Mulled Christmas Mead

Mulled mead is a popular drink at Christmas time, where sweet mead is flavored with spices and warmed up, traditionally with a hot poker plunged into it!

The word mead comes from an Old English word, [medu], which means “fermented honey drink.” Often referred to as “honey wine,” mead isn't actually wine at all. Wine is produced from fermented fruits and berries, but mead is any alcohol made by fermenting honey.
Mead (Miodh in Irish) is the world's oldest alcoholic drink. Known as the nectar of the gods, ambrosia, honey wine, or a traditional honeymoon drink. The earliest discovery of a drink fermented from honey was in northern China in 6500 BC. This means that mead is older than the wheel!

INGREDIENTS

Start with our Original Sin Cyser Mead 2021 Vintage.  It has a rich apple flavor with a subtle finish of honey and brandy.

Orange. The orange might seem like an odd addition, but TRUST ME. A key to making the best spiced mead is balancing different notes of complementary flavors, and the orange helps do just that.

Spices. Whole Cardamom pods, Cinnamon sticks, and star Anise are important ingredients for Mulled Mead.   Don’t fear the anise.  The flavor here is subtle, well balanced, and gives this spiced Mead an extra note of flavour.

I don’t recommend ground spices, as they will float on top of the mead and not incorporate properly.

Other spice options include allspice berries or nutmeg.

Brandy. The final edge this spiced mead needs to reach its peak.

RECIPE

 

1 cup Original Sin Cyser Mead 2021

1 ¼ inch slice of fresh Orange

2 Cardamom pods

1 Cinamon stick

2 Star Anise pods

½ ounce of your favorite brandy

1 tsp Fireweed Honey

 

Put all ingredients into a small pot and heat slowly until steaming.  Pour through a strainer into a glass mug.  Garnish with fresh orange slice and cranberries.