Sbiten

Sbiten is an ancient drink that was made from honey and water with the addition of spices. Sailors called sbiten “Russian mulled wine.” Drinks based on honey were made by virtually all the ancient peoples of Europe. So, the Slavs, Scandinavians, Germans, Greeks and others knew how to create such drinks. The composition of alcoholic sbiten, in addition to honey and spices, also included yeast to ferment the drink.

In almost all cultures, honey was considered a sacred product. Scientists have found archaeological finds that depict the honey production cycle in 7-6 thousand BC. e.. It was believed that rivers of honey flow in the other world. Our forefathers called bees divine insects that extract honey from the heavenly river. At that time, such drinks were identified with immortality. The Germans considered honey a gift from the gods and also a ritual food. The transition to the other world was specifically served by the consumption of honey; from time to time the deceased was simply called “drunk.”

Antimony is considered the old ancestor of sbiten. It was a drink based on milk and honey. To begin with, the milk was settled, then herbs and hops were added to it, and the fermentation process began in barrels. The purchased drink was filtered and prepared for 21 days. It tasted like a fermented milk product and can be classified as a low-alcohol drink. The most difficult thing in the process of making antimony was to achieve its transparency.

Right before the 17th century in Rus' there was only a recipe for non-alcoholic sbiten. It was a faster pharmaceutical drink that helped to keep warm during the cool season and boost immunity.

Sbiten was so popular that it could be compared with modern tea or coffee. Before the appearance of these drinks, honey whipping was prepared in a samovar. There were even so-called “downed kurens”, which were located in public places. There were also special people who were involved in the creation of sbiten, they were called “sbiten makers”. Traders carried a samovar with sbiten on their backs and sold the drink to everyone.

The alcoholic version of sbiten originated in the 17th century. The strength of this drink was 4% -7%. At first, in its own history, it was very expensive, so only rich people could afford it. Only during the reign of Peter I did sbiten become available to the population.

The name “sbiten” most likely came from the verb “to knock down”, this is due to the fact that the drink was made using two different vessels. One was infused with honey, and the other with pharmaceutical herbs. Then the contents were combined to get a single drink. The 2nd version says that the name comes from the words “knock down”, “compact”. After all, sbiten is a rich drink. Its strength in the alcoholic version is 4%-7%, and in the non-alcoholic version it is 1%.

The reduction in mead production was justified by almost all factors. Firstly, other, often the cheapest, drinks began to appear. Secondly, recipes were gradually lost; no one wrote them down; they were passed down from generation to generation orally. To make honey drinks, it was necessary to use a huge amount of honey and also spend a lot of time. Modern mead and sbiten do not closely resemble their old counterpart.

There are a huge number of recipes for alcoholic and non-alcoholic sbiten. Over time, not only the attitude towards sbiten has changed, but also the amount of ingredients used. Honey was and remains the constant basis of the drink.

The development of the production of the drink has changed slightly. Thus, a distinction is made between ordinary and custard sbitni. Custard sbitni are considered the most complex products, since the process of their production takes more time. They are prepared from wort, which includes honey, molasses, and spices.

The beneficial characteristics of sbiten are justified by the substances included in its composition. The drink is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins A, B, C, PP, E. Organic acids and microelements were also found in its composition.

The addition of pharmaceutical herbs makes sbiten a tasty and effective honey product. For example, sage, oregano, and thyme give it anti-inflammatory characteristics.

In cooking, classic sbitney recipes can be used to make quick cocktails.

So, you can make a “Spicy Sbiten” cocktail. To do this, put the lemon grass stem and 1 tsp in a blender. sweet syrup. The ingredients are whisked and poured through a sieve into the pitcher. Also put 2 tbsp in the pitcher. l. honey, lemon juice, 3 drops of peace juice. In addition, cinnamon and cloves are added to the drink. Pour 150 ml of water, heat the drink, but do not boil. Pour the finished product into an Irish coffee glass and add a little nutmeg. The glass is decorated with a slice of lemon.

