kvass

American  

[kvahs, kwahs] / kvɑs, kwɑs /

Or quass

noun

1. a Russian beer made from fermenting rye or barley and having a dark color and sour taste.

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kvass British  

/ kvɑːs /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink of low strength made in Russia and E Europe from cereals and stale bread

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Etymology

Origin of kvass

First recorded in 1545–55, kvass is from the Russian word kvas

Example Sentences

It also sells local products, including the fermented beverage kvass.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2024

Eastern Europe seems to inspire the sweet and smoky wedge of grilled caraflex cabbage, dusted with powdered caraway seeds and served in a sourdough consommé — a bread broth that may bring to mind kvass.

From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2022

In Russia, where a fermented sour beverage called kvass has been made for centuries, a government ad campaign squarely aimed at Coca-Cola, which had opened a bottling plant in St. Petersburg in 1995.

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2022

If a guest showed up unannounced, I’d definitely reach for the kvass.

From Scientific American • Jun. 24, 2020

Meanwhile, he became a kvass merchant and exercised this trade for several months.

From Contemporary Russian Novelists by Persky, Serge