Riga Balsam is a real brand and a visiting card of Latvia. This is truly an elite drink that has earned more than 30 national and international awards in its 250-year history. A real miracle of pharmaceuticals and winemaking, designed for those who know how to choose, appreciate and relish drinks.
Riga Balsam is a strong rich drink of dark color. The country of origin is Latvia. The balm is infused in oak barrels, due to which it acquires a unique bitter taste, noble and aristocratic.
He was the favorite drink of Alexei Kosygin and Charles de Gaulle, and today - in a special favor of the English royal family. Especially appreciated in Russia, USA, Denmark and Israel.
Today in Latvian cafes and bars, balm is almost the most popular component of almost all types of dishes: desserts, salads, sauces, hot dishes, cocktails, etc. It is ideal as a digestif. Riga balsam has been used in both cooking and pharmaceuticals.
A bit of history
In the middle of the 18th century, the Riga pharmacist Abraham Kunze made this drink and in 1789 offered it to Catherine II as a cure for the colic that the Russian Empress suffered from when she visited Latvia at that time. Catherine II appreciated the healing effect of the balm.
In 1845, industrialist Albert Wolschmidt became the founder of a balsam fermentation and alcohol factory in Riga. The main craftsmen at the factory were the Schrader brothers, who owned the secret of making balm. They did not sell the original recipe even to the owner of the factory. With their departure to Germany, the recipe for a “miracle drink” was lost.
For almost two centuries, the method of making the balm was kept secret. In the USSR, after World War II, they began to collect old recipes bit by bit, and in 1954 the production of balm was established.
Riga Balsam: composition
The composition of the drink includes 24 components, among which the main ones are specially prepared water, purified ethyl alcohol, plant extracts, balsamic Peruvian oil, raspberries, cognac, ginger, natural flavors and sugar. In addition, the drink includes mint, gentian, lemon balm, linden blossom, nutmeg, valerian, shrimp and hyssop.
An extract of 16 herbs, which is a biologically active component of the balm, makes up only about 4% of the drink. To give the drink the desired shade, it is diluted with a special color - caramel syrup, raspberry or blueberry juice and exclusively Armenian or French cognac.
"Subtleties of drinking"
The balm has a bitter-sweet original taste, its strength is 45 degrees. Often a drink is served for dessert with coffee. There are no exact instructions on how to drink Riga Balsam.
Traditionally, it is consumed in small glasses in pure form or in combination with tea (coffee). If you prefer tea, then 1-2 cups of balm are enough for a cup. The subtlety of brewing the most delicious tea is that the balm must be added after it has a little lighten from the lemon (it is advisable to remove the slice from the cup before the balm is refilled).
The most popular type of this drink is Riga balsam with black currant. They drink it hot in winter and cold in summer.
Storage Features
The balm is produced in original ceramic bottles from a special grade of clay that can perfectly protect the contents from temperature extremes and sunlight. Clay was not chosen for the manufacture of containers by chance, because even Hippocrates found that only in pottery can medicines preserve their qualities in the best way. In addition, it is believed that only after standing in these bottles for at least two weeks, the balm acquires just such an inimitable taste, for which it is appreciated. When bottled, the drink is not sold and is not available in any other container.
It is recommended to store the balm at a temperature of 10 to 25 degrees and air humidity not higher than 85 percent.