How do you brew hawthorn berries, and what can you combine them with?

To make an infusion, take 1–2.5 g of crushed berries, pour 150 ml of boiling water over them, leave to infuse under a lid for 10 minutes and strain.

Hawthorn goes well with rosehip — both provide a berry base, and together they give a fuller flavour. With mint the drink becomes fresher, and with rosebay willowherb (ivan chai) it becomes softer and slightly earthier. You can also add the berries to ordinary black or green tea as an aromatic addition.

Since the product contains only hawthorn berries without any additives, you control the strength yourself: more berries and a longer infusion give a more pronounced flavour, fewer give a delicate background aroma. This is handy when putting together your own herbal blends.

The drink can be enjoyed warm in the evening as part of a calm home ritual — without sugar or with a little honey. The brewed infusion is best kept in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours.