How to drink balm

Shop shelves are full of a wide selection of alcoholic beverages: various types of wines, all kinds of liquors and cocktails, beer and vodka. Many of these drinks are well known to the average buyer. Some, although they are familiar, but knowledge of them is too superficial. For example, alcohol balm. Where did it come from and what is it?

What is alcohol balm

The word "balm" itself has Arabic roots, but it came to Russia from Germany. There is a legend that the prototype of it was the herbal tinctures of witches and healers. In the modern interpretation, the drink began to exist from the seventeenth century. It was then that pharmacist Kuntse, a native of Riga, made and presented to Catherine the Great a miraculous alcoholic product designed to fight illnesses and promote health. He liked the ruler, and she allowed the manufacture on an industrial scale. The current recipe for the famous “Black Riga Balsam” has been known since 1847, when Wolfschmidt, a native of Riga, improved the recipe.

In 1939, production was suspended due to the fact that the Schrader family, which was the keeper of the secret recipe, moved from Latvia to Germany. Only in 1950 did they begin to produce balm again, including on the territory of Soviet Russia.

In general, tincture is usually called tincture on herbs, fruits and other special components, with a strength of about 40–45%. The recipe is kept secret and passed from one generation to another. Typically, this product can be purchased in dark-colored glass bottles or in ceramic vessels. This is done so that the sun's rays can not reach the contents and spoil the taste and healing properties.

The aroma of a quality drink should be balsamic and contain a bouquet of herbs, oils and all the declared components. However, he should not select any single note. The taste is a little oily, with a bitter hue. The color of the balm is usually dark brown or black.

Currently, manufacturers produce balm in a limited amount, because the manufacturing process is quite complex and includes infusion, separate exposure of the components, double distillation, final filtration, infusion of the finished product, etc.

Kinds

The perfect balm recipe is extraordinary luck. After all, the composition should be not only useful, but also pleasant to the taste. The use of herbs, roots, honey and even deer horns give the drink healing properties and a unique taste. Types of balm are usually subdivided according to the territorial principle. One group includes products from Russia and the former Soviet republics, the second includes countries in Europe and the USA. Moreover, in America and European countries, balms are called the word "bitter", which translates as "bitter." The following brands are considered the most famous representatives of the first group:

• "Gorno-Altai".
• Gobustan.
• "Belarusian balm."
• Riga Black Balsam.
• Shifo.
• "Samarkand."
• Bashkortostan.
• "Karelian".
• "Buryatia".
• The guy.

In the second group, such items are popular:

• “Bellona (Finland).
• “Unicum” ”(Hungary).
• "Maurer" (Austria).
• Abbots and Boxers (USA).
• Angostura (Venezuela).

The best in the world are recognized as “Bitner”, “Riga”, “Becherovka”.

Each drink has its own unique taste, targeted action, depending on its composition, and the recipe is kept in the strictest confidence.

Composition and calorie content

Balm is a product made up of many components. Its calorie content is approximately 248 kcal, and the amount of carbohydrates is 6.4 g per 100 g of product. The main composition includes:

• pure water;
• alcohol;
• cognac;
• rum;
• rose oil;
• lemon oil;
• caramel;
• acids - malic, acetic, etc.
• copper;
• calcium;
• cobalt;
• manganese;
• zinc;
• potassium;
• sodium;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• chromium;
• tannins;
• resin.

In addition, it is worth mentioning separately about the herbs that are part of the composition and give it useful properties. Usually this:

1. Star anise (from fever, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal problems).
2. Anise is green (from colic, flatulence, problems with the intestines and respiratory organs, gastritis, pancreatic diseases, to improve lactation).
3. Cardamom (for bronchitis, cough, asthma, colds, as well as for maintaining oral hygiene).
4. Oak bark (from inflammation of the oral cavity, as well as problems with the intestines).
5. Saffron (prevention of pancreatic cancer, elimination of depressive states).
6. Rosemary (for problems with digestion and the cardiovascular system, to increase blood pressure, improve memory and vision, as well as normalize the nervous system).
7. Juniper (a natural painkiller, relieves swelling, starts the process of tissue regeneration, strengthens the immune system, controls the work of the kidneys).
8. Yarrow (with stomach problems, improves blood coagulation, has an excellent anti-inflammatory effect).
9. Angelica (improves appetite, is a natural diuretic and antispasmodic).
10. Mint (has a vasodilator, choleretic, analgesic effect, normalizes the nervous system, improves digestion).
11. Cinnamon (recommended for problems with blood vessels, as well as a cold remedy).
12. Turmeric (has a choleretic effect).
13. Laurel (helps lower sugar).
14. Wormwood (improves appetite and normalizes the digestive process).

