Viking Blood (Cherry Melomel)
(1 gallon/3.8 L)
OG = 1.092 FG = 1.000
ABV = 12.9%
Ingredients
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) honey (preferably a darker variety for depth of flavor)
1 gallon (3.8 L) water
5 g Champagne yeast
1 lb. (0.45 kg) cherries (pitted and crushed)
1 oz. (28 g) dried hibiscus flowers
Step by Step
Mix honey into warm water to dissolve. Add crushed cherries and dried hibiscus flowers and then pitch Champagne yeast. Ferment at room temperature for 4–6 weeks, or until fermentation is complete.
Rack off fruit and hibiscus and ensure specific gravity is stable to confirm fermentation is complete. Bottling can proceed with clean, sanitized containers, leaving 1⁄2 inch (1.2 cm) headspace, and storing upright in a cool, dark place for at least six months to one year before serving.
