At the Bread Festival recently held in Stavropol, I met Andrei Alekseevich Grechushnikov. He was selling some drinks in dark glass bottles covered in sealing wax. I haven't seen anything like this since I was young.

- So what do you have, mead? - I asked the seller.

In no case. These are intoxicating meads prepared according to old Russian recipes that I inherited from my ancestors.

We met and started talking. Andrei Alekseevich Grechushnikov lives in the village of Ostrogorka, near the city of Lermontov in the Caucasus Mineralnye Vody. He has his own apiary for 150 bee families. He is a hereditary beekeeper. All of his ancestors he knows were involved in bees. They were also mead makers, brewing sbitny and intoxicating meads, which have been known in Rus' since ancient times. Remember the saying: “And I was there, drinking honey-beer...” This is what is said about these very intoxicating meads.

While we were talking, Grechushnikov was constantly distracted by questions from visitors to the exhibition, explaining that this was not mead, but intoxicated honey, a completely different drink.

Intoxicated honey cannot be classified as alcoholic products“, although it’s intoxicating,” Andrei Alekseevich explained. - It contains food alcohol, which is formed during the fermentation process and is a preservative.

Such alcohol is found in kefir, kumiss, even in bread, since during the preparation of these products there was a fermentation process. But they are not classified as alcoholic products.

The strength of hop honey is determined by the hops, but not by the alcohol. The longer the aging, the higher the strength; it also depends on the number of herbs added to the drink, and they can be from 25 to 32.

I admit, I still don’t fully understand the explanation why honey makes you drunk. It seems to me that this still comes from alcohol, but only of natural origin, and not obtained through chemical synthesis or distillation.

Probably its effect on human body, however, somewhat different, not as destructive as the alcoholic drinks we are used to. But if you drink a bottle or two, you'll undoubtedly get crazy.

I asked him to try it. Grechushnikov has prepared wooden barrels for tasting. He poured me a drink from one. Indeed, the taste is excellent. Nothing like mead, which I've tried more than once and don't like. There is a much more subtle taste here.

Not too sweet, but aromatic, smelling of honey and herbs at the same time. The strength is felt, approximately the same as that of dry wine. But, I agree, it’s somehow special, more warming than intoxicating. In a word, the uniqueness is obvious; I have never drunk anything like it.

I sell a lot at fairs, and almost everyone comes to me with a skeptical attitude, just like you, thinking it's mead. And they leave amazed and often take a bottle or two of my honey,” says the mead maker.

Grechushnikov spent more than a year going through the authorities, arguing that his products should not fall under the status of alcoholic beverages. And he achieved his goal. He has all the required documents confirming the non-alcoholic status of honey. Therefore, he produces his own honey and trades it completely legally.

Here is the composition of one of the honeys called “Evpatiy Kolovrat’s Cup”. Spring water, natural honey, hops, rose petals, celery, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, Bay leaf, pollen extract, beebread extract.

Here are recommendations for the consumer. Has a calming effect, stimulates potency, improves libido, prolongs fertility female body. Normalizes metabolism in the body, strengthens cardiovascular system, increases the hemoglobin content in the blood, normalizes liver function, has an anti-sclerotic effect, and reduces the amount of fat deposits.

In addition to intoxicating meads, he also makes sbitni. These are ancient Russian drinks made with honey and herbs without hops. These warming drinks used to be very popular in Russia, especially in winter, but today they are almost forgotten.

The mead maker sells its products mainly at fairs and via the Internet, sending them by transport companies. He has only one store on the Black Sea coast, which is open exclusively during the season.

Those who buy intoxicating meads and sbitneys there, then, as a rule, become its regular online customers. It must be said that the mead maker’s products are not cheap, from 500 rubles per bottle to 4 thousand. But people are willing to pay for naturalness and excellent taste.

