medicinal metheglins

[Teufelhund]

Hi all,

Has anyone made a medicinal metheglin? Looking for an over-all type. I've studied herbology for 20+ yrs and know what herbs can do what, but has there been any recipes that are a cure-all?
Taking into consideration the alc factor, I'd like to make this one closer to 18% if I can, or, if it's wise, in this case.
Also, taste-wise, I'm thinking of very sweet to hide medicinal herb tastes. Something like a frangelica comes to mind but that's just a first consideration for desired end.
At any rate, all suggestions will be appreciated.

Cheers!

DD

 

[Angus]

How about one that tastes like honey? If you can have the medicinal benefits of the herbs, whilst keeping it tasting like honey, that would be a drink!

Angus

 

[osluder]

There may be an interesting tie-in here to Medsen Fey's flavonoid thread. -- Olen

 

[Vino]

Here's something I ran across on the net...

ANTI-CANCER & CORONARY BENEFITS
Moderate consumption of red wine on a regular basis may be a preventative against coronary disease and some forms of cancer. The chemical components thought to be responsible are catechins, also known as flavanoids and related to tannins . Catechins are believed to function as anti-oxidants, preventing molecules known as "free-radicals" from doing cellular damage. One particular form of flavinoid, called oligomeric procyanidin, recently proved to prevent hardening of the arteries.

See the rest of the article here.

 

[osluder]

ssteufelhund,

Akueck mentioned in a post on that same flavonoid thread the book Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers. Maybe there might be some useful information there. Combine that with fruit flavonoids and your existing knowledge of herbal lore, you might be well on your way to something interesting. Not sure what it would be called though: a melo-methe-braggot? ;D

-- Olen

 

[akueck]

There are a ton of recipes in that book. Lots of them are historical, so who knows how they will taste, but I'd like to try many of them in the future. They have a couple mead recipes in there too.

 

[Kee]

Hi all,

Has anyone made a medicinal metheglin? Looking for an over-all type. I've studied herbology for 20+ yrs and know what herbs can do what, but has there been any recipes that are a cure-all?
Taking into consideration the alc factor, I'd like to make this one closer to 18% if I can, or, if it's wise, in this case.
Also, taste-wise, I'm thinking of very sweet to hide medicinal herb tastes. Something like a frangelica comes to mind but that's just a first consideration for desired end.
At any rate, all suggestions will be appreciated.

Cheers!

DD

I also study herbs and have been thinking along similar lines.

What is your actual intent? Do you want an immuno-stimulant to help from getting sick or something to take when you are sick with a cold/flu?

 

[EverGreenman]

Based on this thread I went down to the local alternative book store and picked up the Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers book and let me just reiterate how incredible a resource it is. I highly highly recommend anyone interested in herbal medicine to pick it up.

Methinks this will probably be my line of focus in future endeavors. SO many recipes to try and to toy with (mostly replacing honey for sugar) AhhhhhHHHHHH!!! There's even a freakin mead recipe from Martha Washington!!! (it calls for bay, rosemary(which appears in the psychotropic chapter!) and hyssop)

"Behind every good man there is a woman, and that woman was Martha Washington, man, and everyday George would come home, she would have a big fat bowl waiting for him, man, when he come in the door, man, she was a hip, hip, hip lady, man. "
-slater. Dazed and Confuzed.

 

[Xixist]

I can see it now...Snake oil mead
hehe ..sounds good
Xixist

 

[Medsen Fey]

The concept of making "tonic meads" was what sparked my interest in meadmaking at the very start. To date, I have made only one that might fall into that category - a whole hive mead made with bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis. It tastes alright, but I don't know how medicinal it might be because I suspect any useful proteins, peptides or enzymes probably all precipitated out with the yeast, or were otherwise deactivated by the fermentation process.

