Russian Hot Honey Beverage (Sbiten)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 01/6/22
Spicy sbiten
Malykalexa / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 10 servings

Sbiten is a traditional wintertime honey-based beverage popular in Russia that has been around since the 12th century. It was served from copper samovars by the sbitenshchik or sbiten makers, who brewed it on street corners and sold it to the eager and frostbitten public. Sbiten fell out of favor with the advent of tea and coffee in the 19th century, but a renewed interest in this old-time drink is taking place now.

Like mead and medovukha (a cheaper, faster version of mead), ​sbiten is made with honey, water, spices, and jam. The key to excellent sbiten is good-quality honey and spices. As you might expect, the ratios of these ingredients depend on the family making the drink.

The word sbiten is from the Russian verb sbit, which means to beat and refers to the herbs and spices being pounded in a mortar. Some add red wine or vodka or brandy to the basic ingredients to make this a potent potable.

There are many recipes for sbiten. The jam proportion in this recipe is higher than the honey, whereas you will find as much as 2 cups of honey in other recipes and only 2 tablespoons of jam.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves

  • 3 sticks cinnamon, cracked into several pieces

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 16 ounces blackberry jam

  • 10 1/4 cups water. or red wine

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 mint leaf, optional

  • 2 whole dried chile peppers, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a medium saucepan, combine honey, cloves, cinnamon sticks, ginger, blackberry jam, water or wine, and nutmeg, along with the mint leaves and chile peppers, if using.

  3. Slowly bring the mixture in the saucepan to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until honey and jam completely dissolve. Remove from heat.

  4. Let the sbiten come to room temperature. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth, pressing on the solids, and transfer to an airtight container or bottle—a 750 milliliter bottle should accommodate this amount of sbiten. Refrigerate and reheat when serving.

Another Popular Russian Hot Beverage

In addition to sbiten, Russians enjoy spiced tea known as pryani chai. In the glory days of old Russia, it was served from a gleaming silver samovar, or from a metal version in modest households. Today, it can be prepared in a saucepan on the stovetop and the taste is just as delicious.

Unlike sbiten, pryani chai has tea as its base and alcohol is rarely added, but all the requisite spices are in place with the addition of orange or tangerine zest and lemon juice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
183 Calories
0g Fat
47g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 183
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 29mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 36g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 62mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)