Sbiten

Ingredients

Base

• 200 ghoney
• 1.5 litreswater
• 50 gsugar, optional

Spices

• 1cinnamon stick
• 6cloves
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 4cardamom pods
• 2star anise
• 2cm ginger, sliced
• 1 tspdried mint
• 2bay leaves

Optional

• 1 tbspdried St John’s wort or thyme
• a strip of lemon peel
• 200 mlred wine, for the alcoholic version

To serve

• hot, in mugs

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil with all the whole spices, the ginger and the bay. Crush the cardamom pods and the peppercorns lightly before they go in, which releases far more. Simmer it, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Keep it covered while it simmers, so the volatile aromatics stay in the pot rather than leaving with the steam.
3. Add the dried mint and any herbs for the last 5 minutes only. Dried herbs go in late, because long boiling makes them bitter. Let it drop below a simmer before the honey goes in, which is the whole point of the sequence.
4. Stir in the honey until it has dissolved completely. Taste it and add sugar only if the honey is not sweet enough on its own.
5. Use a honey with character. Let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes so the flavours settle. Strain it through a fine sieve into a jug or a thermos.
6. Strain it well, because whole spices in the cup are unpleasant. For the alcoholic version, add red wine at this stage and warm it gently without boiling.
7. Serve it very hot, in mugs or glasses. It should taste strongly of honey and spice, warming and slightly peppery, and it is closer to a spiced honey infusion than to mulled wine.

Technique

• Medovukha is the related fermented honey drink and is a different thing entirely.
• The herbal additions varied enormously by region and by vendor.
• It was traditionally sold alongside pryaniki and baranki at markets.

Substitutions

• Any strong dark honey, and buckwheat is the traditional one.
• Ready-mixed mulling spices, using rather more black pepper.

Variations

• With red wine, as the older alcoholic version.
• With more ginger and pepper, for a fiercer drink.
• With dried berries or jam stirred in.

History

Sold by street sbitenshchiki from the twelfth century until tea and coffee displaced it in the nineteenth.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sbiten?

Sbiten is a drink from Russia: hot spiced honey drink with herbs, drunk before tea arrived. Sold by street sbitenshchiki from the twelfth century until tea and coffee displaced it in the nineteenth.

How long does Sbiten take to make?

Sbiten takes 10 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 cups. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Sbiten?

Yes, within limits. Any strong dark honey, and buckwheat is the traditional one. Ready-mixed mulling spices, using rather more black pepper.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sbiten?

Bring the water to a boil with all the whole spices, the ginger and the bay. Crush the cardamom pods and the peppercorns lightly before they go in, which releases far more. Simmer it, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.