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    Home » Recipes » Beverages

    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail

    Published: Mar 30, 2022 · Modified: Sep 2, 2023 by Emily Laurae · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Cheers my friends — we’ve officially made it to Spring! Mix up a batch of my Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktails to toast the new season with friends. This sparkling refresher is layered with the fresh flavors and colors of a world bursting with longer days and new growth. In short, it’s perfect for brunch (or any patio sipping!) in your near future.

    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail.
    Jump to:
    • ⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 
    • 🍴Ingredients 
    • ⚒️ Equipment
    • 📖 Step-by-Step Instructions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💭 Recipe FAQs
    • More Springtime Snacks & Libations
    • Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail
    • 💬 Comments

    Aren’t the first showings of spring marvelous? The bright chartreuses, fervent yellows, and countless beautiful blossoms are just what I need after the cold, dark winter. It does wonders to my soul.

    So, to this magnificent season, I dedicate my Spring Gin, Kumquat and Kombucha Cocktail. Made with a delightfully botanical gin, a homemade thyme-kumquat simple syrup, and tart, bubbly booch, this liquid love letter hits all the right flavor notes — it’s sweet, tart, herbaceous, refreshing.

    Since no shaking is required, this lovely libation can be batched for a pitcher. It’s perfect for the return of what inevitably feels like a more sociable season, when it stays light out long enough to enjoy a few post-work cocktails with friends.

    The homemade thyme-kumquat simple syrup can also be made well in advance, meaning you can easily transition from work day to the best of the day. And, as if that weren’t enough, adding kombucha to the mix adds a healthy dose of probiotics to the mix, so you can feel ever so virtuous as you sip.

    For more info on infusing simple syrups with flavors, check out my ultimate simple syrup guide here!

    ⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

    • Kombucha Magic: Ginger kombucha provides a bubbly finish, adding depth to the classic gin's floral notes. Perfect for warm summer nights.
    • Refreshing and Unique: Combine thyme, syrup, empress gin, and a splash of kombucha. The result? A refreshing drink unlike any classic cocktail.
    • Natural Health Boost: Homemade kombucha ensures health benefits from the fermentation process. An invigorating twist on your favorite cocktail.
    • Aesthetic and Flavorful: Serve in a highball glass with an orange slice and cinnamon stick for a seasonal twist. Aesthetic meets rich, seasonal ingredients.
    • Easy Crafting: It's a simple drink with complex flavors. Pro tip: you can make your own kombucha if you love a fermentation project! 

    🍴Ingredients 

    This simple spring gin cocktail comes together with just a handful of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

    • Botanical Gin - Gin comes in several types, from ubiquitous London Dry styles (the ones that taste strongly of juniper and Christmas) to the smoky Old Tom. Reach for something a bit more delicate here. I happen to like Empress 1908, Hendrick’s, and The Botantist, but there are tons of options out there nowadays. Feel free to swap in your own favorite bottle and use to make a grapefruit cocktail or White Negroni!
    • Thyme & Kumquat Syrup - Made with just fresh thyme sprigs, a few sliced kumquats, sugar, and water, this is a snap to make. Head over to my simple syrup how-to-guide for more ideas!
    • Kombucha - Much like gin, kombucha comes in a variety of flavors from a variety of companies. There are also lots of people out there who like to brew their own; more power to them! Feel free to play around with what flavors you reach for. I happen to like plain, or anything infused with citrus, cucumbers, or ginger for this.
    • Fresh Thyme and Kumquats - Make sure you save a few extra to garnish.
    Empress 1908 gin cocktail ingredient.
    Fresh thyme on a plate.

    ⚒️ Equipment

    All you need to make this delicious kumquat gin cocktail with kombucha is:

    • A pretty glass (or pitcher). You can batch up as much as you need. Use the recipe card to 2x or 3x your measurements. Choose something that looks gorgeous on a table and feels good in your hand. 
    • A cocktail spoon. While you can technically stir cocktails with other spoons, the long, swirled body of a cocktail spoon makes it perfect for stirring in even a single collins glass. The spoon portion can also be used as a measurement, and the red tip on the other end of the spoon can swap in as muddler-lite in a pinch.
    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail in a serving glass.

    📖 Step-by-Step Instructions

    These beautiful spring cocktails are a snap to make. Here’s how it’s done:

    Make Thyme-Kumquat Syrup: Pour equal parts sugar and water into a saucepan and heat on medium. Cook, stirring the mixture until your sugar has completely dissolved.