Still I think the concept is good, and a sweet mead may prove to be a fine delivery mechanism for any number of herbal combinations that might otherwise taste foul. Up until now, I have been concentrating on trying to master the fermentation process to be able to consistently produce meads with the desired level of sweetness and alcohol that taste good - no easy challenge (at least for me). The various Meadeira projects I am aging may prove to be a useful base for tonics. They have high alcohol, and high sugar, but are stable against temperature and there is no concern for oxidation after opening. They could sit on your kitchen shelf and be used when needed, not unlike a bottle of medicine.

Phase 2 of my journey will be to find recipes that use herbal products in a way that taste good and provide benefit. Obviously testing this becomes a challenge, but I expect this is a project that may take some time.

The book Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers is an interesting one with some good ideas for recipes. Also interesting is rummaging through the Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby. There are more than a few recipes outlined there that might be tonic in nature, though you have to decipher some of the old English.

Perhaps with enough interest, we may be able to start a separate category of threads under "Tonic Mead" or "Mead and Health" or some such.

Medsen

 

[Teufelhund]

Great responses guys. 'Preciate it.

Goal #1 is a meth for colds, probably using yarrow, possibly mullein, lemon balm, sage, elderberries, rosemary and possibly some ginseng. Should be very sweet, like a syrup. Alc % shouldn't really be an issue due to herb content. At least that's what I'm thinking at this time.
Goal #2 is a tonic, much like a shooter. high alc, deep infusion of herbs, not sweet. Again, that's just the thoughts at this time.

Cheers!

DD

 

[Kee]

I would start this the way you would design a new tea or tincture for someone. Figure out your primary and secondary actions and the 'nice to haves'. Write down all the herbs that fit, looking at multiple actions, and add/eliminate from there and then figure out the ratios you want. Roughly 45-50% of herbs for the primary action, 30-40% for secondary action, and less than 10% for catalyst / energy.


As is, the flu meth has a great start. Your ingredients look good. It looks like this is for a wet, mucousy sort of flu with a fever... something that would lead to bronchitis. Not for a drier cold where you feel icky. Is that right?

You should consider adding:
· Astragalus - Immuno-stimulant, Anti-inflammatory, Antiviral, Diuretic.
· Echinacea - Antibiotic, Anti-Septic, Antiviral, Depuratives, Diaphoretic, Immuno-stimulant, Mucilant. Not only is it good for colds and congestion, it helps get the body started on cleaning up/detoxing from having a cold.
· Chamomile - Analgesic/Anodyne, Antibiotic, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory, Antipyretic, Antiseptic, Calmative, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Nervine. It's really good for bronchitis, colds, colic, and fever.
· Rosehips - Antimicrobial, Antipyretic, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic. Good for Colds, Flus, Fevers, and Sore Throats. Very high in vitamin C. It is mildy astringent; however, you might need that for balance.
· Golden Seal - Antibacterial, Anti-catarrhal, Anti-perodic, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Depurative, Immuno-stimulant. It is specific for soothing mucous membranes.
· Oats - Nice soothing nervine full of minerals.

You might also consider just a touch (like 1-2% of the tea) of peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, or ginger to act as a catalyst.

I hesitate a bit with the ginseng though. I believe in TCM it's contraindicated with acute situations. That doesn't mean don't use it. I love Astragalus and have been told the same thing about it. I still use it with colds/flus. It seems to me that that's when you need it the most.


For your tonic, consider:

· Astragalus – Immuno-stimulant/immuno-tonic. This is it’s primary application.
· Shiitake mushrooms – Adaptogen, Immuno-stimulant. Mushrooms are often overlooked in the US. Shiitake is great for normalizing blood pressure and reducing LDLs while stimulating the immune system. Reishi mushrooms might make a nice complement. It’s a nice Adaptogen, Alterative, Nervine, and Immune-tonic.
· Oats - Nice soothing nervine full of minerals.

Again, you should also consider a catalyst.


You should probably make tea(s) and add those to the primary rather than adding directly to the primary/secondary. The exception might be the roots/mushrooms.

