Jack Keller’s Metheglin
- 5 lbs fancy clover honey
- 2-1/4 lbs fancy orange blossom honey
- 15 teabags Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile herbal tea
- 2-1/2 gallons water
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet
- 2-1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
- 2-1/4 tsp yeast energizer
- 1 sachet, mead or any Champagne yeast
Boil water. Meanwhile, tie teabags together and drop in water. Tie spices in a
closely woven jelly bag (or in 6-inch square of finely woven muslin) and add to water.
When water boils, remove from heat and stir in honey (you can boil the honey in the
water, skimming off the surface scum as it forms, but I did not do this). Transfer to
primary, stir in yeast nutrients and energizer, cover, and set aside overnight to
cool. Meanwhile, prepare a yeast starter solution (1 cup water, 1 tablespoon honey,
pinch of yeast energizer, sachet of wine yeast). When must is cooled, remove teabags
and spices and add yeast starter solution to must. Cover and stir daily for about 10
days. Skim off any scum that rises from the must and transfer to secondary. Do not
top up yet, but do affix an airlock. Rack, add finely crushed and dissolved Campden
tablets, top up and reattach airlock after 30 days. Repeat racking (without adding
additional Campden) 2-3 more times at 30-day intervals until no new sediment is
dropped. Bulk age 4-6 months, bottle, and age an additional 6 months. {Author’s own
recipe]