A cold pour. Toasted grain. A little tang. Kvass has been part of bathhouse life for generations. We’re bringing that tradition to Britain’s saunas, one unhurried sip at a time.
Since the1870sIn printCold kvass after bathing, in a Russian novel
180Year-old starterThe sourdough culture in every batch
Fridge-coldServed straight, no ice
10+UK saunasFrom Scotland to the Isles of Scilly
Is kvass a traditional sauna drink?
Yes.
Kvass
has
followed
the
steamfor
over
150
years.
Kvass, also spelled kvas, is a fermented grain drink. Vladimir Dahl’s 1880 dictionary describes the bathhouse anteroom as a place to change, rest and drink kvass. In Ukraine, where bread kvass is also called sirivets, it has long been a favourite everyday drink, and in Kyiv a bathhouse on the Dnipro still pours it cold in the rest room. Around the Baltic it has other names: gira after the Lithuanian pirtis, kali at reception in an Estonian sauna.
Quas is our non-alcoholic sourdough kvass, brewed in Edinburgh with rye and barley malt, and found at saunas across the UK.
From the Volga forests to Kyiv and Tallinn, kvass belongs to the time after bathing. Follow the pins, or open any entry for the full story and its source.
1870s1Volga forests
Fresh wood, fragrant herbs. A cold jug.
In Melnikov-Pechersky’s novel In the Forests, the merchant Chapurin drinks cold kvass after bathing, then settles down to rest.
Full story and source
In Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky’s novel In the Forests, the bathhouse is prepared with fresh wood, white sheets and fragrant herbs. After bathing, the merchant Chapurin drinks cold kvass and settles down to rest.
Vladimir Dahl’s dictionary describes the bathhouse anteroom as a place to change, rest and drink kvass.
Full story and source
Look up the bathhouse in Vladimir Dahl’s nineteenth-century dictionary and you find more than a room for steam. His description includes an anteroom where people change, rest and drink kvass.
It is an everyday detail, which is exactly what makes it wonderful. Kvass did not need a grand introduction. It already belonged to the pause after bathing.
A Lithuanian study describes thanking the household after the pirtis and sharing refreshments, including gira, the Lithuanian name for kvass.
Full story and source
In a Lithuanian study published in 1959, Izidorius Butkevičius describes the homecoming after the pirtis. People thank their hosts for the warmth and share refreshments, including gira, the Lithuanian name for kvass.
That small phrase says so much. A good bathhouse visit is an act of hospitality, and the drink helps carry it beyond the hot room. The Lithuanian Bathhouse Academy still names gira among pirtis refreshments today.
In Stsiapan Kukharau’s Batskavichy, published in a 1991 collection, kvass follows the Saturday village bath, with conversation outside in summer and beside the stove in winter.
Full story and source
Belarusian writer Stsiapan Kukharau describes Saturday bathhouses, smoke rising above the village and birch whisks ready for bathing. Afterwards comes kvass and the pleasure of sitting together.
In summer, people linger outside. In winter, they gather beside the warmth of the stove and tell stories. His Batskavichy, in the 1991 edition, captures a ritual that belongs to the cold season just as naturally as the warm.
At the Hiipakka family sauna in Rocklin, California, 35 cents bought steam, a clean towel and a glass of kotikalja, a Finnish malt drink related to kvass.
Full story and source
A Finnish Sauna Society feature tells the story of the Hiipakka family sauna in Rocklin, California. Bathers once paid 35 cents for steam, a clean towel and a glass of Finnish “galli”, or kotikalja, made to the family recipe.
This related Finnish malt drink has its own identity. Its place beside the sauna tells a wider story of grain, fermentation and hospitality travelling together, carried by people who wanted a taste of home.
Tallinna Saun lists birch whisks and kali, the Estonian name for kvass, among the things available at reception.
Full story and source
At Tallinna Saun in Estonia, the everyday essentials still sit together. The bathhouse’s visitor information lists birch whisks and kali, the Estonian name for kvass, among the things available at reception.
That is what a living tradition looks like: something you can walk in, order and enjoy. We want the cold Quas after a British sauna to feel just as familiar.
In Kyiv, a bathhouse on the banks of the Dnipro offers cold kvass in its rest room after the steam.
Full story and source
Bread kvass runs deep in Ukraine. Ukrainian ethnographers count it, under its Ukrainian name sirivets, among the people’s best loved traditional drinks, brewed from dried rye bread and kept cool in the cellar (Ethnography of Ukrainians, Lviv, 2015).
The bathhouse appears in Ukrainian history too. A study of the translator Andrii Nikovskyi records him as a boy in 1890s Odesa, cleaning bathers’ boots, drying sheets and fetching kvass and soap at Isakovich’s baths (Horbatiuk, 2010).
Today, at a Kyiv bathhouse beside the river, the rest room offers herbal tea, cold kvass or beer after the steam.
Drink water throughout your visit and follow your venue’s guidance. Then, for flavour, choose a cold drink to enjoy in the rest area. Kvass is the traditional bathhouse choice: Quas is non-alcoholic, malty and gently tangy, served fridge-cold and straight. Read our guide to what to drink after a sauna.
What is kvass called in other sauna cultures?
Kvass is also spelled kvas. In Ukrainian, bread kvass is also called sirivets. In Lithuania, the drink shared after the pirtis is called gira; in Estonia, it is kali. Finnish kotikalja is a related malt drink with its own identity. See the tradition and its sources.
What does Quas taste like?
Malty, tangy and dry, with toasted-grain and dried-fruit notes. Original is the place to start; Ginger brings spice, while Mint & Lime brings a brighter finish. Get to know kvass.
Is Quas non-alcoholic?
Yes. Quas is a non-alcoholic sourdough fermented drink. Fermentation naturally produces trace amounts of alcohol. Read more about Quas.
Serve Quas chilled and straight, without ice. Original and Ginger need no garnish. A stemless tulip glass brings out the aroma; at a sauna, use the venue’s approved vessel.
Can I stock Quas at my sauna?
Yes, send a stockist enquiry. Tell us about your sauna and how you would like to serve Quas. If you are interested in draught, mention it in your enquiry; keg arrangements are discussed individually.
Bring Quas home.
Find your favourite for the next slow afternoon. Malty, tangy and made for a cold pour.
