How to drink balsamic correctly.

Store shelves are full of a wide variety of alcoholic beverages: different kinds of wines, all kinds of liquors and cocktails, beer and vodka. Many of these drinks are well known to the average consumer. Some of them are familiar, but the knowledge about them is too superficial. For example, alcohol balsam. Where did it come from and what is it?

What is balsam

The word "balsam" has Arabic roots, but in Russia it came from Germany. There is a legend that its prototype were herbal tinctures of witches and herbalists. In its modern interpretation, the drink came into existence in the seventeenth century. It was then that the pharmacist Kunze, a native of Riga, made and presented Catherine the Great with a miraculous alcoholic product designed to fight ailments and improve health. The ruler liked it, and she allowed it to be produced on an industrial scale. The current recipe for the famous "Black Balsam of Riga" has been known since 1847, when a native of the same Riga, Wolfschmidt, perfected the recipe.

In 1939 production was suspended due to the fact that the Schrader family, who were the keepers of the secret recipe, moved from Latvia to Germany. Only in 1950 balsam production began again, including in the territory of Soviet Russia.

Generally, balsam is a tincture of herbs, fruits and other special components, with a strength of about 40-45%. The recipe of the production is kept secret and is passed from one generation to another. Usually this product is available in dark colored glass bottles or in ceramic vessels. This is done so that the sun's rays cannot reach the contents and spoil the taste and healing properties.

The aroma of a quality beverage must be balsamic and contain a bouquet of herbs, oils, and all the stated components. It should not emphasize any particular note. The taste is slightly oily, with a bitter undertone. The color of the balsam is usually dark brown or black.

Currently manufacturers produce balsam in limited quantities because the manufacturing process is quite complicated and involves infusion, separate aging of the components, double distillation, final filtration, infusion of the final product, etc.

Types

The perfect recipe for a balm is extraordinarily lucky. After all, the composition must be not only useful, but also pleasant to taste. The use of herbs, roots, honey and even deer horns give the drink healing properties and a unique taste. Types of balsam 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 United States. At the same time in America and European countries balsams are called "bitter", which translates as "bitter". The best known representatives of the first group are considered to be the following brands:

• "Gorno-Altaisky".
• "Gobustan".
• "Belarusian balsam."
• "Riga black balsam."
• "Shifo".
• "Samarkand."
• "Bashkortostan".
• "Karelian."
• "Buryatia."
• "Parne."

In the second group of popular names are:

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

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

Each drink has its own unique flavor, targeted action depending on its composition, and the recipe is kept in strict secrecy.

Composition and calories

Balsam is a product consisting of many components. Its caloric value is approximately 248 kcal, and the number of carbohydrates - 6.4 g per 100 grams of product. The basic composition includes:

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

In addition, separately it is worth mentioning the herbs that are part of the composition and endow it with beneficial properties. Usually they are:

1. Badjanus (from fevers, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal problems).
2. Anise green (for colic, flatulence, intestinal and respiratory problems, gastritis, pancreatic diseases, to improve lactation).
3. Cardamom (for bronchitis, cough, asthma, colds, as well as for oral hygiene).
4. Oak bark (for inflammation of the mouth, as well as intestinal problems).
5. Saffron (prevention of pancreatic cancer, elimination of depression).
6. Rosemary (for digestive and cardiovascular problems, to raise blood pressure, improve memory and vision, and normalize the nervous system).
7. Juniper (natural pain reliever, relieves swelling, triggers tissue regeneration, strengthens the immune system, controls kidney function).
8. Yarrow (for stomach problems, improves blood clotting, has an excellent anti-inflammatory effect).
9. Elm (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 vascular problems and as a cold remedy).
12. Curcuma (has a choleretic effect).
13. Laurel (helps reduce sugar levels).
14. Wormwood (improves appetite and normalizes digestion).

Each balsam is unique in its composition and includes its own secrets and components that allow a person not only to enjoy the healing drink, but also to improve their health.

Shelf life

Each product has its own shelf life. As for the balm, then everything is not so straightforward. Some balms can be used for 5 years, but most of them, including the famous "Riga", shelf life is not available. Manufacturers as well as experts believe that with time the taste of the drink becomes richer, and the taste and useful properties are not lost. So, buying a bottle of "Riga", you can not fear for the shelf life, and stretch the pleasure, enjoying every drop of the healing drink.

