermaker, from the beginner seeking foundational techniques and tips to the intermediate cider crafter who wants to expand their skills.