Each balm is unique in composition and includes its own secrets and components, which give a person the opportunity not only to enjoy a healing drink, but also to improve health.

Shelf life

Each product has its own expiration date. As for the balm, then everything is not so clear. Some balms are suitable for use for 5 years, but most of them, including the famous "Riga", do not have an expiration date. Manufacturers, as well as experts, believe that since the time the taste of the drink has become more saturated, and the taste and useful properties are not lost. So, buying a bottle of Riga, you can not be afraid for the expiration date, and stretch the pleasure, enjoying every drop of a healing drink.

How to drink balm

The main goal of balsamic drinks is to improve well-being, so it is not used for the desire to brighten up a boring evening with a glass of alcohol, but for health. For these reasons, the product should be drunk correctly:

1. Balm can be used as a supplement to other types of alcohol-containing drinks, as well as an aperitif or digestif. The recommended dose is 30 ml.
2. If the drink is consumed independently, then you should drink it chilled. The temperature should be reduced to such an extent that the vessel is covered with a slight snow coating. In this case, the balm reveals its true taste.
3. Experts advise pouring a drink into small glasses and drinking slowly, taking sips as little as possible in order to feel all the components.

The general rule of use is the norm of balsam. According to experts, a person can consume up to 30 ml per day. As a medicine, the norm is about 20 ml per day and about 150 ml per week. Abuse of the drink threatens the development of gastrointestinal diseases. These are the basic rules for the use of miraculous balm.

What to drink with

Balm is not an independent alcoholic drink, which is usually served for dinner or lunch.That is why it is recommended to use it as an additional product in the following variations:

1. You can mix balm with other alcohol. To do this, it is advised to add three or four drops of a wonderful elixir to the main liquid. This will help to acquire some zest in the taste, but will not interrupt the taste and aroma of your favorite alcoholic product.
2. One of the most popular ways to consume a drink is to add it to tea or coffee in the amount of one or two teaspoons. This is the most suitable method for those who use balm as a medicine that can increase tone and get rid of some ailments.
3. You can take a drink after a meal, as an addition to a cigar or dessert of 30 ml.

Than have a bite

People who understand the issues of alcohol consumption, in particular balm, do not advise spoiling the taste sensations from this elixir with various snacks. The only possible options may be ice cream, various desserts and fruits served at the end of a meal.

Is it possible to drink in pure form

The use of the magic elixir in its pure form is recommended by physicians exclusively for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Doctors advise taking a clean balm in order to cope with all sorts of problems:

• to strengthen immunity;
• as a means to eliminate fever;
• as the prevention of acute respiratory viral infections;
• to eliminate the effects of hypothermia and violations of the digestive tract;
• to normalize the nervous system and eliminate sleep problems.

With these dysfunctions of the human body, balm can and should be consumed in its purest form. As the saying goes: "Not for fun, but for health!"

Cooking use

Balm is a fairly versatile drink. It can not only be drunk, but also added to prepare various dishes to make their taste more interesting and rich.

1. It is perfect as an additive to the components of numerous sauces, marinades, gravy, as well as for dishes cooked on the grill, in the oven or on a normal burner.
2. The drink is good to use for cooking meat and fish.
3. As for desserts, then there it will be a great addition to the main ingredients. It can be added not only to sweet cakes and pastries, but also to salty pastries.

The drink will help the familiar dishes to open in a new way and add a pleasant, fragrant notes of a grassy smell, blowing to the purest alpine meadows.

Balsam cocktails: recipes

The drink is good for making various alcoholic cocktails, the preparation of which at home will not be difficult.