How to drink the balm correctly

The main purpose of balsamic drinks is to improve well-being, so it is consumed not for the sake of a desire to brighten up a boring evening with a shot of hot drink, but for the sake of health. For these reasons, the product should be drunk correctly:

1. Balsam can be consumed as a supplement to other types of alcoholic beverages, as well as an aperitif or digestif. The dose recommended by experts is 30 ml.
2. If the drink is consumed on its own, you should drink it chilled. The temperature should be lowered to such an extent that the vessel is covered with a little snow. In this case, the balsam reveals its true flavor.
3. Experts advise to pour the drink in small glasses and drink slowly, taking sips as little as possible to feel all the components.

The general rules of consumption include the norm of the balm. 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

Balsam is not an independent alcoholic drink, which is usually served with dinner or lunch. That is why it is recommended to be consumed as an additional product in the following variations:

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

What to snack on

People who understand the issues of drinking alcoholic beverages, in particular balsam, do not advise to spoil the taste of this elixir with various snacks. The only possible option may be ice cream, various desserts and fruit served at the end of a meal.

Is it possible to drink it in its pure form

The use of the magic elixir in pure form is recommended by medics only for therapeutic and preventive purposes. Doctors advise taking pure balm in order to cope with various kinds of problems:

• To strengthen the immune system;
• As a remedy for fevers;
• As a prophylactic for acute respiratory viral infections;
• to eliminate the effects of hypothermia and gastrointestinal disorders;
• To normalize the nervous system and eliminate sleep problems.

At the given dysfunctions of a human body balm can and should be used in a pure form. As the saying goes: "Not for fun, but for the health!

Cooking use

Balsam is quite a versatile drink. It can not only be drunk, but also added to the preparation of various dishes to make their taste more interesting and rich.

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

The drink will help familiar dishes open up in a new way and add pleasant, aromatic notes of grassy flavor, taking away to the purest alpine meadows.

Cocktails with balsamic: recipes

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

"Cheerfulness."

Ingredients:

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

Preparation: Add all the ingredients in a glass and stir with a cocktail spoon. The cocktail can be served at once.

"Coffee freshness".

Ingredients:

• 30 ml of cold brewed coffee;
• 100 ml of any balsamic;
• One small lemon.

Preparation
Squeeze the juice from the lemon and mix all the ingredients in a glass. But it is necessary to remember that this alcoholic combination is contraindicated for people who suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system. Also, it should not be drunk at night in order to avoid problems with sleep.

Cocktail "Racing"

It will require:

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

Mix all the ingredients. The cocktail is ready.

"Red Hammer".

Ingredients:

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

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into a low, stable glass.

"Citrusy."

Ingredients:

• 40 ml of any balsamic;
• 160 ml of Sprite;
• The juice of half a lime;
• ice.

To prepare this cocktail, mix the balsam with the Sprite. Then add the lime juice and mix again. Pour the ready cocktail into a tall glass with crushed ice.

How to prepare balsam in home conditions.

No self-respecting manufacturer balsam will never share the secret of its preparation. But to make yourself at home, though not the original "Riga black balm," but quite worthy and useful drink, is very possible.

Home balsam "Honey"

Ingredients:

• 50 g honey;
• 10 g propolis;
• 50 g of dried prunes;
• 25 g rose hips;
• ½ tsp. St. John's wort;
• ½ tsp. wormwood;
• ½ tsp. flowers of linden;
• ½ tsp. mint;
• ½ tsp. pine buds;
• ½ tsp. tannin rhizome;
• 1 tsp. vanilla sugar;
• 7 liters of vodka.

Preparation:

1. In the ground herbs, rose hips and spices add prunes, pre-cut into small pieces, then pour vodka until the contents is completely covered.
2. The vessel with the mixture close, put in a warm place for up to one month.
3. In the remaining components also add vodka and insist for a month.
4. Standing herbal mixture to filter through a thick layer of gauze.
5. The remains of the cake boil in a pot with half a glass of water, cool until warm and also filtered with gauze.
6. Pour the resulting "potion" in a bottle with vodka. After that, mix with honey and propolis. Then combine them with the filtered herbal contents.
7. Close the vessel with the drink as carefully as you did the first time. The potion is made in the same way as for the first time, and it is kept in a dark closet at a cool temperature for one or two months.
8. Finished brew strain again and pour into suitable vessels.

Blackcurrant Balm.