I would do two teas, one for the aerial parts and one for the roots as the roots really should sit much longer to pull all of the constituents out. You should also double cover to ensure the teas are as strong as possible.

If I had to give up all of my herb books except one, it would be The Little Herb Encyclopedia. It’s my favorite! It’s more valuable to me than the Herbal PDR or Hoffman’s. I paid $15 for it at Borders, but a friend picked it up on ½ priced books for $2- $3.

Regards,
Heather

 

[Kee]

BTW, I have spent a good deal of time designing a immune-tonic tea for one of my herbal classes. You're welcome to it. It's a very strong, heavy energy tea best drunk before bed. It's also a almost too busy and can get expensive to mix a batch, but at least you can see an example of an immune-boost tea.

xxx

Please email me if you want the recipe.

~~~~~
I think these have been my longest posts on here! ;D

Regards,
Heather

 

[wayneb]

I've done a high initial gravity metheglyn that I called Rocket Fuel (mostly because at 17%+ ABV you can't help but taste some fusels in it), which was flavored in secondary with a lot of dried meadowsweet flowers. It has a nice nutty-sweet smoothness (think along the lines of almond extract) that hides the ethanol content pretty well, and since European meadowsweet has a high concentration of salicylic acid in it (also found in willow bark, it is chemically similar to acetylsalicylic acid -- commonly known as aspirin), this is the only mead that I know of that contains its own hangover remedy!

 

[Gargoylesama]

Menthylglin

Hi all,

Has anyone made a medicinal metheglin?

I have made a mint metheglin. I also have a five gallon batch of it bulk aging right now. It is sweet with a slight aroma and taste of mint. It also picked up some tannins from the stems.

It is a nice after dinner aperatif, or how ever you would spell it. I guess I could call it a dessert mead. Sweet with the mint to aid in digestion. I only had it coming in around 10% alcohol.

 

[osluder]

It is a nice after dinner aperatif, or how ever you would spell it. [...] Sweet with the mint to aid in digestion.

An apéritif (or aperitif) is before a meal and a digestif is after the meal. Sorry, the pedant in me couldn't resist. ;D -- Olen

 

[EverGreenman]

I've done a high initial gravity metheglyn that I called Rocket Fuel (mostly because at 17%+ ABV you can't help but taste some fusels in it), which was flavored in secondary with a lot of dried meadowsweet flowers. It has a nice nutty-sweet smoothness (think along the lines of almond extract) that hides the ethanol content pretty well, and since European meadowsweet has a high concentration of salicylic acid in it (also found in willow bark, it is chemically similar to acetylsalicylic acid -- commonly known as aspirin), this is the only mead that I know of that contains its own hangover remedy!

hey wayne in regards to the salicylic acids are you talking about meadowsweet honey or meadowsweet flowers?

curious cus I think I'd like to include this in the lavender rhodomel I've been designing. Miriam posted some time ago that her lavender mead was wonderful for taking care of headaches...

 

[wayneb]

It is in the flowers, and in the green leaves. Not in the honey that I know of. Keep in mind that this is the European meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria). Although it has been introduced in North America and does grow wild in some places, other local plants referred to as "meadowsweet" aren't Filipendula.

 

[Zem]

It may wind up tasting a hint medicinal no matter what, and you know your herbs or where to look for some, they question is what herbs or flavors would you add for non-medicinal purposes to help the flavor?

It can always be infused in secondary, so you can afford to put that aside and see what the whole concoction tastes like. Strong flavors like Lavender and Rosemary comes to mind for me as well (but then again It's kind of been on my mind for a couple of months--I plan on making a lavender rosemary as well.)

No to hijack: Anyone have a good source of meadowsweet?

PS--I've also read medicinal beers. I kept thinking about the Saffron Metheglin recipes I see in the patrons board....

 

[Kee]

Wolfie, my favorite online resource for bulk herbs is mountainroseherbs.com. The prices are reasonable, and the quality is always high. I haven't had any issues yet.