Kraut Juice Cocktail Recipes For Healthy Benefits and Surprising Flavors

Kraut juice cocktails are the next level of enjoyment for fans of ferments. You love kraut, whether it’s heaped on your sandwiches or scooped in tasty forkfuls straight from the jar. But have you tried kraut juice? The leftover juices from sauerkraut production are flavorful and full of antioxidants and healthy bacteria. It can make a tasty restorative shot after exercise or a savory digestif after a great meal, and adds fermented flavor to marinades, soups, salad dressings. Plus it’s a delicious base for creative cocktails!

At Hosta Hill, our basic Krautonic is simple, briny, sour and satisfying. 100% juice from our sauerkraut with no water or other ingredients added, it’s made from organic cabbage and sea salt. That’s it! In fact, we have a whole line of Krautonics available in our online store. Load up and let your inner mixologist go wild.

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Kraut Juice Cocktail Recipes

1. Dirty vodka sauerkraut martini 

This recipe from CraftBeering puts a twist on a classic, revealing surprisingly elegant flavors. Whether shaken or stirred, all it requires to make this martini is:

  • 2 oz krautonic

  • 2 oz vodka 

  • lemon twist

  • ice cubes, enough to fill a cocktail shaker

2. Vintage kraut juice cocktail

Found in the Detroit Times Cookbook, published in 1935, this cocktail is a bit more complex and a bit more mysterious. The ingredients listed are:

  • Kraut juice

  • 1 tsp bottled condiment sauce

  •  ¼ tsp prepared mustard

  • Salt to taste

  • Speck of pepper

Of course you must serve it chilled. A prohibition era “cocktail,” this could be alcohol-free, or you could add vodka or gin to your liking. Our favorite part is the “bottled condiment sauce.” What condiment will you use?

3. Caraway Fizz 

If you want to give something more complex a whirl, try the Caraway Fizz from Saveur. In this kraut cocktail, “Tangy sauerkraut juice makes a surprisingly good accompaniment to light, anise-flavored aquavit in a sophisticated, unexpected cocktail based on the flavors of a Reuben. A sprig of dill adds a fragrant herbal note.” The ingredients are as follows.

  • 1 1⁄2 oz. aquavit

  • 1 oz. kraut juice

  • Caraway seeds 

  • Club soda

  • Fresh dill, for garnish

A similar recipe from the Wisconsin Dutch chapter of the United States Regional Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago, 1947, adds lemon juice and a ½ cup of diced apple to the mix, in place of the aquavit. This recipe focuses on the health benefits of kraut juice, and doesn’t include alcohol or the club soda “fizz.” But you can mix it up!

 

Krautonic Offerings - Imagine the possibilities


At Hosta Hill, we offer an array of dynamic krautonics that could change up the flavor of these recipes or any of your favorites. In addition to our classic, basic kraut juice, we offer:

Krimson Krautonic - This smooth, mildly spiced brine is our go-to Krautonic for sipping and mixing.

Gochu Curry Krautonic - This exotic elixir boasts the unique, warming spice of our best-selling Gochu Curry Kraut.

Kimchi Krautonic - The perfect probiotic-packed replacement for tomato juice or V8, this versatile Krautonic brings all the spicy, fermented goodness of our popular kimchi toyour drinks. Try a kimchi bloody mary!

Get yours at the Hosta Hill online store or at one of these locations, and get the party started!

Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash