Ingredients:
30 l of water
2.5 kg malt
500 g wheat flour
1 kg sugar
10 g fresh yeast
Manufacture:
Annex 5 liters of water, malt, boil gently, stirring continuously with a weak mash. Put the mash larger than the rest of the dish and pour the water. Leave the mixture to stand overnight.
Then pour the liquid carefully so as not to disperse the precipitate, the second container.
Add flour, sugar and yeast dissolved in the liquid and leave to stand overnight again.
Kali Pour into bottles and close airtight.
Keep in a cool place.
An interesting drink, popular throughout most of Central and Eastern Europe, kvas, is made from rye or black bread, which is why it's also referred to as bread drink. The bread has to be dried and baked or fried. The original name derives from the Russian word meaning 'leaven'. For the first time it was mentioned in a chronicle dating back from the 10th Century. If you don't like plain kvas, try the varieties flavoured with honey or berries.
400g of black bread
3l of water
some raisins
0.5 teaspoon of yeast
3-4 tablespoons of sugar
Cut the bread into thin slices and keep it in the oven until it is dry. Put in a large saucepan, pour over hot water and let it sit in a cool place for about 3 hours. Then strain the bread through a muslin cloth and heat the liquid. Add the yeast and leave it, covered with a towel for about 6 hours. When you notice a thin bubbly froth on the surface, pour the liquid into bottles, add some raisins and cork the bottles well. Leave the bottles in a cool place for at least 2 days.
Small Honey Beer (Mead)
(serves 4)
140 g honey
1 l water
5 g yeast
10 g sea-buckthorn berries or 1
lemon
Mix water and honey and bring to boil.
Add lemon slices and allow to cool.
Add yeast dissolved in water. Allow the
mixture to ferment for 2-3 days. Pour the
mead into bottles, use airtight caps to
close the bottles and allow to stand in a
cool place. The drink is ready for serving
in 5-6 days.
The most popular Estonian beverage is named Kali (kvass)
Juniper Berry Drink
Juniper berry drink was also very popular - a honey drink prepared from honey, water, and yeast. Sour milk mixed with flour gruel was also sipped with bread. In the spring, fresh birch, or less frequently maple, sap was drunk; fermented (by adding sugar and flour) enough drink sufficed until late autumn.
Beer
For celebrations, beer and mead was brewed. Beer was usually made from barley malt, but rye, wheat or oats were also used. In different places and at different times, beer was brewed differently. To make honey mead, water is boiled with lemon peels and honey is added. When the honey has melted, the liquid is cooled and dissolved yeast is added to the water. The drink is allowed to ferment for 2-3 days. It is then strained and poured into bottles.
The largest brewery in Estonia today is located in Saku, and Tartu A. Le Coq holds second place. The most popular beers are A. Le Coq Premium and Saku Originaal. In addition to beer, the breweries also produce kali, fruit drinks, soft drinks, table water, and other products.