FIZZ by Barbara Serulus

FIZZ

by Barbara Serulus

Fermentation produces fantastic non-alcoholic drinks. Think of a fresh and tart kombucha, a thirst quenching water kefir, or an earthy beet kvass. They all fizz with healthy bacteria and they all surprise you with their complex taste. More and more, you'll see these drinks offered in top restaurants and cocktail bars. But you can also make them yourself. Fermented drinks, with their natural sparkle and slightly yeasty taste, are a great alternative to wine or beer. They are perfect for those who want to consume less alcohol and those who want to give a pro biotic boost to their body.

This book tells you everything you need to know to brew these healthy and alcohol-free drinks yourself. You will find accessible recipes with step-by-step illustrations, scientific background information on the fermentation process, and 'juicy' anecdotes about the origin of these extraordinary drinks.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4 of 5 stars

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Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

FIZZ is a tutorial and recipe guide to fermented non-alcoholic drinks. Released 7th April 2020 by BIS, it's 160 pages and available in paperback format.

This is a surprisingly comprehensive book and full of background information about the drinks covered. During the lockdown part of the current pandemic, it seemed as though everyone I knew was learning to make kombucha and fermented breads. This book fits right into the skill building - self sufficiency - home hobby genre. Kombucha is indeed contained here in a really solid tutorial chapter, along with several kefirs, ginger beer, a couple of different kvasses, mead, and tepache. An additional chapter at the end of the book includes a number of mixed cocktails utilizing the non-alcoholic brews in the book.

The intro chapter includes a layman accessible explanation of fermentation, process, tools and ingredients, and hygiene and cleanliness. The following drink chapters include the necessary info to brew and enjoy non-alcoholic drinks at home.

Recipes contain ingredients in a bullet point list in a sidebar. Measurements are given in standard metric (ml, grams, etc), followed by step by step instructions. Alternative brewing methods or ingredients are listed after the main/classic recipe along with serving suggestions. There are no photos, but the book is enhanced by the addition of whimsically colorful illustrations.

Well written and presented, this would make a superlative gift choice, library selection, or a fine addition to the homebrewer's library.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 20 October, 2020: Finished reading
  • 20 October, 2020: Reviewed