The “Raspberry Sbiten” cocktail is prepared from water, lemon, raspberries, and honey. Place 2 tbsp in the pitcher. l. honey, 5 raspberries, 1 tbsp. l. Sahara. In a pitcher, grind raspberries with sugar using a spoon. Next, pour 150 ml of water and coffee. Decorate with raspberries and fruits.

You can prepare regular “Redish sbiten”. For this we need 1 liter of reddish wine, 0.15 kg of honey, a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Honey is added to the heated wine, boiled, and then spices are added. Then the drink is infused and drunk.

There are a huge number of recipes for making sbiten at home.

For example, you can create the so-called “Russian mulled wine”. To do this, 1 liter of strong wine is combined with 100 g of honey, 100 g of sweet sand, 6-7 cloves. The wine is put to boil, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg are added to it. Then the drink is infused for 30 minutes.

You can also prepare Siberian sbiten. For this we will need 2 tbsp. l. dry tea, 4 tbsp. l. honey, 1 tbsp. l. cinnamon, a few clove stars, 1 glass of water. First, strong tea is brewed, then it is boiled with honey and spices are added. The foam that formed during boiling must be removed. Infuse the drink for 30 minutes and serve hot.

“Snow-white sbiten” is prepared from 250 g of snow-white honey, 1 liter of water, 200 ml of raspberry juice. All ingredients are mixed, put on fire, and the resulting foam is always removed. Then cool the drink, add 2 tbsp. l. watery yeast, set to ferment for 12 hours. Then the wort is drained and placed in a cool space. The drink is infused for a month and stored in bottles.

It is true to drink sbiten hot, like mulled wine. But in the summer, to refresh, the drink is drunk chilled.

It is recommended to serve sbiten in a special container; previously it was called “sbitnitsa”. It was a clay vessel with a spout and a special hole that was closed with a lid. It is customary to drink sbiten from clay mugs.

The drink is usually served at the end of the meal. Sbiten goes well with classic Russian sweets: bagels, cookies, rolls.

Sbiten

This is a non-alcoholic hot or cool drink consisting of water, honey, spices and herbs, often pharmaceutical. The word sbiten was formed from the process of combining (churning) two liquids - honey diluted in water and a spicy herbal infusion.

The first mention of the drink was preserved in the chronicles of the Slavic peoples from 1128. In those days, the drink was prepared in special copper vessels (baklaga or sakla), and it was called perevar, vzvar, var. Before tea appeared in Rus', sbiten was the number one hot drink. It was prepared not only for home consumption, but also sold in public places: markets, fairs, folk festivals, and taverns.

The main spices and herbs were sage, St. John's wort, cinnamon, ginger, bitter capsicum and bay leaf. But a couple of years after the October Revolution, the amount of sbiten consumed by the population began to gradually decrease until it completely ended. Dark tea and coffee took over his space.

There are two main methods for making sbiten - regular and custard. When making custard sbiten, a fermentation process occurs.

To make 1 liter of regular sbiten you need to take honey (100 g), spices (cloves, cinnamon, dark and aromatic peppercorns, ginger, St. John's wort, cardamom, nutmeg) and water (1 liter). Pour water into two containers of 200 and 800 ml. Dissolve honey in the smallest amount of water and boil over low heat, constantly skimming off the foam. Wrap the spices in cheesecloth and boil them in more water. In order for the spices to really give the water their own scent, they should be infused for 30 minutes. Finally, mix both mixtures and reheat before serving.

To prepare custard sbiten, you need to mix water (4 l), honey (500 g), light mash (4 l), vinegar (30 g) and ginger (20 g) in an enamel bowl. Boil the mixture over low heat for an hour, constantly skimming off the foam, cool, and then pour into a tightly sealed container. Add half a tablespoon of yeast there. To ferment, leave the drink in a warm place for 6-12 hours. After the designated time has passed, uncork the container, move it to a cool space and let it sit for another 2-3 days. After that, the custard sbiten is ready to eat.

