Beverages are one of the things you can enjoy when you are traveling. From the taste of the drinks, we can learn the culture of a certain place. This is also a good way to understand the palate that has been formed in society.

The beverages we like are depending on our preference. Some of us love an alcoholic drink and some do not. This time we are going to learn about non-alcoholic Russian drink that can be drunk by everyone. Next time you are going to Russia, you can look for these drinks. You can even make it in your home.

Delightful Non-Alcoholic Russian Drink

• Mors

We all must have experienced when we want to drink something cold and refreshing during the summertime. Some people enjoy having some iced coffee, the others love getting themselves some Slurpee. Now you can add Mors as another option to your list of drinks.

Mors, one of Russians’ oldest drinks, is a non-alcoholic Russian drink that can be drunk by everyone. It is made of berries, such as cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries, strawberries, or gooseberries. Nowadays you can find many people mix kinds of berries. People even add some cinnamon, apple powder, sugar, or honey to sweeten the taste.

It is very easy to make Mors. You can pick any kind of berries you like and boil them in some water for around 8 minutes. During the 8 minutes, you need to mash the berries and you will get the juice from the berries. Then, you may add some sweetener, such as sugar or honey and stir it with the berries. Since it is best to serve Mors cold, you need to store it in the fridge for a while. What a simple recipe, right? 🙂

• Ryazhenka

If you like milk-based beverage, Ryazhenka is the right drink for you. Ryazhenka is made of slow-boiled milk. The making process takes a long time – six to eight hours – but it is worth the benefit we will get from consuming it. Widely recognized as one of Russians’ healthiest drink, Ryazhenka is the recommended drink for when you have an upset stomach. It also contains vitamin to strengthen your immune system.

So, how do you make Ryazhenka? You only need two ingredients and they are a liter of baked milk and 3 tablespoons of sour cream. If you cannot find baked milk at the supermarket, you can make it by boiling some regular milk. Once it is boiled, bake the hot milk in 100^oC oven for 5-6 hours. Before using the baked milk to make Ryazhenka, make sure to get rid of the golden-brown crust formed during the baking.

The process of making Ryazhenka is very simple. You can start by heating the baked milk until it is 40^oC on a stove. Then, add the 3 tablespoons of sour cream and mix it up. Put the whole mixture into a container, cover it with a towel, and leave it cool down in room temperature. For the next 4-10 hours, you need to check it hourly whether it has been thickened or not. When the consistency shows thickness, move it into the fridge.

You can taste some sweetness in this drink. The smooth and creamy texture of the baked and heated milk makes it tastes even better. Ryazhenka is undisputedly a non-alcoholic Russian drink that can be drunk by everyone.

• Kvass

Besides Mors, Kvass is also an incredibly refreshing drink to have during the hot weather. Kvass is made of rye bread and water. In comparison with the common white bread, rye bread contains more fibers. Its color is also darker which affects the color of Kvass. In the process of making Kvass, there are some additional ingredients put into the mix, such as fruits or herbs. The most common fruits people use are strawberries or raisins while for the part of the herb, the mint leaves are the most used one. Fruits or herbs are the ones that play the role of giving a refreshing taste.

It takes time to make Kvass but I guarantee you will not regret the effort you give to make it 🙂 Here is what you need to do:

1. Boil 1,5 liters of water in a pot
2. While waiting for the water to boil, toast 2 slices of rye bread in a toaster
3. Once the water is boiled, turn off the heat. Put the toasted bread into the water, along with 2 slices of lemon, and a handful of raisins. Put the lid on. Let the whole pot sit for 4 hours.

4. After 4 hours, separate the liquid and the solid ingredients. Then, add 1 teaspoon of dry yeast, 100 grams of sugar, and a handful of raisins into the liquid. Mix it well, store it into a glass jar, and seal it. Keep the jar in the room temperature for 48 hours.
5. After 48 hours, run the whole content of the jar through a cheesecloth to separate the liquid from the solid ingredients. Then, squeeze a lemon into the Kvass and store it in the fridge.

There you have it, your home-made Kvass 🙂

• Kompot

This is the non-alcoholic Russian drink that can be drunk by everyone both in winter and summer. Kompot is similar to Mors. The difference is in the consistency in which Mors has thick texture (because it uses mashed berries), while the Kompot uses the whole fruit without crushing it.

There are many kinds of fruits you can use to make Kompot. The options are varied from strawberries or gooseberries to apples, peaches, or apricots. All you have to do is put the fruits, sugar or raisins into a large volume of water, and cook it all together. The duration of the cooking is up to you. If you want a softer texture, you are going to cook it longer.

If you want to drink it during the summer, you can cool the Kompot by putting it into the fridge. If you want to warm your body during the cold time, you can add some spices such as vanilla or cinnamon and serve Kompot while it is hot.