AIP Russian honey tea (sbiten) - a warm, caffeine-free spiced drink of blackberry jam, honey, ginger, clove, mace, cinnamon, and fresh mint

Caffeine cuts off your options somewhere in the early afternoon if you want any real chance at sleep, and that's exactly when a warm, comforting drink starts to feel out of reach. Sbiten solves that specific problem: spiced, sweet, entirely caffeine-free, and ready in under 15 minutes for the evenings when tea just isn't an option anymore.

Most of what's happening here is flavor and warmth rather than measurable nutrition, and that's a fair trade some nights. Blackberry jam is where the polyphenols live, the same family of plant pigments showing up in other drinks in this collection, and ginger, clove, and cinnamon bring their own warming character without needing a health claim attached. This is a comfort drink first, appreciated for how it makes you feel in the moment rather than for any claim attached to it.

Strain it into a mug you like the weight of, and let yourself actually sit with it instead of carrying it around while you do something else. A few still minutes at the end of a long protocol day count for more than they look like they should.

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 8 ounces blackberry jam (choose a clean-label, honey-sweetened or fruit-only jam with no excluded ingredients)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh mint

Method

Add the water, the blackberry jam, the honey, the ginger, the cloves, the mace, the cinnamon, and the fresh mint to a saucepan.

Bring everything to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, until the jam and honey dissolve fully.

Strain into mugs and serve warm.

A note on swaps: this is a flexible template. Other jams and complementary herbs work in place of the blackberry and mint.

Instant Pot variation

You can make this in the Instant Pot on Saute if you prefer one pot on the counter. Add all the ingredients, run Saute, and stir often until it reaches a boil and the jam and honey dissolve, then turn the pot off and strain into mugs. This is a convenience only and saves no real time over the stovetop. Do not pressure cook this one; the quick stovetop boil is all it needs.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*