Winter Solstice Brew
• 3 large oranges
• 2 lemons
• 3 large apples
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 12 cloves
• 3 cardamom (I used 2tsp of ground)
• 3 nutmeg (I used 1 tbsp of ground)
• 4 cups / 1 L water
• lottsa honey
• 4 cups / 1 L of brandy
1. Chop up the fruit, rind and all.
2. Add all above ingredients - excluding honey and brandy - into a large pot. I emphasize large; 4 cups of water may not be a lot, but the amount of fruit is 😂
3. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes
4. Strain with cheesecloth. I recommend doing this a second time with a coffee filter to get any excess pulp from the fruit.
5. Add honey and mix.
6. Let cool
7. Measure out your 4 cups of brandy and add to the pot.
8. Bottle! You’ll find the liquid amount is almost doubled, so I recommend splitting it between two large mason jars. I split it between the original brandy bottle and a sanitized salsa jar 😅
9. Store for 4-5 weeks in cool, dry place. Too warm and it’ll begin to ferment so make sure to check on it periodically.
10. Bring out for your Winter Solstice / Yuletide celebrations to honour the return of the Oak King!