In recent years, alcohol-infused seltzers like White Claw and Truly have become popular alternatives to beer, preferable for their easy drinking and modest calorie count. It鈥檚 inevitable, then, that a boozy kombucha should come along, offering natural ingredients and enticing flavor combinations. (While there are trace amounts of alcohol in regular kombucha left behind by the brewing process, the drinks featured here contain at least 4.5 percent alcohol by volume.) Hard kombucha is already a $33 million industry, , and that number is expected to triple by 2026.

Another good reason to swap brews and seltzers for hard booch? Belly health. Explains dietitian , alcoholic kom颅bucha may offer some of the same pro颅biotic benefits鈥攁lbeit in di颅minished form鈥攁s the soft variety. 鈥淧robiotics can鈥檛 withstand high alcohol concentrations,鈥� Gillespie says, 鈥渟o they鈥檒l decrease as alcohol content rises.鈥� Still, some antioxidant properties remain. Here are our favorite brands.

JuneShine

has eight flavors, each with 6 percent ABV. They include the tropical, refreshing Blood Orange Mint and the bolder Midnight Painkiller, a twist on the classic pineapple, orange, and coconut cocktail. ($2.50 for 12 oz)

Strainge Beast

Think of as the bad boy of boozy booch. Three options combine fruity, summery tastes like blueberry and acai with subtle kicks of spice; with 7 percent ABV, they鈥檙e also at the high end in terms of alcohol content. The ginger, lemon, and hibiscus is not to be missed. ($2.50 for 12 oz)

Wild Tonic

was a tester favorite, with seven creative flavors听that go beyond what鈥檚 merely trendy at the moment. Its 5.6 percent ABV varieties include jammy Blackberry Mint, exotic Tropical Turmeric, and elegant Raspberry Goji Rose. ($3 for 12 oz)

Jiant

鈥檚 line of 4.5 to 5 percent ABV drinks combine green tea with flavors like guava mint (Guavamente) and ginger lemongrass (Gingerly). Its most refreshing option鈥擮riginal鈥攊s a crisp, clean combination of passion fruit and elderflower. ($4.50 for 16 oz)

Luna Bay Booch Co.

For a fruitier take, try one of 鈥檚 six flavor mixes. Ginger Lemon offers bright citrus notes, and Palo Santo Blueberry has a smoky profile. Don鈥檛 let the smoothness fool you鈥攅ach contains up to 6 percent ABV. ($5 for 16 oz)

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There鈥檚 a time in any home cook鈥檚 life when we realize something must change. For me that came when my trash bag weighed in at 21 pounds鈥攁fter two days.

I consider myself a person who tries to do right by the planet. But after noticing just how much garbage my two-person household was generating, I knew I had work to do. The plan was to go zero waste鈥攁 lifestyle that aims to keep trash out of landfills and reduce as much food-related refuse as possible鈥攁nd to get there in two weeks. For help, I reached out to a couple of experts: , a leading blogger in the zero-waste movement, and Anne-Marie Bonneau, author of the cookbook .

鈥淭he average American family of four throws away about $1,500 worth of food every year,鈥� Bonneau told me. Besides saving money, Bonneau鈥檚 food tasted better after going zero waste. That鈥檚 because, to minimize the amount of packaging that gets thrown away, she gravitates toward produce and fresh veggies while shopping.

That sounds great, of course. But Singer soon brought me back to reality. According to her, two weeks was simply not enough time to go waste-free. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something you do little by little,鈥� she said. Well, bummer. Still, I could make a dent in my trash production. I took Singer鈥檚 advice and committed to a few meaningful changes. The U.S. is the world leader when it comes to food waste, dumping approximately 214 pounds per person into landfills each year. I looked at my cabinets and fridge at the beginning of my trial, both of which were pretty full, and decided to cancel all grocery-store trips and stop ordering takeout. (I had to delete my delivery apps so I wouldn鈥檛 be tempted to call in my favorite hand-pulled noodle dish after two days.) Also, I use way too many paper towels, so I bought cloth napkins and dish towels.

Next, I got creative with leftover ingredients. I gained an appreciation for sweet potato skins, which are rich in fiber and can be used to hold delicious concoctions like mashed kale and goat cheese. Instead of throwing out the goopy interior of squashes, I ate enough roasted seeds for an entire family. And I used takeout sauces, like Indonesian kecap manis, to create stir-fries filled with vegetables that might otherwise have gone bad. (My bank account thanked me for this.) Paper towel rolls remained in my linen closet, save for a few bathroom wipe-downs鈥擨 never said I was perfect.

Going zero waste, even just where food is concerned, takes a fundamental behavioral shift. But baby steps make a difference. My last bag of trash took almost two weeks to fill rather than the usual two days, and it weighed only 12 pounds.

Singer says that achieving a truly zero-waste lifestyle can take months or even years. While I鈥檝e made major strides with food waste, I may not ever get there. But those cloth napkins? They鈥檙e here to stay.

A Zero-Waste Recipe

Chef Justin Cucci, owner of the restaurant collective in Denver, creatively repurposes scraps in his kitchens, making fish crisps out of salmon skins and soup stock from corn husks and cobs. Here, he shares his recipe for a rub that combines leftover coffee grounds with herb stems.

Coffee and Chipotle听Steak Rub

Yields two cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup used light-roast coffee grounds, dried
• 2 tablespoons chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon parsley stems
• 1 tablespoon cilantro stems
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 陆 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 4 ounces grape-seed oil

Directions

In a saut茅 pan, lightly toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, about one minute. Grind the toasted seeds into a powder, and mince the parsley and cilantro stems. Combine with remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Apply to your favorite cut of beef, chicken, lamb, or pork, and let sit for four to six hours. Dust off any excess before cooking.

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