Kombucha and water kefir are ancient beverages that have become newly trendy today as healthy alternatives to artificially sweetened commercial sodas and fizzy drinks. On Saturday, September 23, Andover resident Lauren Duquette will show participants how to easily brew up a batch of these refreshing and healthy probiotic-rich drinks at home. Sponsored by the Andover Institute, an arm of the Andover Community Association, the workshop will be held at the William. A. Bachelder Library, 12 Chase Hill Road. in East Andover from 10:00 to 11:30 AM

Said to have originated in Manchuria around 220 BC, kombucha is increasingly available in mainstream grocery stores ​but also easily made at home from common ingredients; it’s basically lightly sweetened fermented black or green tea, often combined with fruit, spices and other flavorings. Likewise, water kefir is making a comeback as a beneficial but flavorful aid to digestion, teeming with beneficial bacteria and similar to a slightly fizzy lemonade.

The workshop is offered free of charge. Participants are asked to bring along a Mason jar in order to take home a small piece of the crucial fermenting agent, called a SCOBY, which they can keep in their refrigerator to continue making their own home-brewed beverages. For more information, contact andovercommunity03216@nullgmail.com.