In addition to spices, you can add fruit and berry juices to sbiten, which will give the drink an additional smell and taste.

Usefulness of sbitn

Zharky sbiten is largely a winter drink, which was consumed to warm up after it had cooled down. Also, due to its own composition, it has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. It is also drunk to restore the body after illness, surgery and injury. The cool drink is consumed to quench thirst in the bathhouse after the steam room or on hot days.

Sbiten acquires its main beneficial characteristics by adding honey to it. This product saturates the drink with vitamins and minerals (magnesium, iodine, iron, calcium, potassium and others). Sbiten has a tonic effect and perfectly restores strength after heavy intellectual and physical exertion. This drink can be consumed in small quantities by people with diabetes. A balanced diet is needed for anemia, indigestion, disorders of the intestinal tract, gas, constipation, diseases of the cardiovascular system and dermatological integument.

Also, thanks to spices, sbiten is filled with medicinal qualities. Cloves added to the drink relieve spasms of the stomach and intestinal tract, relieve pain (physical or emotional suffering, painful or unpleasant sensations) and provide energy. Cinnamon has an antifungal effect, which reduces the level of rotten activity in the gastrointestinal tract (the gastrointestinal tract is the digestive system of the organs of real multicellular animals, designed for processing and extracting nutrients from food) , and restores sugar levels. Cardamom has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and relieves tension.

Harm of sbitn and contraindications

The drink is not recommended for people who are allergic to honey and honey products, because this can lead to suffocation caused by swelling (Edema in Latin oedema - excessive accumulation of fluid in the organs) of the lungs.

Those who want to lose extra pounds should refrain from losing weight. Due to the honey included in its composition, it becomes quite high in calories.

What is Sbiten + 14 recipes for making it at home

Sbiten is a honey drink, an integral part of East Slavic cuisine. The vast majority of its varieties are non-alcoholic. These include: Stolbushinsky sbiten, Belarusian sbiten, Suzdal, sea buckthorn, rye, cranberry and apple sbiten, as well as such exotic drinks as juniper sbiten, cedar sbiten or fir sbiten with ginger, sage and propolis and other recipe options.

1 History of Sbiten
2 What is the difference between sbiten and mead?
3 Sbiten: useful characteristics
4 Shelf life of sbitn
5 Traditional recipe for sbiten
6 Kumushkin or folk sbiten
7 Sbiten Monastery
8 Sbiten Beer
9 Traditional raspberry sbiten
10 Raspberry sbiten with liqueur
11 Sbiten wine
12 Juniper sbiten
13 Sbiten with prunes
14 Homemade sbiten with cranberries
15 Sbiten with sea buckthorn and calendula
16 Sbiten with mint and apples
17 Currant sbiten
18 Ginger-honey sbiten

History of Sbiten

Honey drinks have been known to the Eastern Slavs since the beginning. With all this, unlike intoxicating meads, the ancient Russian sbiten was initially intended not for entertainment, but only to quench thirst in the summer and warm up in the winter.

The first chronicle mention of such a drink dates back to 1128, and the first ancient recipe for sbiten that we recognize dates back to the 16th century.

By the way, the emergence of the prototype of the latest samovars in Eastern Europe is specifically connected with its production.

The alcoholic version of the drink we are interested in became widespread in the 18th century, when the creation of intoxicated mead was in deep decline. Its strength was 4-7 degrees.

Sbiten did not leave the scene until 1917, when it was supplanted by its closest relative - mead.

Nowadays, although the alcoholic variety of the ancient Russian drink is not experiencing an era of rapid renaissance, it nevertheless feels quite confident.

The main reason for this is that its production usually does not take much time and effort.

As you can soon see, even the most intricate recipe for sbiten at home will be very easy to implement.

