Julmust
Julmust is a soft drink that is mainly consumed in Sweden around Christmas. During Easter, the name is påskmust. During the rest of the year, it is sometimes sold under the name must. The content is the same regardless of the marketing name, and the drink is most closely associated with Christmas. 45 million litres of julmust are consumed during December, which is around 50% of the total soft drink volume in December and 75% of the total yearly must sales. Must was created by Roberts (inventor)|Harry Roberts] and his father Robert Roberts in 1910 as a non-alcoholic alternative to beer.
Ingredients
The syrup is still made exclusively by Roberts in Örebro. The syrup is sold to different soft drink manufacturers who then make the final product in their own way. This means that the must from different companies does not taste the same, although they are made of the same syrup.Must is made of carbonated water, sugar, hop extract, malt extract, spices, caramel colouring, citric acid, and preservatives. The hops and malt extracts give the must a somewhat root beer-like taste without the sassafras – or British/Caribbean malt drinks such as Supermalt. It can be aged provided it is stored in a glass bottle. Some people buy julmust in December only to store it a year before drinking it. In 2013, a rumour occurred that the EU would ban julmust due to a directive banning the selling of malt beverages containing caramel colouring. The rumour however turned out to be false since julmust is not a fermented beverage and hence not affected by the directive.