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

1. Fresh plant leaves and berries thoroughly washed, dry, pour water and boil for fifteen minutes over low heat.
2. Filter the warm broth with a gauze or sieve, squeeze the cake, pour in sugar and stir it to dissolve completely.
3. In this case, you have to make a small amount of the following: a small amount of the drug, a large amount of the drug, a large amount of the drug, a large amount of the drug, a large amount of the drug. This product should insist for three days.

The famous balm from Riga

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

• yarrow herb - 1 g;
• laurel - 30 g;
• bogorod herb - 30 g;
• thyme - 30 g;
• juniper - 30 g;
• curly mint and peppermint - 15 g each;
• English pepper - 15 g;
• angelica - 15 g;
• valerian - 15 g;
• calamus - 15 gr;
• marjoram - 25 g;
• Volga fennel - 38 g;
• cumin - 8 g;
• sage - 8 g.

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

An infusion is prepared from the following herbs and roots:

• hyssop - 10 g;
• lavender - 10 gr;
• lovage - 10 g; marjoram - 10 g;
• marjoram - 10 g;
• curly mint - 10 g; rosemary - 10 g; marjoram - 10 g;
• rosemary - 10 g; yarrow - 10 g
• yarrow - 10 g; pepper - 10 g; cumin - 10 g; rosemary - 10 g; yarrow - 10 g;
• savory - 10 g; mugwort - 10 g; yarrow - 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;
• Tartar, strength 70% - 1.2 g.

Method of preparation:

1. The first step is to make an herbal infusion of alcohol. To do this, mix the herbal ingredients and roots, add alcohol, stand for eight days, filtered through a thick layer of gauze, with the entire cake squeeze and combine with the main content.
2. To prepare the essence of the oil mix with alcohol and infuse.
3. Filter the herbal mixture, and then add burnt sugar to dye in the traditional color.
4. Mix the essence with the decoction and add saffron or burnt sugar for the final coloring.

How to choose a balm

When choosing a balm you need to be guided by the purpose of purchase. If a person buys a drink for therapeutic purposes, it is worth carefully studying the ingredients, because each of them is intended for the prevention of a certain kind of disease. And if the purpose is to be used as an aperitif, then one can be guided by one's own taste preferences (for example, if there is an intolerance to mint, then one should look for one in which this component is absent).

Quality balms are sold in ceramic, clay or glass bottles. The glass should be dark so as not to spoil the useful and gustatory qualities of the product.

The label should have information about the manufacturer, date of manufacture, date of bottling, as well as have a list of all the ingredients. Branded bottles should not have glue leaks or any other visible traces of "substandard".

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

The benefits and harms of balsam

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

The benefits of

The benefits of the magic drink have been known for centuries. From the very beginning of its existence, balsam has helped man to cope with many ailments and improved overall health. Proper use provides many benefits:

• elimination of symptoms of overwork;
• increase of appetite;
• Eliminate the effects after heavy physical and mental activity;
• prevention of cholelithiasis;
• normalization of the nervous system;
• strengthening of the cardiovascular system;
• elimination of digestive problems;
• normalization of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Reducing the burden on the body in the postoperative period;
• elimination of digestive problems;
• normalization of the metabolism;
• Improvement of overall tone;
• Prevention of gastritis and ulcers;
• assistance in the treatment of angina;
• protection against viral infections;
• increase immunity;
• reduction of pain in the joints;
• increase in blood pressure;
• prevention and treatment of oral mucous membranes;
• elimination of edema;
• replenishment of insufficient levels of vitamins and trace elements.

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

Harm

For all their usefulness balms still have contraindications for use:

1. First of all, you should be wary of an allergic reaction to any component, since there are many of them in the composition. Therefore, you should carefully read the contents and refuse those products whose components can cause allergies in a particular person.
2. The second point of contraindications is an overdose. It is necessary to observe the recommended norm of 30 ml per day, and for therapeutic purposes it is 20 ml.

A strict ban on the use of this drink applies:

• children under 18 years of age;
• pregnant and lactating women;
• Patients with liver failure.

In all other cases, drinking balm is not prohibited. However, if there are any disorders, it is still worth to consult a doctor to determine the possible risks.

Balsam is not a panacea that helps to get rid of a large number of ailments, even if used correctly. But it is an excellent drink to maintain the overall tonus of the body, made from the generous gifts of Mother Nature. Therefore, sometimes you can allow yourself to enjoy the lingering taste of this incredibly beneficial and truly miraculous drink.

Photo of the balm