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How to Make Sbiten

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During the winter months, everybody craves a delicious hot beverage such as hot chocolate, tea, and cider. But what if you want to try something different? In Russia, Sbiten (also called збитень) is a traditional honey-based beverage consumed during the winter months. It's actually very simple to prepare and tastes a lot like fruity tea. Here's how to prepare this comforting drink.

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings

• 1/2 cup of pure honey - Refer to How to Verify the Purity of Honey
  
• 1 tsp of cloves
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp ginger
  
• 16 ounces (1 lb) blackberry jam
  
• 10 1/4 cups water
  
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
• 1 mint leaf (optional)
  

For alternate recipe 1:
Makes 750 ml, or 1 wine bottle's worth

• 3-1/3 cups water
  
• 2 cups honey
  
• 3 cinnamon sticks
  
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  
• 2 dried red chile peppers, optional
  
• 2 tablespoons apricot or raspberry jam
  

For alternate recipe 2:

• 3 L water
  
• 250 g honey
  
• 350 g molasses
  
• 5 g mix of spices - cinnamon, malt, cloves, mint
  

Steps

1. Bring 10 1/4 cups of water to a boil.
   
2. Add the ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, honey and home-made blackberry jam and stir gently.
   
3. Turn the heat down to about medium-low and bring it to a simmer. Stir the mixture for 6 minutes then take the pot off the stove.
   
4. Let cool for 2 minutes. Afterward, ladle the hot beverage into 10 mugs.
   
5. Garnish with a home-made mint leaf candy and enjoy!
   

Alternate Recipe 1[1]

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
   
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk occasionally. Mixture will be slightly foamy.
   
3. Serve in small glasses with a cinnamon stick for garnish.
   

Alternate Recipe 2[2]

1. Bring the water to a boil in a pot.
   
2. Melt honey into the water.
   
3. Add all other ingredients.
   
4. Simmer for half an hour.
   
5. Serve.
   

Tips

• This is best served hot, but the drink can be refrigerated and served cold in the summer, or reheated for serving later.
  
• You can make an alcoholic version by substituting a hearty red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon) for water.[1]
  

Warnings

• Hot beverages can burn your tongue if not handled carefully.
  

Things You'll Need

• Large pot
  
• Mixing spoon
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Mead
  
• How to Make Mulled Wine
  
• How to Make Mulled Beer
  
• How to Reliquefy Granulated Honey
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://food.aarpmagazine.org/recipes/aarp/russian-sbiten
2. ↑ http://www.ruscuisine.com/recipes-by-email/archive/050621.html

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