Segera Retreat’s Ginger Kombucha

There are so many things I loved about the week I spent at Segera in Laikipia, Kenya, on a “Wild Heart Clear Mind” retreat with the poet-philosopher David Whyte (hosted by my friend Deborah Calmeyer of ROAR Africa): listening to Whyte recite poetry in his Anglo-Irish lilt as the sunrise crept over Mt Kenya; safaris that spoiled us with dramatic sightings of jousting giraffes and mating lions; owner Jochen Zeitz’s world-class art collection; and a night spent under the stars atop the Bird’s Nest, alone except for the lion grumbling nearby.

But one aspect that dominates the home screen of the mental image of my stay is the kombucha. The elixir fills several large, bulbous, and irregularly sized jugs that sit brewing on shelves all around the kitchen area in various shades of amber, honey and goldenrod, like so many liquid lanterns. During lunches of curries, savory tarts and an Ottolenghi-esque array of salads (Segera’s food is exceptional), we sipped on a range of delicious brews: masala, passion fruit, orange, berry, and my favorite, ginger. The program was started by a sommelier who’d been brought to oversee one of Kenya’s deepest wine cellars, as an alcohol-free alternative that could quench the thirst after long hot days rattling around in a Land Cruiser. Today it is carried on by Violet and the kitchen team in new and potent flavors. 

Kombucha, or “booch”—basically, fermented tea—is an acquired taste, but its tangy effervescence has come to be one of the flavors I crave most when I’m very thirsty. Like a grapefruit in winter, the jolt on the palate can feel so cleansing, and its health benefits run from improved gut health and digestion to blood sugar and cholesterol taming.  

Not too long ago I got my own kombucha kit, which I have started experimenting with. (This brewing kit from The Kombucha Shop comes with everything you need.) It’s a simple and straightforward process once you master the tending of your scoby—the goobery disc that houses the bacteria and yeast needed to ferment the tea into kombucha—but it does require plenty of space in your fridge and countertop. 

Having started to dabble, I reached out to my friend, Segera’s most congenial GM, Jens Kozany, for the ginger recipe that I remember so well. It’s as warming on wintry days when you want an aromatic energy lift as it is cooling in the summer—or after a bumpy, dusty nature ride. 

(P.S. ROAR’s next David Whyte retreat, “Wild Heart Clear Mind” will be held from June 3-8, 2027)

Home-Style Ginger Booch (Ginger Kombucha)

What You’ll Need

• 3 liters water
• 2 black tea bags (or 2 teaspoons loose black tea)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger (about 40–50 g), sliced or grated
• 1 healthy SCOBY
• ½ cup starter liquid (from previous kombucha)

1. Make the Ginger Tea

• Bring 1 liter of water to a boil.
• Add the tea bags, sugar, and ginger.
• Stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

2. Cool & Dilute

• Pour the tea into a clean glass jar (3–4 litre size).
• Add the remaining 2 liters of cold water.
• Make sure the liquid is completely cool before moving to the next step.

3. Add SCOBY

• Gently place the SCOBY into the jar.
• Add the starter liquid.
• Cover the jar with a clean cloth or paper towel and secure with a rubber band.

4. Ferment

• Keep the jar in a warm, dark place. 
• Let it ferment for 7–10 days.
• Taste from day 7 using a clean spoon.
• When it tastes slightly tangy but still pleasant, it’s ready.

5. Bottle

• Remove the SCOBY and save it for your next batch*.
• Pour the kombucha into clean bottles.
• Optional: add ½ teaspoon grated ginger or a few drops of ginger juice per bottle.
• Close tightly.

6. Natural Fizz

• Leave bottles at room temperature for 1–2 days.
• Check daily.
• Once fizzy, refrigerate and enjoy chilled. 

*(Between uses, you store it at room temperature in a glass jar—aka a “scoby hotel”—with some finished kombucha and a little bit of sweet tea to feed it.)