King of Kefir contacted me a couple of weeks ago and said they had a new bottle and new label and asked if they could send me out some samples. I replied that I wasn’t sure if I liked kefir, as I think the last time I tried it was a fairly ropey home brewed version. They still sent me out a package with a nice hand written note. So I’ve spent the weekend drinking them.
Oh, and, don’t worry, this isn’t going to turn into a lifestyle and wellness blog. I started with the Cucumber, Mint and Thyme as I expected it to be my least favourite. I’m not a huge fan of cucumber but it proved to be a pleasant, refreshing beverage on a sunny afternoon. Not a million miles off gin and tonic flavours.
I was very interested in popping Hopped Culture open as it was hopped with Amarillo, Citra and Mosaic. To answer the question which I posed in the title – Kefir is a fermented beverage, these are non alcoholic and if you’re diet conscious they have only 7 Kcal per bottle. Personally, I’m mostly concerned with the taste. If diet or alcohol are a problem I can drink water, or, indeed coffee! I must say I was impressed. This is a very tasty drink and the hops work well in it. I will definitely keep this on hand as a non alcoholic alternative to beer.
The Lemongrass and Ginger had an intriguing blend of cardamom, fennel, star anise and cloves in the mix. It also ticked the boxes as a dry, refreshing, grown up beverage. You certainly don’t have sticky teeth after drinking these.
Lastly, I popped open the Chilli and Ginger with some homemade pizza this evening. And I can confirm that it was a successful pairing. Nice little tingle from the chillies. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this range. If you want to give these a try you’ll find them in all of the fancy food shops: Bradley’s, Fallon and Byrne, 57 The Headline and in Supervalu Food Academy fridges. Sláinte!