Braggot

Classification: braggot, honey beer, mead, bracket, braggert

Source: Arne Thormodsen (arnet@cup.hp.com), r.c.b., 4/27/95

Don't know if they are good, but I have made a few braggots I like. Just tried one last night in fact.
If you leave out the largeish amount of crystal malt you will get a product that is more "winey" than "beery", and kind of thin. If you use a darker crystal malt the malt flavor begins to overwhelm the honey. I like it with the crystal malt in, but a friend of mine prefers it without. Without the crystal you will get an impressively pale product.

Do not use finishing hops, they mask the floral character of the honey. Honey seems to not add much of a taste component, but an incredible aroma.

Ingredients: (for 2-1/2 gallons)

2 lbs light malt extract
2 lbs honey (The more "wild" the better, I have been using Mesquite)
About 0.5 lb 20l crystal malt
boiling hops to taste (NO finishing hops)
Your favorite yeast (Most recently used Yeast Lab's Dry Australian Ale)

Procedure:

Steep the grains and boil the malt and hops like normal. Add the honey at the end of the boil, like you would with finishing hops. Ferment, bottle and drink.