Are you trying to pass on the booze and currently look for non-alcoholic beverages that will more than make up for it? While some people decide to decline alcoholic beverages all year round, the practice of giving up the sauce for a stint is very popular. It seems the lure of saving their wallet, trimming their waist, and skipping hangovers.
There is indeed a genuine fear of missing out on fine culinary and dining experiences when you decide not to drink an alcoholic beverage. However, going booze-free totally does not deter your dining experience. In fact, alcohol can significantly decrease your sense of taste.
From chemical-packed energy drinks to freshly squeezed orange juice to teas and coffees, the variety of non-alcoholic beverages is great. Non-alcoholic beverages can be categorized into hot drinks (coffee and tea) and soft drinks (carbonated drinks, fruit punch, tonic water, and sparkling water).
Non-Alcoholic Russian Beverages
Most people think that the only beverage Russian people drink is traditional vodka. However, it is quite wrong. Russia is a huge country and has way more to offer than just vodka. Russia also has non-alcoholic beverages and ancient recipes, and many of these beverages are considered to be the tastiest and healthiest in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Based on the explanation above, it is about time we harbor some ingrained stereotypes about Russian people of which the most popular one is the assumption of rampant alcoholism. At this point, people really are selling them short because, in fact, they like to consume plenty of other beverages that are often delicious, affordable, and freely available, too.
One of the most popular non-alcoholic Russian beverages is kavs, though there are other wide collections such as sbiten, mors, med, voditsa, and many others. In this article, I will share 5 simple recipes of non-alcoholic Russian beverages that you can easily try at home. Stay tuned!
- Peach Kompot
When it is a peach season, try to acquire a big box of Georgia peaches which are very tasty and sweet, though they do not have a long shelf life. Now, what to do with all these peaches? A portion of it will make their way into Peach Kompot. What is kompot? In Russian, kompot means boiled fruit drink.
As any other kompot in Russia, Peach Kompot is relatively easy to make. All you need to do is boil the peaches with a little bit of sugar and then cool it down to infuse. Peeling the skin from the peaches may make them nice to consume. However, you do not need to do it if it seems like a hassle. You can just slice the peaches in halves and then remove the pits. The skin will be automatically peeled away during the boiling process.
- Kvass
Kvass is a Russian fermented rye bread beverage which is probably a bit of unusual beverage to most parts of the world. The ingredients of kvass are dried rye bread, sugar, water, and yeast. It may sound not-so-delicious. However, it is one of the Russian soft drinks which are popular in Eastern Europe countries since ancient times.
Making kvass is a child’s play. You just need two big cooking pots, cheesecloth, a funnel, rye bread which can be a bit of challenge to afford if you are not living in Russia, and time. If you cannot find dried rye bread, you can use good borodinsky bread which you can easily find in nearby European store as an alternative.
How to make a dried rye bread out of borodinsky bread: Dice the bread heels and leftovers, dry them for 10 to 15 minutes in the oven, and you are pretty much good to go.
Fun fact: Besides beverage, kvass that is stored in a bottle can be used to prepare okroshka soup.
- Uzvar
Uzvar is a kompot made from dried fruits such as apples, prunes, and pears. Some people use uncommon recipes that include dried sour cherries, raisins, and even dried apricots. This beverage is traditionally served to Christmas Eve dinner in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania. But there is no restriction to make uzvar a better choice to drink before some sugary-artificially prepared sodas. It is very refreshing, tasty, and easy to make. I highly recommend it to everybody. You can also prepare it for your children because pretty sure they will love it.
- Banana Milkshake
Do not get deceived by the name of the recipe. It says Banana Milkshake but this very simple recipe is often used to prepare any kind of fruit milkshake. All you need to do is replace the bananas with raspberries or strawberries and vanilla ice cream with any flavor of ice cream you enjoy.
The main ingredients of a milkshake which are milk and ice cream are good sources of calcium which is very important for a healthy diet. That is why it is especially good for children. Not only is it tasty so they like it, but also is healthy.
So, in order to make sure your children get the needed amount of calcium, make Banana Milkshake.
- Sbiten
Sbiten is a Russian beverage made with a mixture of water, warming spices, and honey. It is an alternative to the grain-and-milk-based beverage. The history of this beverage dated back to the 12th century, and while its recipes vary, some like to call for the addition of jam or fruit.
Sbiten is easy to make. You just need to simply bring some water to a boil, put honey to taste, and combine it with lemon zest, fruit jam, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, nutmeg, whole cloves, fresh ginger or mint leaves. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, strain out the solids, and then pour it into cups to enjoy.
So, those are 5 simple recipes of non-alcoholic Russian beverages that you can easily try at home. Stay fresh and healthy.