Mors: How to make a sour-sweet Russian berry drink for a hot day (RECIPE)

I spent my childhood summers at the dacha and so I know a lot about berries. Our garden is full of patches with currants, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, and gooseberries. Some berries ‘disappeared’ almost immediately thanks to help from my sister and I. Anything that was left over was used to make jam and compotes.

I remember that a lot of red currants were often left over. While they had a sour taste, they were full of aroma and flavor. And since they had so many vitamins, we thought that it would be a pity to waste them. Why not put these berries to use and make the classic traditional drink, mors. 

Mors is a typical Russian berry drink that has been known since the 16th century, when the Domostroy was the Russian guide to home life. It mentions raspberry mors, and according to one version, the origin of the name mors comes from the German word moosbeere, which means cranberry. Other experts, however, believe that the name comes from the Russian word moroschka (cloudberry), from which the drink was also made.

Mors differs from regular juice in that it is diluted with water and sweetener is added. And it differs from compote by the fact that it consists of fresh berry juice. Mors can be made from fresh and frozen berries.

There are two ways of preparing mors. The first does not involve any heat treatment. The second method, which I prefer, uses pre-cooked pulp, and so it will require less sugar because boiling sour pulp and seeds transforms into inverted syrup.

In the summer, my family makes mors from red currants, but we always add other flavorful berries, such as strawberries or raspberries. So the mors turns out not only healthy, but also delicious. Cranberry, cowberry, cherry, sea buckthorn or wild strawberry are also great for making mors.

It is worth noting that long ago honey was added to mors as a sweetener. If you decide to add honey, then I advise to use very little, and preferably to use one that has a mild flavor; and add it to mors that has been made without the use of heat.

Berry mors can be served as an independent drink with ice and berries, or mixed in cocktails.

Ingredients for 1.5 liter of mors:

• Red currant - 200 g
• Raspberries - 200 g
• Sugar - 50-100 g
• Water - 1.5 l

Preparation:

1. Remove the red currants from their twigs.

2. Wash them.

3. Pass the red currants through a sieve.

4. Pass the raspberries through a sieve.

5. You will have strained fresh berry juice, and this will come in handy later.

6. In a saucepan, put pressed seeds and skin from the berries; add sugar to taste. Pour boiling water over them and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Cover with a lid and let cool.

8. Voila! You’ll get compote.

9. Strain the compote through a sieve. Add fresh berry juice to the compote and stir.

10. Serve chilled on a hot day with ice and berries. Enjoy!

READ MORE: Russian compote: Summer’s ultimate vitamin-packed, refreshing drink (RECIPE)