What do you drink in FSU (non-alcoholic)

[Larry1]

What do you drink in FSU? Juices? Water? Coffee? Tea?

I drink water, sometimes still water but usually water with gas. I thought about this when I read this article that mentioned Georgia's famous Borjomi water:

When I got a bit older I heard another saying related to food and health: “It’s too late to drink Borjomi when your kidneys have failed” or often shortened to just “it’s too late to drink Borjomi,” which means you started worrying about a problem too late. Borjomi is a salty mineral spring water from Georgia and is regarded as the ultimately healthy thing to consume.

I was surprised to read the following in the Book: “our country is rich with healing mineral waters that help cure many illnesses and especially those of the digestive tract. Except for some …mineral waters… minerals waters can only be used when prescribed by a doctor.”
I asked Granny about Borjomi in the Soviet days and she said: “we used to have the best medicine for colds and especially a sore throat – warm milk with Borjomi. It may not sound very appetizing, but it tasted great!”

http://rbth.com/arts/2015/07/03/a_breakfast_to_make_you_go_build_communism_47455.html



I had heard of Georgian mineral waters before my first trip to FSU so I wanted to try them. I tried Borjomi and couldn't stand it.

I usually drink Morshynkaya, a water from a source in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains. I have also had a lot of Bon Aqua.

And every morning I have a cup coffee also.

[KenInUtah]

Kvas.  First time I ever had it was in Moscow.  Found a store in SLC that has it...though it costs 5X here

[SANDRO43]

Re bottled mineral waters: I believe we have a very substantial number of them (600+), owing to the fact that our territory has a high proportion of mountains and hills which provide their springs.

They come in all types and forms (mineral, oligo-miineral, uncarbonated, carbonated, etc.) and we have a high consumption of 192 litres/year/person, mostly due to our now long-unjustified diffidence for home tap water. I have been drinking regularly this particular mid-carbonated water for nigh on 50 years:

I find that a few bubbles considerably help me in feeling refreshed after a drink - I cannot stand highly-carbonated waters like the French Perrier or similar .

[Muzh]

I just have a "little water."

[alex330]

Piva, compote, or cold kvas from a vendor along the seashore. Piva does not count as an alcoholic beverage in the FSU does it?

[Boethius]

Piva, compote, or cold kvas from a vendor along the seashore. Piva does not count as an alcoholic beverage in the FSU does it?

Pivo

[Boethius]

You can say "piva" as a colloquialism (in some regions, that is all one would hear), but it can't be written that way. (Except perhaps in Belarussian, their spellings are different - maybe pitbull can correct me.)

[JayH]

Reading Larry's post above and seeing colour of bottle started me thinking--I drink Borjomi often-- and the label looked different.Not sure what brown label is -or if I have seen it.
I rate this as excellent mineral water-- along with Perrier and Pelli ??? ( Italian). I prefer with gas.
The price in Ukraine is much higher than other brands -- which also sell excellent mineral waters- with or without gas. Quite cheap to buy in bottles up to 2  litre size( at supermarket)

Below is common colour I am familiar with.
http://www.borjomi.com/int_en/water/range/

  Volcanic spring of Borjomi
Borjomi water is sourced from a 1,500 year old volcanic spring where the natural pressure of carbon dioxide pushes water to the surface from 10km underground.
Unlike many sodium bicarbonate waters, Borjomi spring water does not have to time to cool before reaching the surface at a temperature of 38-41oC. On its journey upwards, the rocks of the Caucasian mountains enrich the water with over 60 different mineral compounds. Research has found that deep mineralised waters, fresh waters and weakly mineralised waters form Borjomi spring water.
There are several theories as to how water materialises in the depths of the earth. The earliest is infiltration theory, which was introduced by a Roman architect named Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and is still in use by scientists today. According to this theory, atmospheric precipitation produces water underground (ground water), which infiltrates to the surface through cracks in the rock.

[cc3]

Living in Lviv, coffee, lots of coffee...sometimes laced with Lviv beer, lemon juice, and honey...a local specialty. Try it sometime!

