On one of the winter evenings, I decided to gather our group and this time, on occasion, cook something not quite ordinary, but at the same time suitable for a leisurely, friendly conversation. Something of our own…
Breaking the Internet on this topic, I realized that the methods of preparing primordially Russian drinks were completely covered with the dust of the times. And unfortunately, it is not possible to repeat the whole process in the same way as our distant ancestors did.
If my friends and I, for example, wait 40 years for honey to ferment, then we will also be covered with dust, or we will ferment ourselves. Achieving complete authenticity is not at all an option here, however, I found an elegant way out.
The story was shared by blog subscriber Denis.
Why exactly sbiten
Sbiten is a spicy Slavic drink made from honey and various herbs.
The fact is that sbiten was once mega-popular in Russia because of its simplicity. They drank it instead of tea on holidays and during simple gatherings. True, due to the inaccessibility of some components, then it was not cheap. Now the situation with the products makes it possible to use this simple recipe.
To be honest, sbiten surprised me with a pleasant taste and an original combination of spices. In addition, this is a very interesting answer to foreign mulled wines and grogs. Asymmetrical so to speak…
What ingredients did I use
So I needed the following:
- Honey – 150 g;
- water – 1 l;
- cinnamon – 1 teaspoon;
- nutmeg – 1 teaspoon;
- ground coriander – 1 teaspoon;
- ginger – 1 teaspoon;
- cloves – a few pieces;
- vodka – 200 ml or beer – 500 ml.
It is better not to overdo it with honey: too sugary sbiten is unlikely to please anyone, and an abundance of honey will inevitably cause drowsiness.
The approximate cost of the entire recipe, if purchased from scratch (sachets with spices, vodka, honey) is about 500-600 rubles. I didn’t have only honey at home, so a short trip to the store cost me only 150 rubles. The choice of spices and varieties of honey depends on the taste preferences of the chef himself.
You can add the spices and herbs that you like to sbiten. If you are reluctant to buy separately, I think you can buy a ready-made set for mulled wine, it will also work.
And yes, I had a choice about the alcohol component. I decided to stop at my dear white one, because, for gatherings in a friendly company on winter evenings, I want something more warming.
If you add beer to sbiten, you get a wonderful refreshing drink. In the hot season it will be the most.
The cooking process
But, back to the most interesting. I put water on the stove.
After the water boiled, added all the honey.
It is important to stir it until all the honey is dissolved.
Then I added all the spices that were at hand. Stir again and leave for 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally again.
It is very important to boil the sbiten longer, then it will acquire saturation and density.
After half an hour has passed, the drink is almost ready, it remains to add the most important thing.
Next, the sbiten should still be filtered. I strained it three times, once through a strainer and twice through cheesecloth. This must be done if ground spices are used in the recipe. I don’t really like sediment, so I tried to ensure that as little dust as possible remained at the bottom of the container.
Result
The resulting sbiten exceeded all my expectations. Let me point out a few advantages:
- Very suitable for long conversations due to the low degree.
- Old Russian sbiten is, first of all, an interesting feature. A good alternative to the trendy mulled wine that needs to be cooked with wine. Real good wine can not be bought “cheaply” everywhere.
- The cost and availability of ingredients makes sbiten completely inexpensive.
- It is very easy to prepare. And the recipe allows you to experiment.
Now I know that in the summer I will definitely make beer-based sbiten. By the way, what do you think, which one is better to add – a strong rich porter or a light pale lager?