Here, Bwog generously provides a closely-held recipe for Russian Tea (which neither comes from Russia nor contains tea), and it’s the perfect Beverage-in-Mug to warm you the hell up.

You’re cold. I’m cold. It’s cold outside. It’s cold in our dorm rooms because we have to open all the windows because the heat from the radiators might otherwise kill us.

Here is the recipe for Bwog’s first Beverage-in-Mug in a multi-post series so you can:

  1. warm up
  2. look real cute as you hold your Beverage-in-Mug in both hands and blow gently at its steamy surface
  3. procrastinate
  4. make your dorm kitchen smell nice
  5. create the perfect ambiance to pretend you’re at Hungarian when really it’s too gross outside to walk all the way there

Russian Tea

I do not know what makes this Beverage-in-Mug especially “Russian,” nor do I understand why it is called “tea.” This Beverage did not originate in Russia, and there is no tea in this recipe. Regardless, it is very good. Russian Tea is a personal favorite and perfect for when you want something warm and sweet but not milky-creamy.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from one lemon, probably)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • a couple of drops of vanilla extract
  • like one drop of almond extract

Directions

  1. Put a saucepan on the stove.
  2. Heat the water and sugar at a simmer until the sugar has dissolved (a few minutes). Once it has dissolved, you can pretend this Beverage is healthy.
  3. Take the saucepan off the stove and add the other ingredients!! Things are getting crazy!
  4. Move the saucepan back over the heat and warm up until it’s your desired temperature.

That’s right–curl up in a blanket, warm your chilly paws on this steaming mug of liquid gold, and transform your cold New York experience into something a little more Slavic. For the full experience, add a splash of vodka.

~mug shot via Bwog archive