[SANDRO43]

-- along with Perrier and Pelli ??? ( Italian).

I think you mean Sanpellegrino (est. 1899):

[JayH]

I think you mean Sanpellegrino (est. 1899):

Yes--I actually have some in a fridge!  Thx!

[zedzded]

Piva, compote, or cold kvas from a vendor along the seashore. Piva does not count as an alcoholic beverage in the FSU does it?

I moved to Moscow in '93 for a couple of years and a friend of a friend agreed to teach me Russian in exchange for English lessons. We would meet after work at a local park bench between our apartments and share a bottle of vodka during our lessons. After about a month, he said - we've been drinking a lot - tonight - no alcohol! we'll get beer instead.

 

[msmobyone]

Fresh juice

We bought a juicer from Turkey for 30 USD  and buy Oranges and Pomegranates..I mix with ginger to give some fire..

The oranges from 'Abkhazia' are 50 us cents for 1 kg...over two pounds

I like Borjomi mineral water, but it is 'expensive' in Sochi..found a Russian brand ..Essentuki... which tastes the same and is 4 times cheaper...Did a blindfold test



 

[Anathema]

Vodka 

I never drink tea or coffee at home but I often do in the FSU, for whatever reason.

I'm not a fan of the carbonated water.  I asked a girl why she liked/drank the water "with gas" and she said she didn't like the taste but thought that it's healthier versus the water without gas.

[alex330]

I asked a girl why she liked/drank the water "with gas" and she said she didn't like the taste but thought that it's healthier versus the water without gas.

My wife will grab a bottle of carbonated water here in the US when she is not feeling well. Supposedly it helps upset stomachs. There may be something to it as we would drink Sprite as kids when we were home sick. Sparkling water will usually have minerals as well which most bottles water here in the US is lacking. Wife insists on spring water and will not drink normal purified bottled water.

[Anathema]

Hmmm...I can buy that, I guess.

I think it's funny how they never use ice or ask whether you want your drink (water, Coke, etc.) cold or not.

I've also had various fruit juices that baffled me.  They're mostly part of the business lunch sets you can get at various restaurants.  I can't place the taste and never asked anyone what the hell it is lol.

The first time I had lemonade was interesting too.  It's amusing how different little things like lemonade are; you don't even think about it until you try it and realize it's nothing like at home.

[SANDRO43]

I think it's funny how they never use ice or ask whether you want your drink (water, Coke, etc.) cold or not.

It's not funny but wise - while possibly refreshing to the palate/throat, it's a thermal shock to the stomach, usually at our internal temperature of about 37°C (98.6 F).

On my 1st visit to the US, I was not pleasantly surprised that the first thing they brought to my table in a NY hotel restaurant was a glass of iced water .

[Larry1]

I think it's funny how they never use ice or ask whether you want your drink (water, Coke, etc.) cold or not.

It's not funny but wise - while possibly refreshing to the palate/throat, it's a thermal shock to the stomach, usually at our internal temperature of about 37°C (98.6 F).

On my 1st visit to the US, I was not pleasantly surprised that the first thing they brought to my table in a NY hotel restaurant was a glass of iced water .

I like my water to be cold. At home I store my water in the refrigerator (I don't drink tap water at home). I don't put ice in my water. The refrigerator keeps it cold enough for my taste. After reading the last few posts I wondered what temperature my refrigerated water is. I took a bottle of water out and shot it with my infrared thermometer. The water temperature was 35F, which is slightly under 2C, almost but not quite freezing.

In FSU I buy bottles of water from the refrigerated units if possible. If I buy several I put them in the refrigerator in my apartment or hotel.

[Anathema]

It's not funny but wise - while possibly refreshing to the palate/throat, it's a thermal shock to the stomach, usually at our internal temperature of about 37°C (98.6 F).

On my 1st visit to the US, I was not pleasantly surprised that the first thing they brought to my table in a NY hotel restaurant was a glass of iced water .

I didn't realize that Italians had such weak stomachs!   

That also reminds me that the beer I had most places was not nearly as cold as it should be.  Many times it was lukewarm. Yuck!