Water kefir flavours: ideas for every season and every occasion
At a glance
Plain water kefir is light, gently sweet and slightly tangy, which makes it a perfect blank canvas. Flavour goes in at bottling time, so every bottle can be different: citrus and ginger, berries, elderflower, rhubarb, orchard fruit or warming spices. The exact quantities and timings for each idea are in the guide and the exclusive recipes that come with your Natural Probio grains.
Ask a group of water kefir makers for their favourite flavour and you will get a dozen answers, often from the same person depending on the month. That is half the fun. Because the grains have already done their work by the time you add fruit, herbs or spices, you can experiment freely without any risk to them. Here is a tour of the combinations our customers come back to most, arranged loosely by mood and season.
Five flavour families
Citrus
Lemon, lime, blood orange, pink grapefruit. Clean and sharp, wonderful with mint or a few slices of root ginger.
Berries
Raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, blueberry. They turn the drink pink or purple and soften its edges.
Garden flowers and herbs
Elderflower, lavender, rose, lemon verbena, basil. Delicate and very British in feel.
Orchard fruit
Apple, pear, plum, quince. Rounder and softer, with a faintly cider-like note.
Spices
Ginger, cinnamon, clove, star anise, vanilla. For cold evenings and festive tables.
Six combinations to start with
- Lemon and ginger. The all-time favourite: bright, peppery and refreshing. Our ginger water kefir page has several variations.
- Raspberry and lime. Pink, tangy and a guaranteed hit at a barbecue.
- Elderflower and lemon. The taste of late May in a glass, lovely with a sprig of mint.
- Rhubarb and vanilla. Sharp and creamy-sweet at once, a little like a rhubarb and custard sweet.
- Apple and cinnamon. Comforting and autumnal, with a hint of crumble about it.
- Blackberry and bay. Deep purple, slightly savoury, a talking point at dinner.
For more ideas by season, see spring and summer flavours (elderflower, rhubarb, strawberries) and autumn and winter flavours (apple, blackberry, mulled spices).
Flavours through the year
| Season | What is good | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Forced and outdoor rhubarb, the first herbs | Rhubarb and orange, lemon and mint |
| Summer | Strawberries, elderflower, raspberries, cherries | Strawberry and basil, elderflower and lime |
| Autumn | Apples, pears, blackberries, plums | Apple and blackberry, pear and ginger |
| Winter | Clementines, cranberries, warming spices | Clementine and clove, mulled spice blend |
Ways to serve it
Water kefir is at its best well chilled. In summer, pour it over ice with a slice of citrus and a few herb leaves. At dinner, a flavoured bottle on the table makes a welcome change from the usual jug of water. For a party, line up three or four colours in clear bottles: berry pink, elderflower gold, a pale ginger and a deep blackberry. It also makes a lovely spritz, topped with a splash of sparkling water and a twist of peel.
If you entertain often, the water kefir and kombucha duo gives you two different drinks to offer, and the 60 g pouch of water kefir grains makes enough for two flavours at once.
The detailed recipes are included
We keep this page to ideas on purpose. With your grains you receive a complete guide and, via a QR code, access to our exclusive recipe library: how much fruit to use, how to prepare it, how long to leave each bottle and how to adjust the sparkle. You simply choose the version you fancy. Customers often mention it: "Lots of recipe ideas were sent along too," wrote Stefan T. on Trustpilot (translated).
Flavour questions
Does the fruit go in the jar with the grains?
For flavouring, no. You add it to the strained drink in the bottle, so the grains stay in their own jar. The guide explains the simple routine.
Can I use frozen fruit?
Yes, frozen berries are a handy option out of season. The recipes suggest which fruit works best fresh or frozen.
Can I use juice instead of fruit?
Yes, a splash of good juice is a quick way to flavour a bottle. The guide shows how to get a good result.
Which flavour is best for a first bottle?
Lemon and ginger, or raspberry. Both are easy, reliable and popular with almost everyone.
Every flavour starts with live grains
Natural Probio water kefir grains come with the full guide and access to our exclusive recipe library.
- Exclusive recipes included
- First drink ready the next day
- 20,000+ customers, 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
- Money-back guarantee
Grains from time-honoured methods, unique and resilientDispatched within 24 to 48 hours, trackedLifetime guarantee on your grains' activityOver 20,000 customers worldwide
