Answers.Body: <p>There was a national drink called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medovukha" rel="nofollow">"Medovukha"</a> (Med - honey). </p>
  
  <p>Nowadays it is very rare drink, meaning that few people consume it. The drink has almost same properties and is brewed just like beer. So, I suppose, this drink has influenced Russian tastes. And during soviet times Russia have shared this tastes around all Soviet block. 
  By the way, I'm sure not all beers have honey flavour, however almost every brewery makes as well honey flavoured beer.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: Please see my previous answer regarding this before answering.
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Answers.Body: <p>First, let me state that I'm a 4th generation Italian American; I know nothing about Russian customs other than what I learned in a Russian history class (humanities requirement) a few semesters ago. With that said, I could probably shoot an email to the professor who I took the class with if you want more info, but I think my answer will suffice (but please let me know, he is a pretty cool guy).</p>
  
  <p>Anyway, I would presume it has something to do with Russian culture and the importance of honey in that part of the world. I remember when I was a kid (like 2nd  grade I think), we read a collection of short, non-fiction stories of a Russian girl and her grandfather, who was a beekeeper. I cannot remember what the name of the book was nor the author nor whether or not the stories took before or during the Soviet era; but I do remember that honey played a really important role in most of the stories.  </p>
  
  <p>Of course there is other more concrete evidence other than my childhood reading material. For instance, just take a look at Russian cuisine. They have a mead-like beverage called <a href="http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/medovukha/" rel="noreferrer">Medovukha</a>, which is made with honey and yeast. It's apparently a traditional drink at weddings over there. Also, you've got Russian honey cakes and <a href="http://russian.lingualift.com/blog/honey-tradition-russia/" rel="noreferrer">other food based items</a>. Finally, honey is also a good preservative as it's antibacterial, so it was often mixed in with jams back in the day to preserve them. </p>
  
  <p>So I'd be surprised if many of the ex-soviet brewers didn't use honey as an additive to their beer. Especially if the beers you have in mind are bottle conditioned, they would need to add a sweetener of sorts for proper carbonation. I've used honey in two of my home brews and I like it.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Perhaps some substantiating points:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Baltika Medovoe Light seems to be a popular "first Russian beer" to try. It's a pale lager with natural honey added.</li>
  <li><p>Indeed honey does seem to have played a central role in Russian culture.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Like the Assumption, the three "Saviors" (<em>Spas</em>), August 1, 6, and 16, were associated with the fruits of the earth. The first was called the "Honey" (<em>medovyi</em>) or "Wet Savior" (<em>mokryi Spas</em>), signifying either the gathering of honey or the religious procession and blessing of the waters traditional for this day.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><sup><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-s36xYcqG1EC" rel="noreferrer">Ivanits, L. "Russian Folk Belief." [http://books.google.com]</a>.</sup></p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>According to Russian historian Vasili Kliuchevskii (1841–1911), we must learn about the Russian forest, river and steppe in order to understand the Russian people. [...] "The forest provided the Russian with oak and pine to build his house, it warmed him with aspen and birch, it lit his hut with birchwood splinters, it shod him in birch bast sandals, it gave him plates and dishes, clothed him in hides and furs and fed him honey. The forest was the best shelter from his enemies."</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><sup><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=EDvKpNzNBD0C" rel="noreferrer">Riordan, J. "Russian Fairy Tales and Their Collectors." [http://books.google.com]</a></sup></p>
  
  <p>It's notable how closely intertwined honey and their ideals of paradise were, as found by a search for the term "honey" in <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=C46rAAAAIAAJ&amp;q=honey#v=snippet&amp;q=honey&amp;f=false" rel="noreferrer">"The Paradise Myth in Eighteenth-century Russia: Utopian Patterns in Early Secular Russian Literature and Culture"</a> (Baehr, S. L.).</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>So, though still conjecture, it may be so that Russian culture has had a higher demand for honey notes in their foods and beverages, naturally selecting those tastes.</p>
  