"Cheerfulness"

Ingredients:

• 10 g of lemon juice;
• 10 g of orange juice;
• 950 g of balm of any brand.

Cooking: add all the ingredients to the glass and stir with a cocktail spoon. The cocktail can be served immediately.

"Coffee Freshness"

Composition:

• 30 ml of cold brewed coffee;
• 100 ml of any balm;
• one small lemon.

Cooking
Squeeze the juice from the lemon and mix all the ingredients in a glass. But it must be remembered that this alcohol combination is contraindicated for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system. Also, you can not drink it at night to avoid problems with sleep.

Cocktail "Racing"

It will require:

• 30 ml gin;
• 30 ml of dry vermouth;
• ¼ tsp tinctures of anise;
• 5-10 drops of balm.

Mix all the ingredients. The cocktail is ready.

The Red Hammer

Ingredients:

• 1 serving of red vermouth;
• 3 servings of balm;
• 1 serving of cognac;
• 0.5 servings of lemon juice.

Mix all components thoroughly and pour into a low stable glass.

"Citrus"

Ingredients:

• 40 ml of any balm;
• 160 ml of sprite;
• half lime juice;
• ice.

To prepare this cocktail, mix balm with a sprite. Then add lime juice and mix again. Pour the finished cocktail into a tall glass, where previously add crushed ice.

How to make balm at home

No self-respecting balm manufacturer will ever share the secret of its preparation. But to make it yourself at home, even if not the original “Riga Black Balsam”, but a completely worthy and healthy drink, is very possible.

Homemade Honey Balm

Ingredients:

• 50 g of honey;
• 10 g of propolis;
• 50 g dried prunes;
• 25 g of wild rose;
• ½ tsp St. John's wort
• ½ tsp wormwood;
• ½ tsp linden flowers;
• ½ tsp peppermint;
• ½ tsp pine buds;
• ½ tsp Dubrovnikova rhizomes;
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar;
• 7 liters of vodka.

Cooking:

1. In the ground grass, rose hips and spices add prunes, previously cut into small pieces, then pour vodka until the contents are completely covered.
2. Close the dishes with the mixture by putting in a warm place for up to one month.
3. Add vodka to the remaining components and insist for a month.
4. Pass the settled herbal mixture through a dense layer of gauze.
5. Boil the residues of the meal in a pan with half a glass of water, cool to a warm state and also filter with gauze.
6. Pour the resulting "potion" into a bottle of vodka. Then mix with honey and propolis. Then combine them with the filtered grassy contents.
7. Close the vessel with the drink as carefully as the first time. Put in a cabinet, deprived of access to light, with a cool temperature for one or two months.
8. Strain the finished drink again and pour into suitable vessels.

Blackcurrant Balm

Ingredients:

• vodka - 700 ml;
• water - 1.3 l;
• 100 pieces. cherry leaf;
• 100 pieces. blackcurrant leaf;
• 100 pieces. raspberry leaf;
• 300-350 g of blackcurrant berries.

Cooking:

1. Wash fresh leaves of plants and berries, dry, pour water and boil for fifteen minutes on low heat.
2. Filter the warm broth with gauze or sieve, squeeze the cake, add sugar and stir it to completely dissolve.
3. To the cooled herbal tincture, add an alcohol component in the form of vodka, additionally mix the components, pour into a vessel with a well-fitting stopper, which should be removed in a place without access to light. This product should be infused for three days.

The famous balm from Riga

The oil base is prepared with the oils of the following herbs:

• yarrow grass - 1 g;
• laurel - 30 g;
• Bogorodskaya grass - 30 g;
• thyme - 30 g;
• juniper - 30 g;
• curly and peppermint varieties of mint - 15 g each;
• English pepper - 15 g;
• angelica - 15 g;
• valerian - 15 g;
• calamus - 15 g;
• marjoram - 25 g;
• Volga dill - 38 g;
• caraway seeds - 8 g;
• sage - 8 g.

And also added wine alcohol with a strength of 90 percent - 420 ml.

