Lavender Jun Kombucha
Floral lavender, honey and lemon in a delicate, softly sparkling Jun.
Lavender Jun kombucha is a honey-sweetened green tea Jun scented in the bottle with dried culinary lavender. It tastes floral and lightly tart, with honey and lemon, and a little lavender goes a long way.
Sensory profile
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 12 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 5 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Glass jar with a Jun culture, then pressure-rated bottles |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 1:10 |
| Starter & batch | 100g → 1000g |
| Grind size | Whole loose leaf and dried culinary lavender buds |
| Water temperature | 176°F / 80°C |
| Target brew time | 3-7 days in the jar, then 1-3 days in bottles |
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240ml) |
What you need
- 4 g loose-leaf green tea
- 100 g raw honey
- 800 g filtered water
- 100 g Jun from a previous batch, as starter
- One Jun culture
- About 1/2 teaspoon of dried culinary lavender buds per 16 oz bottle
- A strip of lemon peel per bottle, optional
Required gear
- Wide-mouth glass jar, 1.5 to 2 liters
- Clean cloth or coffee filter, and a rubber band
- Pot or kettle, for the tea
- Scale accurate to 1 g
- Thermometer
- pH strips (range 2.5 to 4.5) or a pH meter
- Pressure-rated glass bottles with tight caps, for the second stage
- Funnel and fine strainer
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Bring 250 g of the water to 80°C and steep the green tea for about 4 minutes.
- +4 minStrain out the tea, stir in the honey until it dissolves, and add the remaining 550 g of cool water. Let it cool to room temperature, below 30°C, before anything else goes in.
- +1 hPour into a clean glass jar, add the starter, then slide the Jun culture in with clean hands.
- +5 minCover the jar with a clean cloth or coffee filter held by a rubber band, and keep it out of direct sun at 18 to 24°C.
- Day 3+Taste from day 3 with a clean spoon. It is ready when it is lightly tart with the honey still showing.
- Day 4+Lift out the culture and keep it with 100 g of Jun as the starter for the next batch. Put half a teaspoon of dried culinary lavender buds and a strip of lemon peel in each 16 oz bottle, fill with Jun, leave 2 to 3 cm of headspace, and seal.
- +1-3 dKeep the bottles at room temperature for 1 to 3 days, tasting after the first, then refrigerate.
- ThenChill the bottles before opening, open them slowly over a sink, and pour through a fine strainer to leave the buds behind.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
How strong is it?
We list about 12 mg for an 8 oz glass, from a Jun brewed with 4 g of green tea per liter. A typical 8 oz cup of green tea has about 28 mg, and the figure moves with how much tea goes into the jar.
Culinary lavender only
Buy lavender sold for cooking and grown without sprays, and start with half a teaspoon of dried buds per 16 oz bottle. Lavender is strong, and too much turns a delicate Jun soapy.
What to watch out for
- Jun is a live, acidic drink that contains some caffeine, and home batches often hold more alcohol than kombucha, around 1 to 2 percent. If you are pregnant or nursing, have a weakened immune system or are prone to acidosis, check with your doctor first.
- Brew in glass or another non-metal, food-safe container, since the acid can pull metals out of glazed ceramic and metal. Keep everything clean, and throw out a batch that grows dry, fuzzy mold.
Lavender Jun kombucha is a honey-sweetened green tea Jun scented in the bottle with dried culinary lavender. It tastes floral and lightly tart, with honey and lemon, and a little lavender goes a long way.
Origin & Story
Up the western slope of Haleakala on Maui, about 4,000 feet above the sea, a lavender farm covers 13.5 acres of Upcountry hillside. It began with a single plant that a friend gave its founder, Ali'i Chang, in 2001. Down the mountain in Kahului, small makers brew Jun with raw Hawaiian honey in place of cane sugar. A honey Jun scented with lavender is a natural pairing for that setting.
Lavender is the delicate part. Use culinary lavender, usually English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, which has the sweeter, gentler perfume; other types can turn a drink bitter and soapy. Quantity matters as much as variety, because dried lavender is strong and the soapy note appears when too much goes in. Half a teaspoon of dried buds in a pint bottle is enough to show.
Jun's lighter body leaves room for it. The honey comes first in the glass, then lemon, and the lavender arrives last, more as a scent than a flavor. It goes in at the second stage, not the main jar, and Jun's second stage is short: 1 to 3 days at room temperature, then the refrigerator.
Make a liter of Jun first, then bottle it with half a teaspoon of dried culinary lavender buds and a strip of lemon peel for every 16 oz bottle, leave it 1 to 3 days at room temperature, chill it, and strain out the buds as you pour.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 62/100 |
| Acidity | 50/100 |
| Bitterness | 18/100 |
| Body | 34/100 |
| Aroma | 96/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Lavender Jun Kombucha?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 12 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Lavender Jun Kombucha?
Steep the tea base at 80°C (176°F), then let it cool to room temperature before adding the culture, because heat kills it. Warmer rooms ferment faster and taste more sour; cooler rooms slow everything down.
How long does Lavender Jun Kombucha take to make?
Timing: 3-7 days in the jar, then 1-3 days in bottles. Method: Glass jar with a Jun culture, then pressure-rated bottles. Ratio: 4 g green tea, 100 g raw honey and 100 ml starter per liter, plus 1/2 tsp dried lavender per 16 oz bottle. Grind or leaf format: Whole loose leaf and dried culinary lavender buds.
Why does my Lavender Jun Kombucha taste bitter?
A bitter or harsh ferment usually traces back to the base, such as tea steeped too long or too hot, or to fermenting past its peak. Steep the base more briefly, let it cool before adding the culture, and taste early. Sharp, vinegary sourness is a different problem: it means the ferment ran too long or too warm.
Which lavender can I put in a drink?
Use culinary-grade dried lavender, usually English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, and make sure it was grown without sprays. Ornamental and craft lavender, such as potpourri buds, is not meant for eating, and other species can taste harsher and soapier.
Can I use fresh lavender instead of dried?
Most kombucha recipes use dried buds. Dried lavender is roughly three times as strong as fresh, so if you try fresh flowers use about three times as much, start with a single bottle, and taste after a day.
Who should avoid Lavender Jun Kombucha?
Jun is a live, acidic drink that contains some caffeine, and home batches often hold more alcohol than kombucha, around 1 to 2 percent. If you are pregnant or nursing, have a weakened immune system or are prone to acidosis, check with your doctor first. Brew in glass or another non-metal, food-safe container, since the acid can pull metals out of glazed ceramic and metal. Keep everything clean, and throw out a batch that grows dry, fuzzy mold. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
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