  <p>Frankly, it may simply be the case that there's not an objective ("provable") answer to this question.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: Well, I am russian, and I am quite surprised with your interpretation. I've never heard of any beer brewing company here using honey during brewing or for bottling purposes. But I have one friend who tried to start brewing beer, so I'll ask him if that is relevant for the process here. It's always interesting to know something new about native country from unexpected sources =).
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Answers.Text: @DarkDeny I've never heard of any either, but then again I've never had Russian beer. The OP never mentioned any specific beers, so it didn't leave me much to go by. The above are just my assumptions based on what I know about Russia and honey in general.
Answers.UserDisplayName: audiFanatic
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Answers.Text: Yeah, creative appraoch :) but probably not really the explanation for my observeration. I think the honey is an off-taste caused by some shared practice or something like that.
Answers.UserDisplayName: markus
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Answers.Text: This is absolute 100% conjecture.
Answers.UserDisplayName: LessPop_MoreFizz
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Answers.Text: I think the question in its current form is indeed speculative, not quite connecting the dots, even if having provided relevant historical context. @audiFanatic, I hope you wouldn't mind me adding some points to try to substantiate your answer? (I'd leave a comment but it's a bit long, and I don't want to add it as my own answer since I was motivated by your answer. Feel free to edit any or all of what I add.)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Andrew Cheong
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Answers.Text: Not a problem; I actually sent an email to my old professor about a minute ago. Anything to show @LessPop_MoreFizz that my answer is not conjecture, because it is not.
Answers.UserDisplayName: audiFanatic
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Answers.Text: To be fair, I think it _is_ conjecture, but somewhat necessarily so, because the question's not definitively answerable. No specific beers were mentioned in the first place, and even if they were and we found that they are indeed brewed with honey, how are we supposed to know _why_ they're brewed with honey, without interviewing Russian brewmasters (or finding some source that has)? So, while I side with @LessPop_MoreFizz that it's conjecture, I think it's a _good_ conjecture, and as good an answer as we're gonna get, considering the nature of the question.
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Answers.Text: I don't agree with @acheong87. a) you all seem to confuse ex-soviet with Russia, a big mistake. b) I'm talking about an off-flavour and I'm pretty sure there's an explanation. But you're right that I should probably add a list of beers and countries that have the problem. I'll try to work on it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: markus
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Answers.Text: @audiFanatic There is no traditional russian counterpart of the Russian Imperial Stout. This style was always an English product, made for export to Russia. The high alcohol content is partly a necessity for transporting the beer through the cold baltic sea.
Answers.UserDisplayName: markus
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Answers.Text: Ah, my mistake. Indeed I was ignorant, believing ex-soviet and Russian were closely tied. For those of us not as culturally aware (maybe just me), would you mind clarifying what's meant by ex-soviet in your question? Also, I agree, if you're sure it's not actual honey that imparts the taste you speak of, but some aspect of a process unique to that culture, then that's objectively verifiable, unlike the intent behind brewing with honey. Though, absent such evidence, a cultural bias favoring honey notes might be a compelling theory.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Andrew Cheong
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Answers.Text: I never said anything about the Russian Imperial, that was from edits made by @acheong87
Answers.UserDisplayName: audiFanatic
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Answers.Text: Yup, that was me. I edited that part out. Sorry, @audiFanatic! I guess this is why we should refrain from editing others' posts, in general.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Andrew Cheong
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Answers.Text: no, it's all good; whatever adds more substance to the answer.
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Body: <p>Almost all beers, especially lager beers I've had in ex-soviet countries have a slight honey taste to them. I'm sure this is not intentional. It could be due to Pentanedione but why in this region?</p>
  
  <p>Let me specify that I do not think that honey is used in the brewing process. I see the sickly sweet honey taste as an off-taste and I wonder how this could be explained in the case of a whole region having it.</p>
  
  <p>It turns up in regular lager beers as well as darker things. It also turns up in former soviet EU countries that are not very russian and have their beer tradition rather from germany.</p>
  
  <p>Examples:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Almost all Saku beers (Estonia)</li>
  <li>Almost all A. Le Coq beers (Estonia)</li>
  <li>Švyturys Ekstra (Lithuania)</li>
  <li>Baltika (Russia)</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>And more...</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-02-28T08:29:26.937Z
Comments.Text: @JamesHenstridge - I wasn't quite sure whether to accept or reject your edit. I believe "sovjet" _is_ a valid spelling of "soviet," and 2,3-pentanedione and 2,4-pentainedione are distinct chemical compounds, but I personally don't know which is related to brewing. If you insist on the edits, please try again and this time I won't interfere. Thanks.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Andrew Cheong
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Comments.CreationDate: 2014-02-28T16:46:57.030Z
Comments.Text: @acheong87 generally US spelling is preferred.
Comments.UserDisplayName: wax eagle
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Comments.CreationDate: 2014-02-28T17:39:00.493Z
Comments.Text: 2,3-pentanedione is a fermentation by-product.
Comments.UserDisplayName: mdma
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Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-10T19:31:42.360Z
Comments.Text: @actimel Since when is Czech Republic ex-soviet?
Comments.UserDisplayName: markus
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Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-11T12:35:58.860Z
Comments.Text: @markus it *was* part of the eastern bloc/Warsaw Pact/soviet sphere of influence. Some use the terms interchangeably.
Comments.UserDisplayName: LessPop_MoreFizz
Tags: <taste>
Title: Why do most beers from ex-soviet countries have a honey note?
UserDisplayName: markus
ThreadText: # Why do most beers from ex-soviet countries have a honey note?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-27)
  
