Mead and Mud

I made it almost all winter without getting the inevitable cold, and it finally struck last week. The good news is it really only lasted a day or two, which as colds go, is almost unheard of. The bad news is I subsequently passed the cold on to Aaron.

I attribute my quick recovery to a remedy discovered by accident, or rather, another one of the various wine concoctions we have fermenting in the basement. It is probably more marketable as an elixir rather than a fine wine. And upon tasting it, I think you'd agree.

A few weeks ago, we bottled up some mead. After drinking a few chalices of the vikings preferred libation at the Renaissance Festival last September, we decided to make some mead ourselves. Mead is basically a wine made from honey and water via fermentation and can have different flavors added. It is offen referred to as honey wine.

Last Thursday, as I was on the couch feeling miserable, sinuses putting my head in the clouds, a tickle in my throat, and a stuffed up nose that prevented me from pronouncing my g's, Aaron came over with a glass from one of these bottles, "Here, take a sip. Tell me what you think."

I took a swig and said, "It tastes like cough medicine." Granted I was stuffed up, it still tasted like a milder version of cough medicine- not one where you wince after swallowing, but still the same honey flavored alcohol taste nonetheless. It still needs a little work, namely some sweetener or additional flavor before it will hold a candle to the Renaissance Festival mead, which itself was really nothing to write home about. We're working on correcting the mix with some sugar and flavor so that is tastes smooth and not like a Halls cough drop. As it stands right now, I'll be more likely to swallow it like a shot while plugging my nose than pair it with a burger when grilling out with friends. Or maybe my honey wine palette isn't quite developed yet.

Is it coincidence that after taking a shot of mead, my cold disappeared as fast as it came on? I don't think so. I think I am onto the lastest fad in cold remedies. I mean, if a second grade teacher can market Airborne with all those vitamins and herbal extracts, I could market our homemade mead as a cold remedy, right?

Anyway, after Aaron and I were both feeling better, we took advantage of the 64 degree whether by pruning some more grapevines, and letting the dogs run outside. And there was mud.