Raspberry Honey Sbiten (Old Slavic Hot Drink)

Sbiten — the hot honey drink of old Russia, sold steaming from samovars on winter streets long before tea arrived. Honey, warming spices and raspberry, simmered into a fragrant, ruby cup that thaws you to the bone.

Why you'll love this recipe

• An old world recipe, made the way it always was
• One of the most-requested recipes here
• Not one spoon of refined sugar
• Sweetened with real honey
• Makes enough for 4

What you'll need

Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.

• 4 cups (960 ml) water
• 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey (most added off heat)
• 1 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 1 star anise
• 1-inch fresh ginger, sliced
• 5 black peppercorns, 3 mint leaves, 1 bay leaf

How to make it

Simmer the water with the spices, ginger and raspberries 12–15 minutes until fragrant and ruby-colored.

Lightly crush the berries; strain out the solids.

Off the heat, stir in the honey (keeping it below a boil preserves its goodness).

Taste and adjust honey.

Serve piping hot in mugs or glass cups with a cinnamon stick.

Storage

Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.

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