I've experimented a bit in the past, but this year I'm going full tilt. FexEx just brought an exciting package:




6 different honey types, each will make about a gallon of the good stuff:

Christmas Berry, Chestnut, Acacia, Palmetto, Gallberry, and Lime Blossom.

I've even got some of that raw, unfiltered honey (spreads like butter, actually) to try some of that out.

I'm going to try all of these with the same basic recipe to see what flavor variations come out of it. Then if it's worth a drink, I'll make a full 5 or 10 gallon batch, then move on to spices and berries, and aging in some oak casks.

It'll be a delicious, drunken year.

I'm also trying my hand at a stout beer. I've never bothered with beer before, but I've got a new 20 liter stock pot and several 5 gallon glass carboys, so I can have a lot of fun there.

LASTLY, I'm seeing about making a spiced rum as well. I figured with mead and chocolate stout being two of my favorite drinks, I'd add another favorite to the list as well. I've brought in some raw sugar cane to make my own caramel, and I'm trying a few varieties of molasses, from black strap to light and sweet.


Perhaps once everything has come together, I'll plan a kilt night for a solid tasting. Bring your own taxi cabs.