Sparkling Raisin Rye Drink (Kvass)

A subtly sweet and ginger sparkling yeast based beverage. (Think cider for winter!)

Hey! Let's make sparkling drinks at home. It's like a kitchen science experiment that you can still consume. Today's drink recipe is lightly sweet, sparkling and a little bit yeasty in a good way. Chris LOVES this recipe. Meanwhile I'm kind of like "Yes..but how can I add alcohol to this?" (That's like 50% joking but also 50% a real question). 

The best way to explain this drink is to consider it like a winter sparkling cider drink. It's darker and more complex tasting than cider and way less sweet. Pair it with winter foods that could use some spunk. And of course, the entire purpose of the meal planning menu series we do is to show you what can work together. So this drink is going to go perfectly with the pork loin later this week. 

You're probably going to be pretty surprised by the ingredients and process. There's some waiting and trust involved. 

Remember last week when we made rolls? We talked about all the things yeast hates. The same principles apply today (using filtered water, waiting until the water cools to add yeast) but what we're really doing is giving yeast the things it LOVES. Yeast is having the best day ever in this recipe because it gets multiple sugar sources (food). And the result of that, for the super quick science version, is carbonation. That's right. Yeast burps.

/// Ingredients ///

• 1 Tablespoon dry active yeast
• 1 1/2 cup raisins (any kind- we mixed golden and standard)
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 slices organic dark rye bread, toasted
• 2 inches, peeled and rough chopped fresh ginger
•  1 1/4 gallons filtered water

/// Directions /// Bring 1 1/4 gallons of filtered water to a boil in a large lidded pot on the stove. Turn off the heat once a boil is reached. Add bread and raisins. Let the mixture steep, covered for 8 hours (overnight is the perfect time). Once 8 hours have passed, strain to remove the bread and raisins. Add sugar and yeast. Let this sit for another 6-8 hours covered for fermentation. 

Strain the mixture and pour into bottles and store in the fridge for several hours. (We stored it in lidded carafes but a large seltzer/soda bottle that's clean and empty was perfect too!). Serve and enjoy cold. 

Use within 2 days. 3 is fine if you're over 21, but we're pretty sure it starts to get a little alcoholic at that point!