Sergey IVASCHENKO

For a long time, honey was considered a valuable product in Rus', which was consumed in in various forms. They were treated with it, they pampered children with it, and they even prepared an intoxicating potion from it, which was considered an integral part of all feasts. Intoxicated honey was distinguished by a rare combination of beneficial properties and a slight intoxicating effect, so the feast in the old days was kinder and more soulful. At the same time, each housewife prepared a special honey and intoxicating recipe, which she kept secret.

The secret of making intoxicating honey has been passed down from generation to generation, so there are many different varieties.

In contact with

They reveal the imagination of our people, their soul - and the desire to please loved ones. Just an abundance of food and drinks allowed an ordinary person to relax and have a good time. After such feasts, the peasants actively took up work, which burned in their deft hands. At the same time, the number of alcoholics or beggars was minimal, since people took care of each other.

Intoxicated honey – harm or benefit?

Honey is a unique substance that contains a whole complex of minerals and vitamins.

Drinking a few spoons of honey strengthens the immune system, improves mood, and also has a positive effect on everyone’s work. internal organs.

It is only necessary to observe the measure, since allergies often develop to honey. Of course, sometimes it is greatly overestimated, but most of the research confirms the uniqueness of natural honey.

Against the backdrop of the extreme usefulness of honey, people began to think about inventing an original intoxicating potion that would help to forget about worries. Of course, from the point of view of modern psychology, such an approach is doomed to failure, but in those days the existence of psychology was not even suspected. Simple people they were looking for a simple solution to their pressing problems - and intoxicating honey became their faithful companion.

Many experts believe that hop honey is dangerous drink, which is capable of destroying a person completely. Doctors have long believed that intoxicating honey is addictive. Some saw real alcoholism in the use of such a product, so they tried to fight the return to basics. Experts assured that the use of such low alcohol drink causes irreparable harm to health.

People, having read specific books or watched enough films, decide to try mead. Because of their own laziness, they go in search of suitable recipe on the Internet - and choose the simplest cooking option. The result is an inexpensive surrogate that is more reminiscent of a regular alcoholic drink.

If a person prepares real intoxicated honey according to ancient recipes and in compliance with all technologies, he receives a valuable drink. Of course, it will contain a certain percentage of alcohol, which is a fermentation product of honey. Only the proportion of alcohol will be relatively small, and mead will not pollute the body with harmful substances. Of course, completely useful product You can’t call it, but it shouldn’t be considered absolute evil either.

Intoxicated honey and its beneficial properties

Intoxicating honey is valuable product, which is prepared using natural ingredients.

The basis of this witchcraft potion is honey, which has long been considered a natural medicine.

It is also useful to consume honey instead of sugar, which can significantly reduce caloric intake.

Of course, during processing, some of the beneficial properties of honey disappear, and other properties are significantly reduced, but even after this, honey is very useful.

At proper preparation mead must be infused for several years to make the drink truly vigorous.

In the old days, it was believed that high-quality honey wine should be infused for several decades. It was enough to drink a glass of such a potion and a person would fall into the realm of dope. Of course, the cost of such a drink was quite high, so it was prepared for special celebrations. A barrel of aged mead could be placed on wedding table, when the feast was going on. True, everything still depended on the level of family income, since poor peasants chose simpler drinks.

Modern people are accustomed to hurrying everywhere and always, as life itself requires it. If you linger for a second, other comrades will quickly pass you by. In the same haste they are trying to prepare the elixir of life, as our ancestors sometimes called it. The result is a pathetic resemblance, which they try to pass off as a gift from antiquity. To save time, honey is diluted with water, a little alcohol is added - and they think that they have received a valuable drink.

In fact It takes a lot of time and patience to prepare high-quality hop mead.

Without this, it is better to leave your dreams and move on to more realistic projects.

For people accustomed to difficulties, I would like to advise looking for reliable recipes ancient drink– and then it will become an excellent general strengthening agent.

Mead also helps treat the most severe diseases of the respiratory system and has a beneficial effect on the psychological mood.

