Sbiten

Description
An ancient recipe Russian Hot beverage. There are several variations and also spelled sbiten

A non-alchoholic version is made with blackberry jam or other flavours and water instead of the wine.

Ingredients

 * 1 ginger
 * 2 3 bay leaf
 * 5 – 7 cloves
 * 1 nutmeg
 * cinnamon
 * 1 tsp herbs to taste (spearmint, St. John's wort)
 * 1 cup boiling water
 * 1 cup fresh honey
 * 2 pint red sweet wine

Directions

 * 1) Cook herbs tea: 1 tsp herbs per cup of boiling water, or less, to suit your own taste.
 * 2) Add the cloves, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, honey last.
 * 3) Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture almost boils and honey dissolves.
 * 4) Remove from heat.
 * 5) Add red sweet wine.
 * 6) Stir well, percolate.
 * 7) Serve hot.