Watermelon Jalapeño Kombucha from Cultured

​Berkeley's Cultured (800 Bancroft Way at Fifth, Suite 105) likes to pickle and ferment things, from kraut to kombucha. Yes, the latter might be on its way to becoming the new bacon in terms of popularity (at least on our own micro-granola level), but this spot's got a truly unique twist on it with its Watermelon Jalapeño Kombucha.

Open it carefully, both to contain the extreme fizz and not overdose your nose with the true zing of the pepper too fast. There's a lot more watermelon than jalapeño, proportion-wise, offering a heat that is pleasant and not overwhelming. Kombucha can often have a sour taste, but that's happily absent here.

If this sounds intriguing, it'd be wise to act fast: While Cultured makes beet, fennel, celery, and carrot varieties of kombucha year-round, the Watermelon Jalapeño is strictly a seasonal special. Plus you'll have to compete with our feverish need to rush over there for more.