  Almost all beers, especially lager beers I've had in ex-soviet countries have a slight honey taste to them. I'm sure this is not intentional. It could be due to Pentanedione but why in this region?
  
  Let me specify that I do not think that honey is used in the brewing process. I see the sickly sweet honey taste as an off-taste and I wonder how this could be explained in the case of a whole region having it.
  
  It turns up in regular lager beers as well as darker things. It also turns up in former soviet EU countries that are not very russian and have their beer tradition rather from germany.
  
  Examples:
  
  * Almost all Saku beers (Estonia)
  * Almost all A. Le Coq beers (Estonia)
  * Švyturys Ekstra (Lithuania)
  * Baltika (Russia)
  
  And more...
  
  **Tags:** taste
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: @JamesHenstridge - I wasn't quite sure whether to accept or reject your edit. I believe "sovjet" _is_ a valid spelling of "soviet," and 2,3-pentanedione and 2,4-pentainedione are distinct chemical compounds, but I personally don't know which is related to brewing. If you insist on the edits, please try again and this time I won't interfere. Thanks.  
  > **username_2**: @acheong87 generally US spelling is preferred.  
  > **username_3**: 2,3-pentanedione is a fermentation by-product.  
  > **username_0**: @actimel Since when is Czech Republic ex-soviet?  
  > **username_4**: @username_0 it *was* part of the eastern bloc/Warsaw Pact/soviet sphere of influence. Some use the terms interchangeably.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2014-03-01. Score: 6
  
  First, let me state that I'm a 4th generation Italian American; I know nothing about Russian customs other than what I learned in a Russian history class (humanities requirement) a few semesters ago. With that said, I could probably shoot an email to the professor who I took the class with if you want more info, but I think my answer will suffice (but please let me know, he is a pretty cool guy).
  
  Anyway, I would presume it has something to do with Russian culture and the importance of honey in that part of the world. I remember when I was a kid (like 2nd grade I think), we read a collection of short, non-fiction stories of a Russian girl and her grandfather, who was a beekeeper. I cannot remember what the name of the book was nor the author nor whether or not the stories took before or during the Soviet era; but I do remember that honey played a really important role in most of the stories.
  
  Of course there is other more concrete evidence other than my childhood reading material. For instance, just take a look at Russian cuisine. They have a mead-like beverage called [Medovukha](http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/medovukha/), which is made with honey and yeast. It's apparently a traditional drink at weddings over there. Also, you've got Russian honey cakes and [other food based items](http://russian.lingualift.com/blog/honey-tradition-russia/). Finally, honey is also a good preservative as it's antibacterial, so it was often mixed in with jams back in the day to preserve them.
  
  So I'd be surprised if many of the ex-soviet brewers didn't use honey as an additive to their beer. Especially if the beers you have in mind are bottle conditioned, they would need to add a sweetener of sorts for proper carbonation. I've used honey in two of my home brews and I like it.
  
  ---
  
  Perhaps some substantiating points:
  
  * Baltika Medovoe Light seems to be a popular "first Russian beer" to try. It's a pale lager with natural honey added.
  * Indeed honey does seem to have played a central role in Russian culture.
  
    > Like the Assumption, the three "Saviors" (*Spas*), August 1, 6, and 16, were associated with the fruits of the earth. The first was called the "Honey" (*medovyi*) or "Wet Savior" (*mokryi Spas*), signifying either the gathering of honey or the religious procession and blessing of the waters traditional for this day.
  
    [Ivanits, L. "Russian Folk Belief." [http://books.google.com]](http://books.google.com/books?id=-s36xYcqG1EC).
  
    > According to Russian historian Vasili Kliuchevskii (1841–1911), we must learn about the Russian forest, river and steppe in order to understand the Russian people. [...] "The forest provided the Russian with oak and pine to build his house, it warmed him with aspen and birch, it lit his hut with birchwood splinters, it shod him in birch bast sandals, it gave him plates and dishes, clothed him in hides and furs and fed him honey. The forest was the best shelter from his enemies."
  