Just don’t abuse this medicine to avoid addiction.

In general, intoxicated honey is a valuable drink that will help strengthen the immune system and protect against colds. However beneficial properties only real mead possesses, and not its cheap analogues. Use quality products, don't be afraid to use old recipes– and your health will be the envy of many.

The intoxicating variety of honey is an ancient Russian drink. It is also commonly called mead. Since ancient times, the product has been known for its beneficial and medicinal properties. The question of its harm to the human body still remains controversial.

Intoxicated honey - what is it, beneficial properties

This honey drink mentioned in the folklore of many countries. It was compared to wine and considered a divine gift. This product remains long time alive and retains beneficial properties. It is also alcoholic and natural product, which differs significantly from industrial ones.

What you need to know about hop honey? Distinctive features

The history of the intoxicating drink dates back to Kievan Rus. At this time, the product was special and medicinal. It was used only in special cases. Each monastery cellar had reserves of large quantities. The priests gave it to children to drink during the baptism process.

It is not preserved and is constantly in the process of fermentation. Natural homemade drink does not contain alcohol, preservatives, yeast. Slightly intoxicating and not addictive, unlike other alcoholic drinks.

Characteristics of intoxicating honey, Wikipedia

The peculiarity of this product was known to the Scandinavians and Slavs. Any type of honey with the addition of hops becomes mead. Real popularity came to her after the Baptism of Rus'. The characteristics depend on which variety will be used as the basis.

Treatment of diseases

Treatment with honeydew is very effective. It is used for recovery vitality and energy. It is also useful to take as a disease prevention digestive system, colds and flu.

How to counterfeit

It is not difficult to counterfeit such a product. Yeast is added to speed up the fermentation process. The taste is enhanced by synthetic additives and flavorings. Water can be used to increase the quantity. Unscrupulous manufacturers can also add alcohols and dyes. Such drinks have no place on the market, but, unfortunately, counterfeits are very common.

Intoxicating honey, recipe. Intoxicating honey medovarus, teremok, wild, cherry cry

Drink recipes allow each person to prepare them themselves at home. Each one is unique, delicious and intoxicating in a different way.

Intoxicating honey meadovarus. This is a recipe for traditional ancient honey, which was the first to be made. For preparation, take honey and hop cones. They are brought to a boil in water. Then you need to strain and add honey there, stir until completely dissolved. Bring to a boil again. After it has cooled, place it in a container for fermentation.
Intoxicating honey teremok. It is prepared in the same way as It is distinguished by a darker shade and strength.
Wild intoxicating honey. It tastes like beer. It has a dark to black color. More intoxicating than traditional drink. For preparation, wild varieties of honey, water and 12-15 hop cones are used.
Intoxicating honey cherry cry. The basis can be any type of product. An additional component is cherries and their juice. It is boiled and honey is added to the finished mixture. Stir until completely dissolved and prepare as traditionally.

Each beekeeper keeps personal recipes for making mead. They usually pass down from generation to generation. You can brew it in different ways, but it’s not always possible to get a tasty drink the first time.

How to make intoxicating honey, intoxicating drink from honey

Anyone can prepare this product. But this requires some knowledge. Classic recipe will help you learn how to prepare this tasty and healthy drink.

Boil water with honey in the following ratio: 2 liters of water, 300 g of honey;
add 6-7 g of hop cones, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg;
turn off the gas and leave covered for a couple of minutes;
dilute bread or brewer's yeast in water;
when the honey water cools to 39 degrees, yeast is added to it;
the mixture is poured into an airtight container;
Fermentation will finish within a week.

Intoxicated honey: beneficial properties and contraindications

The beneficial properties of this drink will be known all the time. It is widely used in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. In addition, mead affects a person’s emotional state. Contraindications include allergies to honey products.

Colds

In this case, the wild variety will help. It is recommended to drink warm, at least 3 times a day, 100 ml. Helps reduce temperature, eliminate body aches, and increases sweating. This promotes rapid recovery. It also relieves inflammation in the upper respiratory tract well.