The infusion is prepared from the following herbs and roots:

• hyssop - 10 g;
• lavender - 10 g;
• lovage - 10 g;
• marjoram - 10 g;
• spearmint - 10 g;
• rosemary - 10 g;
• yarrow - 10 g;
• savory - 10 g;
• wormwood - 10 g;
• chamomile - 10 g;
• wild mountain ash (leaf) - 10 g;
• angelica (roots) - 10 g;
• valerian (roots) - 10 g;
• juniper berries - 10 g;
• wine alcohol, with a strength of 70% - 1.2 g

Cooking method:

1. At the first stage, make herbal infusion with alcohols. To do this, mix the herbal ingredients and roots, add alcohol, stand for eight days, strain through a dense gauze layer, while squeeze the whole cake and combine with the main contents.
2. To prepare the essence of the oil, mix with alcohol and insist.
3. Filter the herbal collection and then add the roasted sugar to color in a traditional color.
4. Mix the essence with a decoction and add saffron or caramelized sugar for final coloring.

How to choose the right balm

When choosing a balm, you need to focus on the purpose of the acquisition. If a person buys a drink for medicinal purposes, then you should carefully study the ingredients, because each of them is designed to prevent a certain kind of disease. And if the goal is to use it as an aperitif, then you can focus on your own taste preferences (for example, if there is mint intolerance, then you should look for one that does not contain this component).

Quality balms are sold in ceramic, clay or glass bottles. At the same time, the glass should be dark so as not to spoil the useful and palatability of the product.

The label should have information about the manufacturer, manufacturing date, date of bottling, and also have a list of all the ingredients that make up the composition. On branded bottles should not be any smudges of glue or any other noticeable signs of "substandard".

If the basic requirements are met, then such a product is of quite good quality, you can safely make a purchase.

The benefits and harms of the balm

Not only lovers of alcoholic beverages appreciated the enchanting taste of the balm, but doctors found in it a lot of useful substances that can improve human health. Balm, originally created as a medicine, and to this day has not lost its true purpose. That is why most doctors recommend that their patients purchase a wonderful elixir and improve their health in a tasty and healthy way, because its many herbs generously share the healing power of nature itself with man.

Benefit

The benefits of a magic drink have been known for centuries. From the very beginning of its existence, balm helped a person cope with many ailments and improved overall well-being. Proper use provides many benefits:

• elimination of symptoms of overwork;
• increased appetite;
• elimination of consequences after heavy physical and mental activity;
• prevention of cholelithiasis;
• normalization of the nervous system;
• strengthening the work of the cardiovascular system;
• elimination of digestive problems;
• normalization of the gastrointestinal tract;
• reduction of the load on the body in the postoperative period;
• elimination of digestive problems;
• normalization of metabolism;
• raising the general tone;
• prevention of gastritis and ulcers;
• help in the treatment of tonsillitis;
• protection against viral infections;
• increase immunity;
• reduction of pain in the joints;
• increase in blood pressure;
• prevention and treatment of the oral mucosa;
• elimination of edema;
• Replenishment of insufficient levels of vitamins and microelements.

Do not forget that the beneficial properties of the balm depend on the components that make up the composition. Therefore, before acquiring a healing tincture, you should carefully study the composition, and choose the most suitable drink.

Harm

For all its usefulness, balms still have contraindications for use:

1. First of all, you should be wary of an allergic reaction to any component, because there are many of them. Therefore, you should carefully read the contents and abandon those products whose components can cause an allergy in a certain person.
2. The second point of contraindications is an overdose. The recommended norm of 30 ml per day should be observed, and for medicinal purposes - it is 20 ml.

A strict ban on the use of this drink applies:

• for children under 18 years old;
• pregnant and lactating women;
• patients with liver failure.

In all other cases, drinking the balm is not prohibited. However, if there are any violations, you should still consult a doctor for advice and identification of possible risks.

Balm is not a panacea that helps to get rid of a large number of ailments, even with proper use.But this is a wonderful drink to maintain the overall tone of the body, made from the generous gifts of mother nature. Therefore, sometimes you can let yourself enjoy the viscous taste of this incredibly healthy and truly miraculous drink.

Balsam photo