Spiced Non-Alcoholic Mead (Medovukha)

Name: Spiced Non-Alcoholic Mead (Medovukha)
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Home cooking
Ingredients: Honey — 35 g; Lemon — 25 g; Cinnamon — 1 g; Cloves — 1 g; Fresh ginger — 8 g; Fresh mint — 3 g

A rich, spiced winter drink with depth and warmth—no alcohol, just honey, lemon, ginger, and aromatic spices simmered together.

Time: 20 min
Serving: 135 kcal
Ingredients: ≈ $0.40
Protein: 1 g

Meat-free Quick

Ingredients

1 Honey 35 g
2 Lemon≈ $4.70 per kg 25 g
3 Cinnamon 1 g
4 Cloves 1 g
5 Fresh ginger≈ $8.00 per kg 8 g
6 Fresh mintpack 30 g ≈ $2.20 3 g

Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.

Method

Slice ginger paper-thin, zest a little lemon², and juice it.
Combine 250 ml water, honey, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon² zest in a saucepan.
Warm over low heat for 6–7 minutes—never boil.
Remove from heat, stir in lemon² juice and fresh⁵ mint.
Cover and steep 10 minutes.
Strain and serve warm.

Tips

Why it works: Warm the ginger and cinnamon over low heat to release the essential oils, so the drink gets aroma rather than bitterness. If it boils, the spices burn and spoil the taste.
Substitutions: Replace the mint with dried, using 1 g, but add it 5 minutes before straining. You can leave out the lemon zest if you have no fresh lemon, and add 5 ml of citric acid instead.
Common mistakes: If the drink tastes bitter, the ginger was overcooked or burnt. Check the color: it should be golden, not dark.
Storing and reheating: Keep in the fridge for no more than 3 days. Before serving, warm in a water bath to 60 °C, don't boil.
Serve with: Serve with pickles or nuts as a snack for a movie or reading.

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Nutrition

Per serving and share of 2000 kcal

Calories	135 kcal	7%
Protein	1 g	1%
Fat	0 g	0%
Carbs	34 g	13%
Per 100 g	185 kcal

Cost

≈ $0.40per serving

Average supermarket prices, BLS (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), October 2026. Your store will differ: products come in packs and each chain sets its own prices. The priciest item here is fresh mint.

You will need

Stove

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