    Add fresh thyme & kumquats and continue heating for 30 seconds before removing from heat and adding a lid to the top of the pan. Allow syrup to infuse for half an hour.

    Remove the thyme and kumquat slices and allow the syrup to cool completely before using, or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Assemble Cocktail: Add the ice, gin, syrup and kombucha into a glass stirring gently to combine. Before serving, add a few fresh thyme sprigs and slices of kumquat to garnish. Cheers!

    👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • Stir gently. Kombucha is lightly carbonated, so you don’t want to be too vigorous as you handle it. Also, stirring is supposed to cool the cocktail to the perfect temperature; if you agitate the mixture too much, the ice will melt and dilute the cocktail more than it should be.
    • Don’t make too big of a batch. Again, this spring cocktail has kombucha, which is lightly carbonated. If you let it sit out without being corked, you’ll risk losing the effervescence.
    • Garnish to feel glamorous. Happy hour at home is always elevated when you take the extra step to garnish your drink. Not only do you get to sip and savor this kombucha cocktail’s flavor, but you also get to imbibe it with your eyes! I see it as a small but effective form of self-care. 
    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail.

    💭 Recipe FAQs

    What if I can’t find kumquats?

    If you can find kumquats, I suggest you give them a try. They’re tart and sweet citrus fruits with tender skins that you eat. They’re a sunshiney delight! However, I know they may not always be available. In this case, you can use peeled segments of mandarins, clementines, sweet oranges, or, if you can find them, calamansi. Otherwise, consider substituting in season berries.

    Can I use dried thyme?

    Don’t use dried thyme to garnish your beverage, but in a pinch you can steep the syrup with some dried thyme tied up in a piece of cheesecloth or packed into a teabag.

    What is the best kind of kombucha for cocktails?

    This is honestly a very personal thing. Kombucha is brewed by a lot of folks, and there are many different infusions to choose from. Some of my favorite are Synergy and Health-Ade brands. For this particular cocktail, you could go with any botanical, citrusy, herbaceous, or even gingery infusions.

    How long does kombucha last after opening? 

    As an effervescent beverage, I’d say it’ll taste best within the first 24 hours of opening. That said, depending on how well you can keep it sealed (e.g. with a cork or screw-on top), open kombucha should be fine for up to a week in the fridge.

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    If you try this recipe for Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail, please leave a 🌟 review and share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! 📧

    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail.

    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail

    Cheers my friends — we’ve officially made it to Spring! Mix up a batch of my Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktails to toast the new season with friends. This sparkling refresher is layered with the fresh flavors and colors of a world bursting with longer days and new growth. In short, it’s perfect for brunch (or any patio sipping!) in your near future.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Course: Beverages
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Simple Syrup Infusion: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 Cocktail
    Calories: 207kcal
    Author: Emily Laurae

    Equipment

    • Saucepan
    • Spatula
    • Serving Glass or Pitcher
    • Cocktail Spoon
    • Jigger

    Ingredients

    Thyme & Kumquat Simple Syrup

    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup water
    • 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
    • 4 kumquats, sliced thinly

    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail

    • Ice
    • 2 oz Gin
    • 1 ounce thyme & kumquat syrup
    • 6 ounces kombucha
    • Additional fresh thyme and kumquats to garnish

    Instructions

    Thyme & Kumquat Simple Syrup

    • Pour your measured sugar and water into a saucepan and heat on medium.
      ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup water
    • Cook, stirring the mixture until your sugar has completely dissolved.
    • Add fresh thyme & kumquats and continue heating for 30 seconds before removing from heat and adding a lid to the top of the pan.
      5 sprigs of fresh thyme, 4 kumquats
    • Allow syrup to infuse for half an hour.
    • Remove the thyme and kumquat slices and allow the syrup to cool completely before using, or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Spring Gin, Kumquat & Kombucha Cocktail

    • Add the ice, gin, syrup and kombucha into a glass stirring gently to combine.
      Ice, 2 oz Gin, 1 ounce thyme & kumquat syrup, 6 ounces kombucha
    • Add a few fresh thyme sprigs and slices of kumquat to garnish before serving!
      Additional fresh thyme and kumquats to garnish

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 19mg | Sugar: 21g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
    Enjoyed this recipe?Mention @emilylaurae or tag #emilylaurae!

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    About Emily Laurae

    Emily is the recipe developer, writer, and food photographer behind Emily Laurae. After finishing Pastry School and working as a chef in the restaurant industry, she created this blog to share those skills with home bakers and creators all over the world!

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