Russian Sbiten

Sbiten is the traditional holiday drink in Russia—a perfect antidote to that country’s cold winter and often sold on street corners by vendors known as sbitenshchik. You can make an alcoholic version by substituting a hearty red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, for the water. Here we have given you the recipe to make one bottle of sbiten, but you can easily double or triple the recipe to make more.

To make the decorative bottles you will need:

750 ml wine bottles; fancy ribbon; double-sided tape; star anise; silver paint pen; decorative beads; hot glue.

Using double-sided tape, attach fancy ribbon (find an assortment for $5.98 a yard at www.mjtrim.com) to empty, clear wine bottles with caps. (We used claret fifth-size bottles and metal screw caps from The Grape and Granary, www.thegrape.net, $14.89 for a case of 12 bottles and 12 cents per screw cap.)

Then brush star anise (available at most grocery stores) with a silver paint pen and attach a decorative bead to the center of the anise with hot glue (paint pens, beads, and glue available at any craft store).

Attach the decorated anise to the ribbon with hot glue. Pour the cooled sbiten, including cinnamon sticks and cloves, into decorated bottles.

Total cost per bottle:$8.50

Time spent making and packaging one gift: about 45 minutes

One Bottle

Created by: Stephanna Bottom

Food stylist: Kelli Ronci (Packaging)

• 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

• 1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally to incorporate the honey. Mixture will be slightly foamy.
• 2. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated until ready to bottle.
• 3. To serve, reheat sbiten in a saucepan, whisking occasionally. Serve hot and foamy in small glasses with cinnamon stick for garnish.

Photographer: Wendell T. Webber

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