How to Brew Kvas (Bread Cider)

Kvas--Russian bread cider--was once popular throughout the Russian empire, particularly in villages. Even when the Russian navy was at sea, the crew would take the time to brew kvas, so as to enjoy a little taste of home. It is chock-full of valuable minerals, assists in digestion, and serves as a powerful thirst-quencher.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 kg. of rye bread
• 4 liters of water, boiling
• 750 grams of sugar
• 50 grams of raisins
• 10-15 black currant leaves
• 2-3 tbsp. of yeast
• 2 tbsp. of dried mint

1. Slice the bread, and dry the slices in an oven until brown.
2. Place the slices in a saucepan, and pour in the boiling water. Leave for 4-5 hours.
3. Meanwhile, brew the mint and the currant leaves, separately, with boiling water. Let it infuse for 5 hours.
4. Filter the bread mixture into another saucepan. Add the mint and currant infusion, and then the yeast and sugar. You can also add sugar later, before drinking, to taste.
5. Mix everything together, and cover. Leave the batch to ferment for another 4 hours.
6. Remove the accumulated foam by filtering the whole batch. Pour the filtered kvas into bottles, which should each contain a few raisins on the bottom.
7. Place bottles in the fridge, or a cool place, on their side. They should be ready in 2-3 days.