Beverages

Here you can read about refreshing beverages that are very popular in Russia and can be found in Russian shops. Among them are traditional Russian drinks as well as dairy drinks from Central Asian countries.

Kvass

Kvass is a traditional Russian fermented beverage made from rye bread. Having been popular for many centuries, since Soviet times it became associated with yellow trailers selling it in hot summer days.

It is indeed a perfect refreshing drink when it’s hot outside being not too sweet and not too savoury. There is a small percentage of alcohol in kvass (0,5 – 0,8 per cent).

These days kvass is also manufactured and sold in plastic bottles and the growth of this marked is leaping ahead of other beverages, especially in hot summer days. Despite the popularity of mass production, some people in search of “old good traditional kvass” brew the beverage at home which is quite easy using fermentation starter called “zakvaska”.

There are two  types of kvass: normal drinking kvass, somewhat sweeter, and more savoury okroshka kvass. The latter is used for the cold soup “okroshka”.

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Ayran

Ayran is a refreshing fermented diary drink. This slightly fizzy sour drink made of yoghurt substance is a great thirst quencher.

It has made its way to Russia either from Turkic countries such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan or from the North Caucasus countries such as Armenia, where this drink is also very popular.

Ayran can give you an energy boost and revive you on a sweltering day. Try it and discover for yourself.

Another similar drink is tan.