It is a common belief that the word honeymoon comes from a time where a newly married couple would be given a month’s worth of mead to boost their health and fertility and to bless their new family. This recipe takes that idea even further with the addition of aphrodisiac herbs, including woody, fragrant damiana, rich, sensual vanilla and spicy, hot cinnamon.
1 gal (3.8 L) water, divided
1 stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
⅛ cup (20 g) raisins, chopped
⅔ cup (16 g) dried damiana
½ lemon, chopped
3 lb (1.4 kg) honey
1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise
½ packet (2.5 g) Lalvin D-47 yeast
1. Gather your ingredients and sanitize your supplies. You’ll need a 1- or 2-gallon (3.8- or 7.5-L) stockpot, a long spoon, a funnel, a strainer, a gallon (3.8-L) carboy and a bung and airlock.
2. Heat ⅔ gallon (2.5 L) of the water in the stockpot along with the cinnamon stick and cloves. Remove the pot from the heat when the water is about to boil, and add the raisins, damiana and lemon. Cover with a lid and let the mixture steep for about 15 minutes. Stir in the honey and let the must cool until you can safely pour it.
3. Put the vanilla bean in the carboy. Use the funnel and strainer to pour the must into the carboy. Add enough of the remaining ⅓ gallon (1.3 L) of water needed for the must to reach the neck of the jug. Seal it with the bung and airlock.
4. When the glass is cool enough to handle, pitch the yeast. First, cover the mouth of the carboy. Shake the jug for a minute to add oxygen. Sprinkle the yeast into the jug and then recap the carboy with the bung and airlock. Label the jug with the name of the brew and the date and set it aside somewhere out of direct sunlight until it is finished fermenting. If the brew is hazy, you can always rack it into a sanitized secondary fermenter and let it rest before bottling (here).
5. When you taste this one at bottling, it is likely that the young brew will be hot and the damiana overpowering, but don’t worry. Age mellows this mead into a beautifully spiced brew to be shared with the ones you love!