Mead Making: My New Hobby - Want some tasty combinations

[Elleon]

As a hobby I have decided to take up "mead making" and although I am personally not a very big drinker(not like some drunks & lightweights around here who shall remain unnamed), I do enjoy cooking and making wine.

 

I find it a relaxing activity and before you start questioning my level of masculinity, go make a 3 course meal for you woman and then tell me her appreciation wasn't a worth the effort of learning how to dice a couple of onions.

 

Not to mention it's a hell of a lot cheaper and healthier on the college student compared to the alternatives such as speed dialing Dominos or stocking up on a month's supply of hungryman meals from the frozen food section at the nearest grocery store.

 

It's been on my to-do-list for quite some time, so I thought I would get the ball rolling and start the preperations.

 

Combinations are endless, but right now I am starting with the basics before I move onto something more complex.

 

I plan to make some semi-sweet & dessert wines. Such as meant to be for an occasional glass in the evening after work, and those to pair with a good dessert such as butter pecan brownies with a buttercream frosting, poured over a bowl of vanilla icecream, or simply served chilled, by itself, to finish off and balance those heavier dishes.

 

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Help me gather together some some good combinations.

Pick your favorite fruit & some other ingredients to make what you think would be a good base for wine and post here.

 

 

Example Wine Ingredients:

 

Fruit: Raspberry

Optional Additive: Chocolate

Final Product: Chocolate Raspberry Rapture

 

Served with dessert: Chocolate souffle topped with whipcream, fresh raspberries, and mint.

 

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Yes, I am bored, haven't had a decent night's sleep in 4 days, and this is the crap that keeps my mind busy.

 

Seriously, any combinations would be welcomed though. I am not very creative, and knowing what people seem to enjoy the most, tends to allude me.

 

Special Thanks to those SG members who give me such inspiration

 

TheVirus

Blargh

Vivian

Mystique

Garfield

Paul

Jen

 

Always provide a good laugh on vent.

[Supa]

I've made some homemade mead before. It's really easy and fun to do.

 

I also homebrew, which in my opinion, is far more enjoyable.

[Elleon]

I've made some homemade mead before. It's really easy and fun to do.

 

I also homebrew, which in my opinion, is far more enjoyable.

 

Yeah, I'm not much of a beer drinker, and unusual as it is living here in Missouri, not many of my family members or neighbors are either, so it would be lost on me.

 

I may venture into it later though considering it's not that much of a change in direction.

[Supa]

Yeah, I'm not much of a beer drinker, and unusual as it is living here in Missouri, not many of my family members or neighbors are either, so it would be lost on me.

 

Haha... mead making is still fun though. Looks like you are taking it to a whole different level then when I did it, but good luck. =)

[ReGIONALS]

something with black berries

[Chobber]

Ginger can be a fun additive to anythin, almost.. If you just balance it well enough!

Also, combining sweet stuff like strawberries, raspberries, chocolate with chili is a win for me..

 

I've also practiced home brewing which was a lot of fun, and actually also made a very small-scale distillation still to create more purified alcohol .. Even though that's illegal in Denmark

Didn't use it much as I didn't perfect the design and because I had to make it in such a small scale to hide it from my parents

Did get some home-made 95% alcohol from it tho..

[Elleon]

Ginger can be a fun additive to anythin, almost.. If you just balance it well enough!

Also, combining sweet stuff like strawberries, raspberries, chocolate with chili is a win for me..

 

I've also practiced home brewing which was a lot of fun, and actually also made a very small-scale distillation still to create more purified alcohol .. Even though that's illegal in Denmark

Didn't use it much as I didn't perfect the design and because I had to make it in such a small scale to hide it from my parents

Did get some home-made 95% alcohol from it tho..

 

Distillation, very nice. These won't have a high ABV, probably 14%(28 proof) general and some 20%(40 proof) if I feel like it. I don't really drink to get drunk, but this seems a good level to enjoy with company.

 

I was definitely planning to make my first batches include Strawberry and Raspberry since I personally like those. I plan to stick with a simple melomel without many other variables aside from the fruit.

 

I can't quite comprehend the appeal of ginger, but I see it a lot in mead recipes, so I will certainly keep in in mind for the next line of batches.

[Jewpiter]

I have been brewing my own ales for about 2 years now. I really enjoy the hobby and its fun to make your own labels and give them away as gifts to your friends. They even tend to save the bottles too. I've been doing mostly extract brewing but am looking to getting into all-grain brewing but theres theres an added cost to all that goodness.

 

 

cheers

[Ámber]

Haha good luck :O

[Elleon]

Haha good luck :O

 

Thank you :O

 

Hell, if I knew proper ages of people, I wouldn't have minded shipping some bottles out to share the product.

 

Making mead isn't really that difficult of a process; a child could do it really. Making good mead takes a bit more finesse. It's only as good at your ingredients, and shit is expensive around here.

 

$8 for a 40oz container of storebought honey...not cheap when you want 30+ pounds of the stuff.