Sima is a Finnish fermented low-level alcoholic drink and soft drink. It is traditionally a form of mead. The drink has a very low alcohol content due to limited fermentation. The modern concept of a low-alcohol sima originated in the 1700s. It is a sweet sparkling beverage.
KIRUNA APRIL 2025: Sima is a Finnish fermented low-level alcoholic drink and soft drink. It is traditionally a form of mead, an alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water, although in modern times the honey is generally replaced with different kinds of sugar, mostly syrup, which makes it a sugar wine. The drink also has a very low alcohol content due to limited fermentation. Sima is therefore a sweet sparkling beverage.
Mead was originally brought to Finland in the 1500s from Lübeck and Riga. The modern concept of a low-alcohol sima originated in the 1700s, as it was developed to be a more refreshing summer beverage.
The ingredients you need are:
- 9 oz brown sugar
- 9 oz white sugar
- 2 lemons
- 2 qt boiling water
- 2 qt cold water
- 1/4 tsp dry yeast
As usual, the recipe is just a recommendation. For example, you can experiment with the amount of sugar or yeast – or the fermentation time. I usually get annoyed by too yellow Sima. But that’s easily fixed. The more brown sugar you use, the darker the Sima will be.
Featured Image: kahvikisu
