Help w/ recipe idea: Root beer inspired mead

[Ty520]

I've always liked root beer and have been kicking around an idea for a root beer inspired mead for a few days - i think the flavors of root beer would compliment a mead well, if done properly.

I don't want people to drink it and immediately think, "this is alcoholic root beer!" I want it to be subtle.

My draft recipe is as follows:

a bochet base of 3.5 pounds honey simmered 10 minutes to instill a caramel quality, but not too strong, per 1 gal water ( my first and only bochet seemed less sweet than a traditional, so my thought is to up the honey content to get the sweetness back? - thoughts?)

additional ingredients:
-1 x 1/2 inch piece of ginger root
1 x 1/2 inch piece of licorice root
3 x 1/2 inch pieces of sarsaparilla root
1 x 1/2 inch piece of birch bark
2 vanilla beans
1 star anise
1 clove

(Since my goal is "subtle," I halved the ratio typically used for actual root beer)

I plan to add the vanilla, anise and cloves in secondary, but I am not sure when to add the roots and bark - any suggestions? I came across a recipe for a birch mead that brewed the bark in the water before adding the honey to pull out flavor; sounds logical, but not sure if necessary - might make it too potent? Thoughts?

Wintergreen is also another traditional ingredient in root beer, but my initial hesitation is that a leafy green would go putrid sitting in there. thoughts?

Also, I have no idea where to track down licorice, sarsaparilla and birch.

thanks in advance. also any other ingredient suggestions welcome.

 

[ShadesManna]

This recipe sounds great! One thing you might consider is starting with birch water? It's the equivalent of maple water, but made from birch trees. This is basically what comes out of the tapped tree from the spile, and it then usually boiled down to be concentrated into syrup. You can buy maple water - not sure about birch water. You might have to tap your own trees, or from willing neighbors. In a pinch, you could tap trees very far into a park, but at your own risk, as the park rangers would definitely not be happy about it.

 

[Ty520]

This recipe sounds great! One thing you might consider is starting with birch water? It's the equivalent of maple water, but made from birch trees. This is basically what comes out of the tapped tree from the spile, and it then usually boiled down to be concentrated into syrup. You can buy maple water - not sure about birch water. You might have to tap your own trees, or from willing neighbors. In a pinch, you could tap trees very far into a park, but at your own risk, as the park rangers would definitely not be happy about it.

Birch doesn't grow here - Maple isn't native here either, but some people have planted some varieties of it; not sure if suitable for tapping though. I like the idea of starting with birch water. Wonder if i can get it here?

After doing some additional research on traditional root beer/soda making, i am leaning toward doing a decoction by bringing the water up to temp where it steams, then adding everything but the vanilla and let it steep for about 15 minutes, then filter the water, and begin the mead process per usual. Vanilla would go in during secondary.

I am also thinking i will do 2 pounds honey + 1.5 pounds maple syrup instead of all honey

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I've always liked root beer and have been kicking around an idea for a root beer inspired mead for a few days - i think the flavors of root beer would compliment a mead well, if done properly.

I don't want people to drink it and immediately think, "this is alcoholic root beer!" I want it to be subtle.

My draft recipe is as follows:

a bochet base of 3.5 pounds honey simmered 10 minutes to instill a caramel quality, but not too strong, per 1 gal water ( my first and only bochet seemed less sweet than a traditional, so my thought is to up the honey content to get the sweetness back? - thoughts?)

additional ingredients:
-1 x 1/2 inch piece of ginger root
1 x 1/2 inch piece of licorice root
3 x 1/2 inch pieces of sarsaparilla root
1 x 1/2 inch piece of birch bark
2 vanilla beans
1 star anise
1 clove

(Since my goal is "subtle," I halved the ratio typically used for actual root beer)

I plan to add the vanilla, anise and cloves in secondary, but I am not sure when to add the roots and bark - any suggestions? I came across a recipe for a birch mead that brewed the bark in the water before adding the honey to pull out flavor; sounds logical, but not sure if necessary - might make it too potent? Thoughts?

Wintergreen is also another traditional ingredient in root beer, but my initial hesitation is that a leafy green would go putrid sitting in there. thoughts?

Also, I have no idea where to track down licorice, sarsaparilla and birch.

thanks in advance. also any other ingredient suggestions welcome.

This sounds interesting. If you do want to add wintergreen I may have a solution for you. Last year I made a peach basil mead, and I really had no idea of how much basil to use to just get a subtle but noticeable note of it. so i racked a pint of the mead to add fresh basil and the rest was racked onto the peaches. The basil mead was blended with the peach. i had muddled the basil and it didn’t become rotted out foul in any way.

 

[Ty520]

This sounds interesting. If you do want to add wintergreen I may have a solution for you. Last year I made a peach basil mead, and I really had no idea of how much basil to use to just get a subtle but noticeable note of it. so i racked a pint of the mead to add fresh basil and the rest was racked onto the peaches. The basil mead was blended with the peach. i had muddled the basil and it didn’t become rotted out foul in any way.

how long did you leave the basil in?

Apparently, it turns out, birch, which is not traditional to root beer or soda (but has a similar flavor profile in birch beer/soda), will impart a wintergreen flavor all on its own, so i am thinking of omitting the wintergreen

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

how long did you leave the basil in?

Apparently, it turns out, birch, which is not traditional to root beer or soda (but has a similar flavor profile in birch beer/soda), will impart a wintergreen flavor all on its own, so i am thinking of omitting the wintergreen

I still have a little and it’s fine.

 

[ShadesManna]

You can buy birch water readily online. Be sure to read the ingredients labels, to avoid unnecessary additives. Some of them add sugar and citric acid, which isn't really a big deal. Be sure not to use any that have added preservatives that will halt or effect the yeast fermenting.