Gastrointestinal diseases

For diseases of the digestive system, the teremok variety is used. Effectively helps with stomach ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and increased gas formation. Improves the digestion process, prevents constipation. In addition, it improves intestinal function and removes toxins. It is recommended to drink 50-100 ml on an empty stomach and 30 minutes before each meal.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

To normalize the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, it is recommended to drink cherry mead. The cherry variety increases the tone of blood vessels and strengthens them. It is also useful to drink it to prevent heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Take in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bed. Acceptable dosage is 100-150 ml. Honey water also helps with such disorders.

Diseases of ENT organs, bronchial asthma

Everyone knows that honey has a healing effect on the respiratory organs. A warm drink made from cherries helps with sore throat, laryngitis, and bronchitis. Relieves inflammation of mucous membranes. Also used for diseases of the oral cavity. Improves a person's overall well-being. For bronchial asthma, it can be taken if there are no allergies or contraindications.

Skin diseases

Teremok and any other type of mead will help against skin diseases. It can be used for internal and external applications. Effectively wipe the skin with tincture when acne and to eliminate oily shine. It also cleanses the skin from the inside, as it has the properties of removing toxins.

Recovery nervous system after stress

Useful to do warm drink and take before bed. It will help get rid of insomnia. Honey itself has the ability to improve mood and improve a person’s emotional state. In such cases, it is recommended to take the cherry scream drink. It energizes and restores vitality.

Disease Prevention

Preparing mead is useful for prevention various diseases. It helps normalize arterial pressure, increases immunity, reduces the risk of colds and viral diseases. In addition, it normalizes digestion. It is useful to take to prevent gastritis and constipation.

Beauty Recipes

Since ancient times, this drink has been considered divine. Women drank it to become beautiful and attractive. Even small children were given it. Until today, we use it to make masks and various beauty products.

Face masks

Hair masks

The cherry creek variety is good for hair. It gives hair shine, delicious aroma, elasticity. Promotes rapid hair growth. Restores them well during the period after lactation.

Honey for the body

This product can be found in many cosmetics body care. Honey water increases skin elasticity, slows down the aging process and the formation of wrinkles. Gives a velvety and healthy look.

Massage

For massage it is useful to use this product instead of ordinary oil. Well relaxes and restores energy. It is recommended to do anti-cellulite massages in this way.

Intoxicated honey - contraindications

This drink has no contraindications. However, it should not be taken by a person suffering from allergic reactions. It is also not recommended for women to take during pregnancy and lactation, since it alcoholic drink. It should also not be used internally by children.

Dosage for children and adults

The dosage depends on the purpose for which the drink is taken. As a preventive measure, adults can take 100 ml of mead 2 times a day.

Storage conditions

Intoxicated honey cannot be classified as an alcoholic product. It contains food alcohol, which is formed during the fermentation process, it plays the role of a preservative. This alcohol is present in kefir, bread, and almost all products that undergo the fermentation process. Only in some products food grade alcohol less, in others - more, but not much with a difference from 1.5˚ to 8.5˚. It does not affect the condition of the body in any way. Otherwise, kefir, kvass, bread and bakery products should be classified as low-alcohol products. But this is complete absurdity. I hope our smart heads in the government will learn to make the difference between products. If the strength of alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks is determined by the percentage ethyl alcohol, then the strength of intoxicated honey is determined by hops, herbs and aging, but not by alcohol. This drink is incomparable to anything: neither wine, nor beer, nor vodka, nor cognac. There are no analogues to this product: it is brewed like beer, fermented five times longer than wine and stronger than cognac. But now we need to think: what did our ancestors use before the appearance of alcohol in Rus'?! Anyone who has tried our intoxicated honey at least once understands what it is. 90% of people who come to us with a grin and negative exclamations about mead, having tried it, stop grinning and realize that they have never tried anything like this anywhere else. Some try to compare it with Italian wines, others with French ones, but they understand that this is better than all of them combined. I am pleased to see the surprise of gourmets and winery technologists after tasting our products. And it’s even more pleasant to hear that “they’ve never tried anything like this in their lives.” I don’t like to praise myself, but I do what I can. And if I can surprise people and give them pleasure and health, then my grandfathers taught me not in vain.

