Mint wine

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Mint wine
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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
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Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 05 3:32 pm Post subject:
And thanks to Sally_in_Wales for this link for the herb liqueurs: https://www.liqueurweb.com/herbalrecipes.htm

Guest

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 05 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Mint wine

Treacodactyl wrote:

Anyone made or tried it? The damp spring seems to be ideal for our various mints in our garden and someone suggested I made wine with it.

I could simply use Cabs watermint wine recipe here: https://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Home_Brewing/Herb_and_Flower_Wines/

Or are there any other ideas? What about mint beer or Crème-de-Menthe?

I've tried brewing a beer using mint in the mash and it was vile.

Alecost or Costmary was previously used to flavour ale before the advent of hops. Alecost has a sort of minty taste.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue May 03, 05 8:35 am Post subject:

Technically, creme de menthe is made using corsican mint. It's a wonderful, tiny leaved variety that I foolishly let die in my garden when it was shaded out by some broccoli.

If you use common garden spearmint, you get a pleasant but rather chewing gummy wine. Very nice, but not necessarily what you want.

You can also make mint-ade, which you do by boiling a gallon of water with sugar (same amount as for ginger beer or elderflower champagne), pouring it onto the mint (say, a straining bag full), adding lemon juice and rind, and continuing as for any such beverage; makes an almost unbeatable summer fizz. Using the same recipe as for nettle beer would work I guess.

Of all the mints for wine, I prefer watermint. Unsurpassed flavour, and the slight bitter undertone in watermint is quite lost.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
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Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue May 03, 05 11:40 am Post subject:

I've always found water mint not quite to my tastes, smells a bit like the indigestion tablets. It's growing very well in our garden at the moment, has it's roots in our various pond and is now spreading off into the paths, lawn and boarders.

I think I'll make a mint cordial and then a Crème-de-Menthe if it goes well. I must have about 8 mints to choose from but I'll probably not use the apple or grapefruit one.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue May 03, 05 11:52 am Post subject:

We have some Corsican mint. It has stayed in a pot though and I don't think it's happy, not sure where it should go...

It's also a very strong taste. If as you say watermint makes a good wine and Corsican mint is what you want for creme de menthe, then I suppose you are looking for the stronger flavours that will stand through the processing but mellow out as well...a bit like you probably don't fancy scoffing a garlic bulb like you would an apple but roast it for three quarters of an hour and it's a different story.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue May 03, 05 12:01 pm Post subject:
Bugs (you rude ladybird), that's about the size of it. While watermint or corsican mint would be poor choices on their own in, say, a salad, you'd struggle to find stronger flavours when they're diluted. A sprig of watermint chopped in with new spuds, with a little butter, is fabulous, for example, as long as you don't overdo it.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Fri May 06, 05 11:31 am Post subject:
Looks like I could be starting Applemint wine this weekend. Watch this space... By the way, how long does it usually take to mature?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri May 06, 05 11:33 am Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

Looks like I could be starting Applemint wine this weekend. Watch this space... By the way, how long does it usually take to mature?

If you make it sweet (like in the recipe in the herb and flower wines article) then it's faily good after as little as a month in the bottle, but it gets better and better for a year. Never had one last longer than that to find out how they really age

jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28120
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 9:53 pm Post subject:
Tried some of CAbs mint wine this evening, went down well with Snowball, but much to sweet for me i'm afraid.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 9:57 pm Post subject:
Figures, it is a sweet social wine. Meant to be one for the ladies, who (in my experience) always seem to go for the sweet ones. Having something interesting to give to girls was one of the things that helped get me interested in the hobby all those years ago

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 6:03 am Post subject:
I like a good sweet wine.

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 6:54 am Post subject:
Well, JOTW has already pointed out that you haven't got a comb or wattles.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 05 7:47 pm Post subject:

I've started a gallon of mint wine off, mostly water mint with a few sprigs of black pepper mint, it has a similar bitter minty taste, and a few others - all from our back garden.

I've also started two jars off soaking torn mint leaves in some vodka to make a Crème-de-Menthe style liqueur in a couple of weeks. Recipe based on ones from here: https://www.liqueurweb.com/herbalrecipes.htm

Bugs has also been using the Vodka so we've managed to get through half a bottle in a few minutes.

alison
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 05 9:17 pm Post subject:
drunk again

otatop

Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Posts: 1425
Location: North London

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 05 11:11 pm Post subject:
I tried making mint wine some time ago - it wasn't a great success. I think it needs to be sweet, and I prefer dry. However, as the owner of an ice cream making machine - I can tell you that mint makes wonderful ice cream and sorbets.

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