The kratom leaf is responsible for a variety of products you know and love, including Kratom Spot’s hand-selected line of powerful kratom powders. Family farmers pluck these leaves directly from Mitragyna speciosa trees, native to Southeast Asia. Kratom users experience wide-ranging benefits from this ethnobotanical. However, they might also experience something else: a not-so-savory aftertaste.

Kratom powder is naturally bitter. Because of this, it can be difficult to pair your kratom dose with the perfect mixer. According to Le Cordon Bleu, an elite culinary institution, bitterness is not generally considered a popular flavor. But with that said, “Bitterness is critical to balance” in the culinary world. According to Cordon Bleu, you can easily cut harsh bitterness with a bit of citrus, some dark greens, or even beer.

But this is kratom, not cooking.

If you didn’t already know, we’ve covered all the best kratom drink combinations, including orange juice and near-boiling water green tea, in the past (which we’ll recap down below, of course). Instead, we have a different message today. Ignore a to-do list for mixing kratom; we have a NOT-to-do list for you:

• Don’t mix kratom and carbonated drinks.

Why Shouldn’t You Mix Kratom & Carbonated Drinks?

Kratom powder consists of finely-ground plant material that is waxy, fatty, and generally difficult to dissolve in water. Furthermore, when mixing kratom with beverages like orange juice, the water molecules in those beverages adhere to the kratom plant material, forming clumps if you’re not careful. Now imagine mixing kratom with carbonated water instead of still water. The water molecules will adhere to the kratom powder’s waxy, fatty surface, but the carbon dioxide (CO2)—the ingredient responsible for making carbonated water carbonated—will TURN INTO FOAM.

When you drink carbonated beverages, CO2 is often released in the form of bubbles and, consequently, foam. However, when combining carbonated drinks and your daily kratom dose, the rate of CO2 carbonation (bubbliness) increases dramatically.

What Do Kratom Users Say About Mixing Kratom & Carbonated Drinks?

Oh, a few extra bubbles don’t sound that bad? Let’s hear what other kratom users on the Reddit had to say about their experience mixing carbonated drinks and kratom:

“I tried to toss and wash with a soda once, and it just foamed up and was hard to consume. I now wait at least an hour after dosing to drink anything carbonated to avoid bloating” – cheetobandito-

Kratom Spot Pro Tip: “Toss and wash”, or T&W for short, is one of the most popular methods of ingesting kratom in the Western world. It involves tossing a mouthful of kratom powder into your mouth, then washing it down with liquid, generally water or orange juice. Despite the name, we highly recommend you put liquid in your mouth BEFORE kratom powder, as kratom powder is dry and bitter on its own.

“On a road trip recently I poured dry powder in my mouth and chased it with bubbly water. I felt like a seagull on an elementary school campus” – jmeecakes

“Was interesting blowing kratom out of my nose for a day or 2” – scrappy6262

“NO!! Just no. I’ve seen people say they do [mix carbonated drinks and kratom]. But I’ve been in a pinch and was like eh this soda should work. Nope. Never again” – SKallday

Non-Carbonated Alternatives for Mixing Kratom

Now that we know NOT to mix carbonated beverages and kratom, let’s recap some of our favorite kratom drink recipes! Orange juice is an obvious standout, as the citrus yet sweet flavor perfectly balances the natural bitterness of kratom. However, if you want to step your kratom dose up a notch, try some of these other delicious infusions!

Kratom & Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruit juice provides a more powerful citrus concoction than orange juice, allowing kratom users to completely overshadow the bitterness of kratom powder with one fell swoop! Furthermore, grapefruit juice is chock full of vitamins and minerals, including:

• Complex carbs
• Fiber
• Protein
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Potassium
• Thiamine
• Folate
• Magnesium

Grapefruit juice is also known to improve immune system functionality, aid weight loss, boost heart health, and provide a ton of beneficial antioxidants. Now paint kratom into the picture, and you’ve got yourself a citrus-punching kratom cocktail to write home about!

Kratom Lemonade

Crisp, classic, and refreshing—kratom lemonade combines high-quality kratom powder with delicious lemonade. Like grapefruit and orange juice, the flavor of natural lemons provides a citrus burst that pairs with the earthy flavor of kratom. If you want a perfect homemade kratom lemonade, follow these easy steps:

1. Add 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 10 lemons) to a medium bowl.
2. Whisk in 1 cup sugar until completely dissolved.
3. Add about 5 cups of filtered water.
4. Stir.
5. Add desired kratom dose, stirring until completely dissolved.
6. Enjoy!

Easy as that! And as you may have guessed, fresh-squeezed lemons offer additional benefits to kratom users as well. In fact, fresh lemon juice is known to offer a great source of Vitamin C, improve the overall quality of your skin, aid digestion, and more.

Other Great Kratom Drink Combos!

While we can’t recap ALL of our favorite recipes, we’re sure that there’s a kratom drink combination for everyone. If you’re not satisfied with the drinks already listed, try mixing kratom with any of the following Kratom Spot-approved drinks:

• Green tea with honey
• Mint tea
• Chamomile tea
• Coffee
• Mocha
• Mango juice

Just remember: NO MIXING KRATOM AND CARBONATED DRINKS.