SC - Russian birch drink

[Jeff Gedney]

Here is the promised reference of the use of birch sap as a beverage
text is taken from hakluyt's Voyages, and comes from an Account of 
the Manners of the Russian People - written in 1557 by Richard Johnson
(notice that the word "meade" is used as a generic term for beverage
or alocoholic beverage, and not to denote a recipe. I think we in the 
modern days get rather hung up on lables which may not necessarily 
apply in historical usages.)

"The names of certain sorts of drinks used in Russia and commonly
drunk in the Emperor's court.
The first and principal mead is made of the juice or liquor taken from 
a berry called in Russia malieno, which is of a marvellous sweet taste 
and of a carmosant colour, which berry I have seen in Paris. 
The second mead is called visnova, because it is made of a berry so 
called and is like a black gooseberry; but it is like in colour and taste 
to the red wine of France. The third mead is called ama rodina, or 
smorodina short, of a small berry much like to the small raisin and 
groweth in great plenty in Russia. The fourth mead is called cherevnikina, 
which is made of the wild black cherry. The fifth mead is made of honey 
and water, with other mixtures.
There is also a delicate drink drawn from the root of the birch tree, called 
in the Russ tongue berozevites, which drink the noblemen and others use 
in April, May, and June, which are the three months of the springtime; for 
after those months the sap of the tree dryeth, and then they cannot have it"

Several questions:

What are the following ingredients/terms:
malieno ( I know it's a berry, is this anything we know by another name )?
Visnova ( ditto )?
Rodina ?

Does the Domestroi mention "Berozevites", can the recipe be posted?

I think that this passage describes the Birch drink as being tapped sap, as 
opposed to a decoction made form the roots. So this proves that the 
Elizabethan english would have ben aware of the concept to tapping for 
sweet sap well before they encountered America. I do not think that this 
documents Maple syrup as being in period, but it does show that the 
concept of tapping a tree for sap was certainly not so foreign to the 
English explorers, as has been opined on this list. ( Especially since many 
of the mariners serving with the Moscovy Company, also served time in 
the Atlantic explorations, navigators such Davis, and Frobisher)

brandu