Kava and ginger beer make a phenomenal alcohol alternative in cocktails because they both have strong flavors (and they meld really well).
A lot of non-alcoholic cocktails are overly sweet, and you can slurp them down in two minutes without even realizing it.
In this cocktail, the sweetness of the ginger beer (which comes from stevia!) is perfectly balanced by kava’s slight bitterness and the ginger beer’s spicy flavor. Plus you’ll get some bite from the carbonation and a bit of that signature kava tingle.
It’s another non-alcoholic drink recipe that’s truly a cocktail, not a mocktail.
Ginger Kava Buck Recipe
Prep time: 3 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- ¼ tsp Top Tree Herbs kava kava extract
- 1 small can of ginger beer (about 8 oz; see brand recs below)
- Squeeze of lemon juice to taste (2–3 tsp)
- 1 cup ice
- Optional: fruit slices or twist for garnish
Equipment
- Handheld frother (see notes for other options)
Directions
- Add about 1 oz ginger beer to your glass (just enough to mix in the kava extract without causing the glass to overflow).
- Add kava extract to the glass and froth until combined with the ginger beer.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Add lemon juice. Top off with the rest of your ginger beer and optional garnish.
Notes
Frother alternatives: Kava doesn’t mix into water or water-based drinks very easily, so if you don’t have a handheld frother, we recommend using a whisk or a blender to stir your kava into your drink.
→ If using a whisk, combine the kava and 1 oz of ginger beer or water in a small bowl, then transfer the mixture to your glass and continue from step 3. This will be easier than whisking the kava directly in your glass.
Ginger beer recommendations: We used Reed’s zero-sugar ginger beer, which is sweetened with stevia. We also recommend Fever Tree, which offers smaller cans of ginger beer (perfect if you’re only making one serving). Choose any variety you’d like, though!
Garnish: A slice of citrus fruit or a thin slice of ginger will help bring this drink up to its cocktail-not-mocktail status. Try adding ½ ounce of fresh lime juice to make it more like a Moscow Mule, or mix in some berries for color (and a post-drink snack).
More Recipes Like the Ginger Kava Buck
If you like this easy ginger kava cocktail, here are a few recommendations for what to try next:
Cheers to better brewing!
