Mead - an alcoholic drink, traditionallyprepared from honey, water, yeast and with various flavors - spices and berries. There was this drink a few centuries ago, when medicine was very popular. Mead is different not only in composition, but also in sterilization of honey and strength. Although this drink is popular, it is rarely possible to find it, so all lovers are well aware of the Suzdal mead.
Mead Suzdal
No wonder this drink is famous throughout Russia.It is in the city of Suzdal is the only company that produces the famous mead of different strengths. The Suzdal Medovar plant originated in the 19th century, when it was rebuilt by the notable merchant leader Vasily Zhinkin. It should be remembered that mead is a primordial Russian drink that arose before the reign of Peter the Great - when such beverages as coffee and tea began to appear on the Russian side.
Even vodka did not have such popularity ashoney product. The drink was an obligatory dish both on the tables of noblemen and kings, and among ordinary commoners. Even the financial situation of citizens was determined by the presence of honey alcohol - its absence on the table meant extreme need.
The history of the plant
Suburban area of Suzdal has always been famousmy honey monastic workmanship. Revive the popular drink, which was a bit forgotten with the advent of vodka, decided the second guild merchant Vasily Zhinkin. In addition to the built medovarennogo plant (one of the first in the country), the merchant contained a couple of shops that sold wine. In addition, Vasily ran a small wax-dress - then the wax was very valuable and cost a lot of money. On the basis of this wax-up, the merchant opened the medovarian production. It should be noted that at that time no more than 30 pubs worked in the city. But to sell products, in addition to the taverns, it was possible at the Euphrosinevsk fair, which was held annually and had a fairly large popularity.
The second life of the plant
The merchant Zhinkin's case flourished until 1914, while“dry law” was not introduced in Russia. More than half a century of mead Suzdal disappeared from free sale. The brighter was the announcement of one of the largest restaurants in Suzdal that it was the mead that was brewed according to an old recipe, in compliance with all traditions. This was done on purpose - the honey drink was one of the main values of this city, and in the post-war period (this happened in 1967) the country needed a currency mined through tourism.
A tourist center was established in the city, whichadvertised an old Russian product. The venture was completely successful - mead, which was brewed not in a restaurant, but in a small factory on the edge of the city, became the main bait not only for domestic, but also for foreign tourists. There were here and honey beer drinks, no longer different sweetness, but a little sour.
The flowering of honey
The trick to attracting tourists was tothat the honey drink was delivered throughout the city — in large jars, like milk, selling to anyone who wanted it. However, the mead of Suzdal was not exported outside the city. It was possible to try it, only having arrived to Suzdal. The Suzdal medovars survived the second decline along with perestroika. The city was left without a tourist flow, the drink became unclaimed, and the plant closed. However, this did not cause the complete disappearance of the mead - the local handicraftsmen intercepted the cooking baton. Fortunately, unlike other alcoholic beverages, Suzdal is very easy to prepare mead.
Every second resident of Suzdal knew her recipe - 4liters of spring water, 500 grams of honey, a pound of sugar and 100 grams of yeast. For the fortress was added alcohol or a little vodka. Professionally mead cooks like this - in a large cauldron brewing honey wort, which should be quite thick. After it is sent to wander into a special room, where the maturation of the drink. This process can be short - if the honey drink is non-alcoholic, or take more than a month - when the strength of the mead is 7-8 degrees. The finished drink is filtered and poured into prepared bottles.
Honey rivers flow
The second resurrection of the honey business took place in90s. Igor Zadorozhny and Sergey Gorovoy, Moscow businessmen, decided to release the mead. Of course, the location of the plant was Suzdal - a place where for many decades Medovukha Suzdal Cossack, Pyatialtynnaya, Polupoltinnaya, with rosehip and spices, non-alcoholic - pleased the taste of residents and visitors.
A lot of time, effort and money was put onto restore the destroyed and dilapidated equipment of the old honey plant. Now the company employs about a hundred people. The main priority for entrepreneurs was the process of making mead - the “right” honey and the preservation of the old technology of cooking. Beer drinks based on honey began to be produced at the plant, with time a little forgotten.
Factory today
Today, anyone can be treatednumerous types of mead and beer drinks in the tasting room, open at the honey plant. Its interior is designed in the old style - oak furniture, carpets and chandeliers, wall paintings and ceramic mugs.
Любой из приезжих может прийти сюда, чтобы Find out for yourself what the true Russian mead Suzdal is. Guests are met by Russian-style dressed employees who offer to drink, eat and listen to the history of the drink. It is noteworthy that at least 40 thousand people pass annually within the walls of the tasting room. Honey drink was even devoted to its own holiday - Mead Day. Cool and slightly tart, made from honey from own apiaries, with grown herbs for taste, mead is drunk with ladles - just like they drank it in Russia. Abroad, the honey drink got its name - "Russian energy".