There are recognized differences in sbiten in terms of serving temperature and method of production.

In the first case, it is divided into cool and hot, in the 2nd - into regular and custard (made from naturally fermented honey).

With all this, all the mentioned varieties allow the possibility of the presence of an alcoholic component in the drink.

What is the difference between sbiten and mead?

It must be emphasized that the differences between alcoholic sbiten and mead are quite arbitrary.

Both drinks are often prepared using similar or very similar technologies.

But there are two fundamental differences between them.

The first of the drinks is prepared without the introduction of yeast, the second - eliminates the addition of foreign alcohol.

Sbiten: useful characteristics

The unquestioning usefulness of the ancient drink is justified by five important factors:

The inevitable presence of honey;

The constant presence of spices (traditional spicy sbiten usually contains cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, star anise, dark or aromatic pepper, etc.);

The widespread practice of using fruits (fruit whipping can include both fresh fruits and dried fruits, an example of which is whipping with prunes);

The fairly frequent addition of pharmaceutical herbs (herbal mixing involves the introduction of sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, mint, thyme, galangal, etc.);

The usual use of the drink is hot.

Thus, the East Slavic honey elixir can not only have an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic or tonic effect on the body, and also serve as an indispensable remedy for colds, but with the addition of certain ingredients it can have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, cardiovascular , nervous and even reproductive system.

Shelf life of sbitn

The question of the shelf life of the drink we are interested in is directly related to its variety.

Ordinary hot sbiten does not at all imply the ability to be stored for any long time. It should be capitalized within an hour, getting maximum pleasure from the process.

If we are talking about drinks designed to be consumed cool or later heated, then they can be stored completely freely for a year.

With all this, the main criteria for safety are: staying in a cold, black room and being in glass or wood containers.

Traditional recipe for sbiten

Let's start with how to create that honey base that can serve as a self-sufficient drink or a field for subsequent tests.

With all this, it should be understood that the ingredients created for whipping must be boiled in two or even several separate containers, and then combined (knocked) together.

Sbitni

Sbiten arose in Rus' quite a long time ago, at least thousands of years ago. By the way, the first samovars were intended specifically for cooking sbiten, only later they acquired their usual purpose for us. The composition of sbiten includes honey as an essential component; for a specific taste, various spices and herbs are added. There are both alcoholic recipes for sbitn, when it is the result of yeast fermentation with the addition of hops, and non-alcoholic sbitn. Some 100 - 100 50 years ago, knockers walked through markets and squares and sold this excellent aromatic drink. And now you can join our state traditions. Try our sbiten recipes.

Spicy pear sbiten

This sbiten has an appropriately spicy aroma, diluted with fruity notes due to the addition of ripe, juicy pear. Be sure to leave the finished sbiten in the pan for at least 10-15 minutes so that it has time to brew. Place a piece of gru in each cup.

Sbiten Kolomna with mint and St. John's wort

An essential ingredient in the sbiten recipe is honey. The choice of honey type is up to you. We have the most ordinary floral one. But for the specific taste and smell in this drink, in addition to ordinary spices, such as cinnamon, pepper and mint, in this sbiten.

Fragrant sbiten with honey and green tea

In Russian cuisine, you can find intoxicating (which have passed the fermentation stage) and non-alcoholic sbitni. This recipe belongs to the 2nd group. Moreover, it contains a non-standard ingredient – greenish tea, which makes the drink modern. When shot down.

Sbiten apple

For this sbiten, in addition to the usual set of spices, take a couple of sweet and sour apples. Specifically, they will give the drink a pleasant fruity note, which you will certainly appreciate if you pour the hot apple whipped into glasses and sip a malt.

Sbiten Suzdal

Sbiten is a common warming winter drink. To make it, be sure to use natural honey and a mixture of spices. The set of spices may vary from recipe to recipe, but almost always it includes cinnamon and ginger.

Sbiten spicy

sugar, honey, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, water