Oh, Honey, Honey

I made my first ever home-brewed mead with a kit gifted to me by my sister-in-law. It's from The Bee Folks who are local beekeepers with booths at both the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

The kit (many to choose from) has the yeast, herbs, rubber band, cheesecloth, and instructions. You buy two jars of honey (many to choose from, too) and some spring water.



Follow the super easy instructions and you'll be brewing mead like a pro. Here's a photo showing the yeast at work.


And here's a video where you can see the bubbles churning the herbs.


Since I didn't have a dark place to store it, I improvised by covering the jug in a dark dish towel.


Then - voila! The mead was done in a week.


It was then enjoyed by friends during Sheep and Shenanigans.


I recently tried brewing another batch using one of the kits I bought at MS&W. It was quite tasty but I liked the first batch I did better. There are so many combinations of mead kits with honey flavors to try. I've still got another one to try and I plan to buy a couple kits at this year's Renaissance Festival.

This brewing also helps me cross off an item from my Year of Lovely Things list. Which, now that I look at the list, there are a handful of items to also cross off. Where's that pen?