    [Riordan, J. "Russian Fairy Tales and Their Collectors." [http://books.google.com]](http://books.google.com/books?id=EDvKpNzNBD0C)
  
    It's notable how closely intertwined honey and their ideals of paradise were, as found by a search for the term "honey" in ["The Paradise Myth in Eighteenth-century Russia: Utopian Patterns in Early Secular Russian Literature and Culture"](http://books.google.com/books?id=C46rAAAAIAAJ&q=honey#v=snippet&q=honey&f=false) (Baehr, S. L.).
  
  So, though still conjecture, it may be so that Russian culture has had a higher demand for honey notes in their foods and beverages, naturally selecting those tastes.
  
  Frankly, it may simply be the case that there's not an objective ("provable") answer to this question.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_7**: Well, I am russian, and I am quite surprised with your interpretation. I've never heard of any beer brewing company here using honey during brewing or for bottling purposes. But I have one friend who tried to start brewing beer, so I'll ask him if that is relevant for the process here. It's always interesting to know something new about native country from unexpected sources =).  
  > **username_6**: @username_7 I've never heard of any either, but then again I've never had Russian beer. The OP never mentioned any specific beers, so it didn't leave me much to go by. The above are just my assumptions based on what I know about Russia and honey in general.  
  > **username_0**: Yeah, creative appraoch :) but probably not really the explanation for my observeration. I think the honey is an off-taste caused by some shared practice or something like that.  
  > **username_4**: This is absolute 100% conjecture.  
  > **username_1**: I think the question in its current form is indeed speculative, not quite connecting the dots, even if having provided relevant historical context. @username_6, I hope you wouldn't mind me adding some points to try to substantiate your answer? (I'd leave a comment but it's a bit long, and I don't want to add it as my own answer since I was motivated by your answer. Feel free to edit any or all of what I add.)  
  > **username_6**: Not a problem; I actually sent an email to my old professor about a minute ago. Anything to show @username_4 that my answer is not conjecture, because it is not.  
  > **username_1**: To be fair, I think it _is_ conjecture, but somewhat necessarily so, because the question's not definitively answerable. No specific beers were mentioned in the first place, and even if they were and we found that they are indeed brewed with honey, how are we supposed to know _why_ they're brewed with honey, without interviewing Russian brewmasters (or finding some source that has)? So, while I side with @username_4 that it's conjecture, I think it's a _good_ conjecture, and as good an answer as we're gonna get, considering the nature of the question.  
  > **username_0**: I don't agree with @acheong87. a) you all seem to confuse ex-soviet with Russia, a big mistake. b) I'm talking about an off-flavour and I'm pretty sure there's an explanation. But you're right that I should probably add a list of beers and countries that have the problem. I'll try to work on it.  
  > **username_0**: @username_6 There is no traditional russian counterpart of the Russian Imperial Stout. This style was always an English product, made for export to Russia. The high alcohol content is partly a necessity for transporting the beer through the cold baltic sea.  
  > **username_1**: Ah, my mistake. Indeed I was ignorant, believing ex-soviet and Russian were closely tied. For those of us not as culturally aware (maybe just me), would you mind clarifying what's meant by ex-soviet in your question? Also, I agree, if you're sure it's not actual honey that imparts the taste you speak of, but some aspect of a process unique to that culture, then that's objectively verifiable, unlike the intent behind brewing with honey. Though, absent such evidence, a cultural bias favoring honey notes might be a compelling theory.  
  > **username_6**: I never said anything about the Russian Imperial, that was from edits made by @acheong87  
  > **username_1**: Yup, that was me. I edited that part out. Sorry, @username_6! I guess this is why we should refrain from editing others' posts, in general.  
  > **username_6**: no, it's all good; whatever adds more substance to the answer.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2014-03-21. Score: -2
  
  There was a national drink called ["Medovukha"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medovukha) (Med - honey).
  
  Nowadays it is very rare drink, meaning that few people consume it. The drink has almost same properties and is brewed just like beer. So, I suppose, this drink has influenced Russian tastes. And during soviet times Russia have shared this tastes around all Soviet block.
  By the way, I'm sure not all beers have honey flavour, however almost every brewery makes as well honey flavoured beer.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_6**: Please see my previous answer regarding this before answering.  
  
  ---
  
  