The making of Metheglin

To make  metheglin you do need a glut of honey! , having said that it is a drink worth trying , if you have made wine you will enjoy this process . I have used this old recipe successfully over the years , I can't remember where it came from.
You will need ; 5lbs of honey , 1 gallon of water , 1 lemon , 1 sprig of rosemary , 1/2 ounce of root ginger , 3/4 ounce of bakers yeast , or if you can get it , mead yeast.

Method; Simmer the herbs and spices with the thin lemon rind in the water for 20 minutes .Strain and pour over the honey.Stir well to dissolve the honey .When lukewarm add the juice of the lemon , and the yeast.Cover and leave to ferment for 24 hours . Pour into a fermentation jar and insert an airlock .Leave to ferment to a finish in a warm place .Remove to a cooler place for three weeks before syphoning off into a storage jar.

Making Mead and Metheglin

Honey has been used for centuries to produce two kinds of liquor , the most well known is mead which was defined 200 years ago as " the product of the vinous fermentation of honey and water,without the addition of herbs , spices , fruit juices or vegetable extracts " .Metheglin is " a honey based liquor which has been fermented and in which spices are used" , that pretty much sums up the two . Both drinks are of very ancient origin , and before the introduction of grapes into this country , it was usual to drink mead at festivals and occasions such as weddings .
It is worth noting that in winemaking the yeast gets its nourushment from various elements in the must and, in most cases acid is added in the form of lemon or orange juice . In mead making today,the honey used is often too pure,and if the yeast is to work properly certain elements must be added . In past times  cruder honeys were used and these elements were provided by impurities left in . 

Country Wine Making

There is no need for me to write much about the pleasure that a good glass of wine can give , especially so when you have made it yourself .This feeling is doubled when you have used fruit or vegetables you have grown and collected yourself. Since starting to make my own wine I have found that it is wise to try to cater for all tastes by making sweet and dry wines , the old recipes always seem to advise 4lbs of sugar per gallon and this has proved too sweet for my taste. The hobby of winemaking has 'taken off' again,probably on the back of TV lifestyle and country cookery programmes .Over the course of this missive I hope to show how easy it is to make your own wine.