Royal Metheglin

Royal Metheglin

(1 gallon/3.8 L)

Ingredients
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) honey
3 tsp. (15 g) fresh rosemary leaves
3 tsp. (15 g) fresh thyme leaves
3 tsp. (15 g) orange zest
3 tsp. (15 g) lemon zest
3 fresh sage leaves
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. (5 g) dried hyssop
4 allspice berries
6 cloves
3 tsp. (15 g) fresh ginger, chopped
2 bags Earl Grey tea
1 tsp. (5 g) pectic enzyme
1 tsp. (5 g) acid blend
1-1/2 cups (360 mL) orange juice
1 package Red Star Montrachet yeast (5 to 7 g)
1 tsp. (5 g) yeast nutrient
1/4 tsp. (about 1 g) grape tannin
1 campden tablet

Step by Step
Heat to 175 °F (80 °C) a mixture of honey and water (1 part honey to 2 parts water) in a large non-reactive pot and hold for 10 minutes. Add herbs and spices and hold another 5 minutes. Cool and transfer to a two-gallon plastic container. Add the acid, the pectic enzyme and water to make a gallon. Add the campden tablet and let the mixture sit, well-covered, for 24 hours.

Make a yeast starter by combining the yeast and yeast nutrient with tepid orange juice. Cover, shake vigorously, let stand until bubbly (1 to 3 hours), then add to the must. Add tannin and allow the mixture to ferment. Rack after the most vigorous fermentation and siphon the wine into a one-gallon, airlocked fermenter. Rack into another airlocked fermenter in 3 months and again in 6 months. Rack again before bottling, about one year after fermentation started. Bottle and cork. Store in a cool cellar for 6 months before using.