This refreshing sangria recipe is made with kombucha for a delicious keto cocktail. Less than 4g of carbs per serving, it’s a great way to celebrate! This post is sponsored by Kyla Hard Kombucha.
I don’t make a lot of cocktail recipes here on the blog. But this low carb sangria recipe is something special and I highly recommend!
So there’s the stuff called kombucha which is exceedingly popular in the health food world. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Well you’d have to have been living under a rock not to. A fermented sweet tea that, like many fermented foods, aids in digestion and the promotion of healthy gut flora.
Truth be told, I’ve been unable to indulge in kombucha because it typically has much more sugar and carbs than my body can handle. So I usually pass it over in favor of things like water and seltzer.
But about a year ago, my family and I were up in Hood River, OR, for a weekend of biking. We stopped at Full Sail Brewery for dinner and I was intrigued to see a hard kombucha on the drink menu. Hard in this case meaning alcoholic, of course. I was prepared to pass it on by again, and then noticed that it said it only had 2g of carbs per serving.
Out of curiosity, I tried it… and loved it! It’s not wildly alcoholic, with less per serving than a typical beer. But Kyla Hard Kombucha is a lovely refreshing drink, bubbly and lightly flavoured, a perfect sipper for a hot summer day. It’s a nice change from my usual glass of red wine.
They have three wonderful flavors: ginger tangerine, hibiscus lime, and pink grapefruit. It’s also available in bottles or cans.
And it’s brewed right here in my adopted state of Oregon. Without any added sugars at all, unlike most kombucha. It’s lightly sweetened with stevia extract, making it a very keto friendly and paleo friendly beverage. It’s mostly available in the western states, but Kyla Hard Kombucha is work it’s way east and with good reason! Check their Store Locator to see if it’s near you.
How To Make Kombucha Sangria
While it’s awesome on it’s own, Kyla is also great for making fun low sugar cocktails. It was being showcased at my local Whole Foods and the woman suggested making moscow mules with the Ginger Tangerine in place of ginger beer. It would be a perfect low carb sub and it got me thinking about other keto cocktail recipes.
We happened to be having friends over for a tapas party recently and I wanted to make some sangria. But traditional sangria can be pretty sugary, with the addition of apples, orange juice, and liqueurs. It struck me that some Kyla hard kombucha would give my keto sangria great flavor and stretch it out to serve all my guests.
People, the keto kombucha sangria was a huge hit! In fact, it was gone in the blink of an eye and I only wished I’d made more. It was the perfect cocktail to enjoy with our keto tapas.
My tips for making the best low carb sangria:
- Don’t go with cheap wine but don’t go with super expensive wine either. The flavours of your wine will be masked by the addition of some fruit and the kombucha. But cheap wine will come through and it will likely give you a headache in the end. Chose a midrange bottle with a bright flavor profile that stands up to the other ingredients. I like tempranillo or zinfandel.
- Don’t squeeze the orange. It’s just for flavouring here and adding about one quarter of a regular orange is enough to give the sangria some flavor without the carbs. If you really want to avoid the actual orange, you can add a bit of orange extract instead.
- Do squeeze one of the limes. Lime juice does not have a lot of carbs and it adds great flavor to any cocktail.
- Do let your sangria chill for several hours before serving. When you first make it, it will have a sharp quality. But it mellows as it sits and as it melds the flavors from the fruit. At least two hours in the fridge will help.
If you can’t find the Kyla hard kombucha near you, you can still make this recipe. Try using some flavoured seltzer in its place (there are also some hard seltzers that would be nice). It will be a gorgeous summer drink! But if you can find Kyla, I highly recommend. It’s a lovely keto friendly beverage option!
Low Carb Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry red wine
- 2 cans Kyla Hard Kombucha (any flavour)
- ½ cup vodka
- ¼ medium orange, sliced (optional - can also use ¼ teaspoon orange extract)
- 1 lime, sliced
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ cup fresh strawberries, quartered
- ¼ cup sweetener of choice, more to taste (I used Bocha Sweet)
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the wine, kombucha, vodka, orange, lime slices, lime juice, strawberries, and sweetener. Stir to combine well.
- Refrigerate at least two hours. Serve straight up or over ice.
Rachel says
Love this sangria! I’ve made it several times and it’s always delicious.
Jill Cusack says
I’m sure your recipe is wonderful, however, Canadians won’t get to try it, because it can only be purchased in the States like so many other products. So sad, too bad! 🙁
You can’t be expected to please everyone, unfortunately. I’ll keep dreaming!
Continue your wonderful work & stay safe.
Best Regards,
Jill 🙂
Donna says
I make my own Jun Kombucha, can I use it instead of the one you use? I make it with mango in the second fermentation. I always use honey in the first ferment phase and stevia to sweeten when we use it otherwise it is bitter.
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not!
Jocelyn says
What a great drink to enjoy all summer long!!! It’s so pretty and delicious!
Natasha says
The color of that juice looks so refreshing on a hot summer day. I can see myself sipping it by the pool now!
Taylor says
I absolutely love this recipe! Perfect summer cocktail!
Rachael Yerkes says
love this one so much!
Noelle says
Love, love KYLA Kombucha! I’m so excited to try this recipe, it looks delish! Thank you for sharing.
Jennifer says
This is opening up a world of ideas…love sangria since visiting Spain, pre type 1!
Jennifer Schoenbein says
Nice! I like it too, but have always found it too sweet with too much sugar.
You could always just add an orange peel, too. Extra orange oil without the additional sugar.
Joan says
Zevia makes some mixers, specifically for cocktails. I wonder if this might work? I wish we could get Kyla’s Hard Kombucha in my area. I know they make a “Ginger Beer” flavor. I have been thinking of making a Moscow Mule with it.
Carolyn says
They do make a pretty good ginger beer.
Sharon Rausch says
I found your blog by chance. It’s amazing great effort. Thank you so much.
EB says
I’ve enjoyed making lower carb sangria using fruity brewed tea (orange is good, berry is another option), seltzer, and wine, plus some stevia and whatever fruit fits your needs. Just another option for those experimenting with lower carb options. I love a kombucha cocktail like ginger kombucha in a mule, or grapefruit + vodka or gin.
Carolyn says
That’s a great idea!
Joan says
This is a great idea! We cannot get Kyla’s in my state (yet)!
Rebecca Gardiner says
So glad to see this and know there’s a way to enjoy sangria once again! Thank you! Will be looking for KYLA in NC. We love Hood River, OR. Rented a house there last August for our daughter’s wedding in Parkdale.
Carolyn says
Oh lovely! If you can’t find Kyla, some of the flavoured hard seltzers might work.