Lacto-Fermented Sodas
A new fermentation guide by Denis Pashkov
In a world overflowing with hyper-sweetened, industrially produced drinks, I wanted to take a step back — toward something slower, more natural, and more connected to real flavor. The Lacto-Fermented Sodas Guide grew out of that desire. It’s my way of sharing what I’ve learned from years of experimenting with living beverages — drinks shaped not by machines, but by microbes, time, and intention.
Lacto-Fermented Sodas, to me, represent a kind of peaceful rebellion. They’re not engineered for mass appeal or shelf stability; they’re grown. They develop naturally, evolving through the work of bacteria and yeast to create complexity, brightness, and gentle sweetness — sometimes, without any added sugar. They remind us that fermentation is a conversation, not a formula.
This guide is meant to serve both as a learning tool and as an invitation. Whether you’re a home fermenter curious about probiotic drinks, a bartender looking for low-sugar alternatives and new sources of acidity, a chef experimenting with living pairings, or simply someone tired of overly sweet sodas, I hope you’ll find something useful here.
Inside, I cover five of my foundational ferments — Ginger Bug, Water Kefir, Milk Kefir Whey Sodas, Lacto-Fermented Amazake Sodas, and Kvass. Each represents a different microbial world, a unique way to build natural carbonation and balance acidity with sweetness. Although each module explains how to ferment sodas and provides a detailed recipe, they’re not meant to be followed blindly. The recipes are frameworks — flexible systems designed to help you understand what’s happening in your ferment and how to shape it to your taste, ingredients, and conditions.
Rather than chasing perfect results, my goal is to build understanding. Once you learn how temperature, sugar level, and microbial balance affect flavor and activity, you can start to improvise — to localize, adapt, and create your own versions. I want readers to feel confident enough to move beyond recipes and start building drinks that are truly their own.
This guide is for anyone who cares about flavor, sustainability, and creativity. For chefs, it’s a way to turn surplus or forgotten ingredients into vibrant, living drinks. For bartenders, it opens a door to natural acidity and texture without relying on citrus or refined sugar. For those interested in wellness, it offers a simple, practical route to probiotic, functional beverages.
At its heart, The Lacto-Fermented Sodas Guide is about learning to work with nature instead of against it. Every bottle tells a story of patience and transformation — of how something ordinary can become extraordinary when you give microbes the right conditions to do their work.
I hope this guide helps you find that same sense of curiosity and joy in every bubble.
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