What is your favorite drink?

With its overtly sweet tea scent, bubbly brown fizz, and tangy twinge tickling the back of my throat, Pepsi was my most cherished beverage. I can still imagine the taste. Shrimp Fried Rice and Pepsi. Ozark Potato Chips and Pepsi. Old Vienna Corn Chips and Pepsi. Whenever possible, Pepsi complimented meals. Pepsi became my stress reliever, anxiety pill, and all-around good-feeling drink.  For 24 years of my life, Pepsi was my addiction, my crutch, my calm amid a storm. I could endure anything as long as I had a Pepsi to drink. 

One summer, at the height of my Pepsi addiction, a friend challenged me to go without Pepsi for 30 days. Thirty days for thirty dollars, she said.  I took on the challenge because I needed the money.  Imagine going from grabbing a Pepsi with every meal, every stressful event, every moment of happiness, every moment of sadness, or just taking a sip before bed to only drinking water.  The first week was the hardest. I had crazy mood swings and agitations, but I was determined to live the next 30 days without Pepsi. 

In the process, I developed insomnia, my hands would shake, and my cravings became challenging to quench. I substituted Pepsi with large mugs of Black tea and Tupelo Honey. In the end, it was GOD who saved me. During the last week of my Pepsi challenge, the church called a ten-day shut-in and water fast.  

My betting friend also attended the shut-in. On the final shut-in day, she came down from the church’s upper room and said, “Girl, you win. Give me two weeks; I gotcha.” Two weeks later, she showed up with 30 dollars and a six-pack of Pepsi. Although I gladly accepted the money, I turned down the Pepsi. I told her, “My PEPSI addiction is over.” Over the years, I managed to keep my Pepsi consumption down to Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Fourth of July, and a  few special occasions. 

I first learned about Kombucha in 2017, and by then, I no longer consumed Pepsi on any occasion. Despite its cost, Kombucha had become my drink of choice, one due to its perceived health benefits and two due to its similarities to Pepsi, that effervescent fizz, tingling in the back of my throat, that whiff of sweet floral scent, and that calming, relaxed movement of my digestive system. 

In recent years, the cost of kombucha has drastically risen. With each price increase, I told myself I must learn to make Kombucha myself, but I procrastinated year after year. However, I took the leap this January and bottled my first two-gallon batch of Kombucha. 

In so doing, I have gone from spending 106 dollars a month on maintaining my Kombucha habit to an estimated 45 dollars a year by simply preparing my own Kombucha, all thanks to YouTube University for the plethora of step-by-step tutorials.

What is Kombucha and why? Kombucha is consumed chiefly for its potential health-promoting properties. It is a fermented tea originating in China that dates back over 2,000 years. The fermentation process results in a tangy, slightly effervescent beverage. According to the National Library of Medicine, kombucha is a probiotic possessing high antioxidant potential when made correctly; this happens through a consortium of acetic acid bacteria and osmophilic yeast called “tea fungus.” 

Creating my Kombucha was a thirty-day process. Twenty-five—days for the first fermentation and five days for the second fermentation. I used Amaretto tea, raw organic sugar, and one bottle of GT Kombucha Apple. When I say this Kombucha is better than the GT Kombucha I love, it is! The taste is slightly sweet, effervescent, and tangy, with a floral scent. After convincing my family to taste it, they enjoyed it, and they are not Kombucha fans. It appears I am on to something with this Kombucha thing.