Can I have Angostura® bitters?

[Stacy Davis]

Looking for things to drink in the evenings that isn't wine... :-) Someone suggested mixing a few drops of Angostura bitters with mineral water. Thanks in advance!

[Tom Denham]

No. They are 44 percent alcohol according to the Angostura bitters website.

[Derval]

Lol. That's some sassy water for sure!

[the_wendy_house]

I never knew that stuff was alcoholic! Hahahah!

[Terez]

Stacy, I've been having kombucha mixed with sparkling mineral water. Just make sure it doesn't have sugar added in the second fermentation (sugar will be listed as part of the kombucha ingredient but won't be its own ingredient, and the total sugars in the Nutritional Facts will be 2 grams or less).

I read that the "best" brand is GT's. I started with the flavored ones then I got an "original." Wow, the "original" flavor is outstanding. I far prefer it to the flavored ones. Not sweet, has a hint of vinegary-ness. (When selecting, watch out for their chia drinks; chia is not W30 compliant.)

Yesterday I picked up a scoby to make my own kombucha but it will take a few weeks before it's ready to consume so I'm continuing with store-bought for now. Buy it at the health food store, in a refrigerated case. If you don't see it by the juices, ask. One store here keeps it by the produce. Another store has kombucha in its own chiller.

I drink about two glasses a day, which works out to about a cup of kombucha (because I pour only half a glass of kombucha and fill the rest of the glass with sparkling mineral water).

People say it can be an acquired taste. If you like dry wine, I think you'll find it easy to acquire the taste for kombucha.

Terez

[Robin Strathdee]

Many people agree with the kombucha sub for the nightly adult beverage. As long as your booch doesn't have added sugar, like Terez said, it will be fine. Even those with juice (GT Gingerberry is my favorite), though they have more than 2g (GB has 4, I think, and some other flavors have 6 or 8) of sugar, are acceptable. Just know that we'd prefer you to consume those with less sugar.

PS: Chia seeds, while not recommended, are not necessarily out for your Whole30. If you like them, enjoy them in moderation.

[queenomomo]

Angostura bitters may be 44% alcohol, but I know that I only use 2 or 3 drops in a glass of seltzer. Wouldn't that be comparable at least to the trace amounts of alcohol in a serving of kombucha? Why is one OK and the other not?

I'm playing devil's advocate a little bit, but I'm genuinely curious (and thinking in advance in case I have tummy trouble and need something soothing). Where do we draw the line?

[Stacy Davis]

I was thinking the same thing. For instance, in the United States, in order for a vanilla extract to be called pure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that the solution contains a minimum 35% of alcohol and 13.35 ounces of vanilla bean per gallon. Is Pure Vanilla Extract off-plan also? Thoughts? Opinions?

(Source: ^ Food and Drug Administration (April 1, 2010). "Food and Drugs, Chapter I, Subchapter A, Food for Human Consumption, Part 169—Food Dressings and Flavorings". Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Department of Heath and Human Services. Retrieved 14 July 2010.)

[Susan W]

I was thinking the same thing. For instance, in the United States, in order for a vanilla extract to be called pure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that the solution contains a minimum 35% of alcohol and 13.35 ounces of vanilla bean per gallon. Is Pure Vanilla Extract off-plan also? Thoughts? Opinions?

(Source: ^ Food and Drug Administration (April 1, 2010). "Food and Drugs, Chapter I, Subchapter A, Food for Human Consumption, Part 169—Food Dressings and Flavorings". Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Department of Heath and Human Services. Retrieved 14 July 2010.)

Yes, pure vanilla extract that contains sugar or alcohol is non-compliant during your W30.

[Susan W]

Angostura bitters may be 44% alcohol, but I know that I only use 2 or 3 drops in a glass of seltzer. Wouldn't that be comparable at least to the trace amounts of alcohol in a serving of kombucha? Why is one OK and the other not?

I'm playing devil's advocate a little bit, but I'm genuinely curious (and thinking in advance in case I have tummy trouble and need something soothing). Where do we draw the line?

I am going to go out on a limb and say it's because of the health benefits that kombucha has and the alcohol is naturally occurring.

[Robin Strathdee]

Angostura bitters may be 44% alcohol, but I know that I only use 2 or 3 drops in a glass of seltzer. Wouldn't that be comparable at least to the trace amounts of alcohol in a serving of kombucha? Why is one OK and the other not?

I'm playing devil's advocate a little bit, but I'm genuinely curious (and thinking in advance in case I have tummy trouble and need something soothing). Where do we draw the line?

Here's the deal: We're not going to hunt you down and make you follow the rules. You're a big kid and you'll get out of this what you put into it. We've found the folks who are the most willing to comply to the rules get the most out of the program physically and mentally. Kombucha is compliant. It has health benefits and, yes, also a trace amount of alcohol. Angostura bitters are not because they are largely alcohol. It would not matter if you put three grains of sugar in your coffee, or 3 tsp. Sugar is not compliant. Bottom line: your choice.

Tummy troubles are often settled with peppermint or ginger tea, or oils in water. Or just plain seltzer water.

PS: Like Susan said - vanilla extracts containing alcohol and sugar are also out.

[adabeie]

Since this was on my mind about flavoring kombucha, I decided to do some Googling..

 

I tend to drink kombucha by the pint, using the rough Imperial measurement. (~568mL)

 

A drop of water is about 5mL depending on the definition. A drop of bitters is usually a bit smaller, but let's say they're roughly equivalent.

 

A drop is about 1% of that volume (568/100 = 5.68)

 

Kombucha is, depending on the fermentation, between .5%-1.5% alcohol, usually, though I've known the rare batch to be as high as 3%. So about one drop of a pint of kombucha is alcohol. Adding bitters, which are often in the 40s in terms of ABV since alcohol is the preservative used, and which is often recommended in a series of drops, say 3, would potentially double the alcohol in a somewhat average batch of kombucha. I have no idea what the comparable effect would be in terms of sugar value. Certainly a stricter interpretation of the W30 would bar including bitters, but from where I stand, if you're already drinking kombucha, and you're including things like Larabars (which I'm not sure aren't included in the SWYPO section, but, different strokes), it seems a drop or two of bitters in a glass of seltzer is in the same general class of digression. 

 

But this sort of slippery slope thing does get people rather animated. Anyway, my two cents. 

 

Disclaimer: this math was conducted by a philosophy major. 

[timopdx]

As a daily wine drinker, the solution that works best for me is an ounce of unsweetened organic cranberry juice in a glass of water or sparkling water.

I find that the acidity of the juice mimics the palate cleansing feeling that wine provides me when I eat.

Despite liking kombucha, and despite its being W30 approved, it seems there is unnecessary sugar and alcohol, so I'm not making it part of my 30 days.

I hope this helps. I'm a W30 first timer and doing amazing at the end of day 7.

Cheers!

[kirkor]

Glad to hear you're doing well @timopdx!

And since this thread was bumped, I'll crosslink this other thread which is related: