Red mead and red wine

[Lissa]

What is in red mead that gives it that colour? Is it a completely different process than making yellow mead?

Also, I was fortunate enough to try Glen from Wolvren's mulled wine, can you warm any red wine and make it taste nice? I have never had a red wine that doesnt taste like vinegar, until I tried mulled wine.

[Wellybex]

Hi Lissa

Can't answer your question on mead but mulled wine is pretty easy to make and you can use any red wine for it (I used to use the cheapest cask but I recommend something a bit better than that). There are a few good recipes around and you can also buy premade packets of mulled wine spices.

Generally the recipes are similar to this:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art25533.asp

But you can certainly add/subtract ingredients to your taste

Happy testing!

Wellybex

[Anyad]

Here's my mulled wine recipe (tested on the Wednesday crew at Nigel and Kathryn's house in winter)

3L of chateau cardboard (that's the really cheap read wine that comes in carboard boxes)
Organge juice (or 3 or 4 roughly chopped oranges)
Honey
Coves
Cinnamon

Mix the wine and the orange juice/segments up in a really big pot and have it on simmer. Add quantities of honey and the spices to taste. When honey is melted in serve in cups that don't burn your hands when trying to drink the results.

Have fun experimenting!
D

[Lissa]

Thank you, sounds delish!

[Godwin of Wessex]

And here's a recipe I/we've been using in everything from 16th through to 18th century "stuff" in UK (and parts of Europe!)

4 pints sweet cider
3 slices of lemon
1/4 ounze of cloves
1/4 ounze cinammon stick
1/2 ounze allspice berries
sugar (to taste as required)
1 slice of toast!

Gently heat the cider with all the ingredients except the toast.

Once up to heat, cut the toast into little squares and add to the mixture.

Serve, quaff etc!

For my money the toast is optional and in any case swords have been drawn in arguments as to precisely what sort of bread should be used.

[Godwin of Wessex]

And here's a recipe I/we've been using in everything from 16th through to 18th century "stuff" in UK (and parts of Europe!)

4 pints sweet cider
3 slices of lemon
1/4 ounze of cloves
1/4 ounze cinammon stick
1/2 ounze allspice berries
sugar (to taste as required)
1 slice of toast!

Gently heat the cider with all the ingredients except the toast.

Once up to heat, cut the toast into little squares and add to the mixture.

Serve, quaff etc!

For my money the toast is optional and in any case swords have been drawn in arguments as to precisely what sort of bread should be used.

[Effigy]

Eyes glaze over........yummmm
As a committed cider freak, do you have any references for this from earlier periods?
Namely Northumbria 12th century?

[Nathan]

Cider dated to 55BC Roman Occupation of the Free people of Briton (lol)
http://www.drinkfocus.com/articles/apple-cider/history-of-cider.php

[HeathenDaughter]

My mulled wine recipe:

1 bottle medium bodied red wine (something like Merlot)
2 cinnamon quills
about 6 whole cloves
grated peel of 1 orange, plus juice if you want, I usually don't bother with juice though
1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar, to taste (honey to be authentic, about 1/2 cup, to taste)

optional:
pinch of nutmeg
and even:
black peppercorns
mace

Put all ingredients in a saucepan with a bit of water (1/2 cup maybe) and bubble away for a while.

Add red wine, heat, but DON'T let boil unless you want the alcohol to boil off.

Strain into a jug and serve. Mmm I love this stuff. I heartily recommend homemade over sachets.

[Bogue]

Please note that your mullage should get no higher than about 50-55 degrees as alcohol will start to vapour off anywhere above that.

cheers
Bogue

[Lissa]

thank you very much guys. I hope to give it a crack soon, maybe at taupo. Thanks very much