Our products undergo examinations in laboratories for various indicators of product quality, including expensive examinations. The product has a certificate of conformity and is declared. Since this unique product, its production is not licensed and is not needed excise stamp. Work is carried out only manually. Hand bottled only in new dark colored bottles, sealed with a cork stopper and sealed with sealing wax with our family seal.

I will describe one case. A woman, a mother of two children, sent me a letter by email. The youngest child is about 1.5 years old: a loud baby. Parents do not sleep: the baby does not let anyone sleep at night. Once in the store we took a bottle of raspberry intoxicating honey for ourselves. Well, the mother decided to give the baby a teaspoon with porridge before bed. The baby slept all night. They couldn’t believe it: a year and a half of sleepless nights, chronic lack of sleep, everyone was on edge. The next evening she again gave one teaspoon, the baby again slept all night. They went to the store and bought all the raspberry honey. The family has been sleeping peacefully for three months. The child calmed down and the family calmed down. I'm glad my drinks are helping. But I myself recommend giving children from the age of three only 1 teaspoon in a cup of tea at night.

There are very few real mead makers. There are in Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, but in Russia I’m apparently the only one. Maybe I'm wrong and not all mead makers in Russia have disappeared. If anyone is still left, please respond, I’ll be happy to talk.

To brew intoxicated honey, you need to know everything about honey, know many honey plants and their properties. By the way, half of them are useful as medicines. Know a lot about herbs, their benefits and harms. What goes with what and what honey is most suitable for aroma. We need to learn all this, but we have no teachers left. I will try to fulfill the wishes of my friends who helped me and are helping me now. So that this production does not stop and disappear altogether. Otherwise, there will be nothing left that is truly Russian in Russia.
Previously, even in monasteries they brewed intoxicated honey, but this ancient craft of mead makers disappeared even in monasteries. In Poland, in the Bernardine monastery, monks still brew intoxicating mead.
In Ukraine, even at the beginning of their revolution, there was a gathering of mead makers, but now the gatherings of mead makers are over for us, which is a pity.
None of the professional mead makers ever give their recipes to anyone. But at mead makers’ gatherings, you can exchange recipes if both opponents are satisfied and like them. All production is a closely guarded secret and is passed on only by inheritance.

With respect to all of you, mead maker Andrey Alekseevich Grechushnikov!
Fun and Health!

“There’s a lot to drink, honey and kvass, wine, pure honey, pepper.”
(Teachings of Clement, XII century)

“Everyone should have two pancakes, large ones, “in the sun,” he says, and butter, and jelly there, and a bottle of honey, honey...”
(I.S. Shmelev)

There is a detailed description of honey making in Domostroy.
And in Yatsenkov’s book.
And since the nineteenth century you will not find anything like this, alas...
Yatsenkov, by the way, has seven honey recipes. I will not describe their differences in detail now, I will only say that honeys are clearly divided into berry and hop honeys.
Hops perfectly complement the sweet taste of honey and give it a wonderful bitterness.
The strength is like beer, so the reminder of the “Izbornik” of 1076 “that killed a lot of honey” is quite relevant.
I ferment it with sourdough starter, keep it in a jar for five days, and then pour it into tightly sealed bottles.

Intoxicating honeys

For a long time, honey was considered a valuable product in Rus', which was consumed in various forms. They were treated with it, they pampered children with it, and they even prepared an intoxicating potion from it, which was considered an integral part of all feasts. Intoxicated honey was distinguished by a rare combination of beneficial properties and a slight intoxicating effect, so the feast in the old days was kinder and more soulful. At the same time, each housewife prepared a special honey and intoxicating recipe, which she kept secret.

The secret of making intoxicating honey has been passed down from generation to generation, so there are many different recipes with honey. They reveal the imagination of our people, their soul - and the desire to please loved ones. Just an abundance of food and drinks allowed an ordinary person to relax and have a good time. After such feasts, the peasants actively took up work, which burned in their deft hands. At the same time, the number of alcoholics or beggars was minimal, since people took care of each other.

Intoxicated honey - harm or benefit?

Honey is a unique substance that contains a whole complex of minerals and vitamins. Consuming a few spoons of honey strengthens the immune system, improves mood, and also has a beneficial effect on the functioning of all internal organs. It is only necessary to observe the measure, since allergies often develop to honey. Of course, sometimes the beneficial properties of honey are greatly overestimated, but most studies confirm the uniqueness of natural honey.

Against the backdrop of the extreme usefulness of honey, people began to think about inventing an original intoxicating potion that would help to forget about worries. Of course, from the point of view of modern psychology, such an approach is doomed to failure, but in those days the existence of psychology was not even suspected. Ordinary people were looking for a simple solution to their pressing problems - and intoxicating honey became their faithful companion.

Many experts believe that intoxicated honey is a dangerous drink that can completely destroy a person. Doctors have long believed that intoxicating honey is addictive. Some saw real alcoholism in the use of such a product, so they tried to fight the return to basics. Experts assured that drinking such a low-alcohol drink causes irreparable harm to health.

In fact, this point of view arose due to the fact that people do not delve into the essence of the problem. They believe that drunk honey is an analogue of vodka, so they perceive this ancient drink negatively. This perception is provoked by the fact that the Internet is now offering to make intoxicated honey, the recipe of which does not comply with ancient canons. People, having read specific books or watched enough films, decide to try mead. Because of their own laziness, they go looking for a suitable recipe on the Internet - and choose the simplest cooking option. The result is an inexpensive surrogate that is more reminiscent of a regular alcoholic drink.

If a person prepares real intoxicated honey according to ancient recipes and in compliance with all technologies, he receives a valuable drink. Of course, it will contain a certain percentage of alcohol, which is a fermentation product of honey. Only the proportion of alcohol will be relatively small, and mead will not pollute the body with harmful substances. Of course, you can’t call it a completely useful product, but it shouldn’t be considered an absolute evil either.

Intoxicated honey and its beneficial properties

Intoxicated honey is a valuable product that is prepared using natural ingredients. The basis of this witchcraft potion is honey, which has long been considered a natural medicine. It contains valuable microelements that saturate the body for a long time. It is also useful to consume honey instead of sugar, which can significantly reduce caloric intake. Of course, during processing, some of the beneficial properties of honey disappear, and other properties are significantly reduced, but even after this, honey is very useful.

When prepared correctly, mead must be infused for several years to make the drink truly vigorous.

In the old days, it was believed that high-quality honey wine should be infused for several decades. It was enough to drink a glass of such a potion and a person would fall into the realm of dope. Of course, the cost of such a drink was quite high, so it was prepared for special celebrations. A barrel of aged mead could be placed on the wedding table when the feast was going on. True, everything still depended on the level of family income, since poor peasants chose simpler drinks.

In fact, preparing high-quality hop mead requires a lot of time and patience. Without this, it is better to leave your dreams and move on to more realistic projects. For people who are accustomed to difficulties, I would like to advise looking for reliable recipes for an ancient drink - and then it will become an excellent general tonic. Mead also helps treat the most severe diseases of the respiratory system and has a beneficial effect on the psychological mood. Just don’t abuse this medicine to avoid addiction.

In general, intoxicated honey is a valuable drink that will help strengthen the immune system and protect against colds. However, only real mead has beneficial properties, and not its cheap analogues. Eat high-quality products, don’t be afraid to use old recipes - and your health will be the envy of many.