If you're new, you might want to start at the beginning of these letters.
The Sixth of Covaris, 468th Year of the Empire
My Faithful Sponsors,
I wish I bore better tidings. The previous night's foray into the lair of the dragon was a fruitless excursion.
Well, for me, perhaps, but not for my companies.
For, you see, the dragon was not in residence. There were many Kobold warriors guarding the lair of which my companions made quick work of them. As we snuck into the lair we found an empty chamber. No dragon awaiting us, so once again I must delay tasting upon the dragon flesh.
And while I say it was empty, that is not entirely true. There was a horde of gold and treasure. More so than any of us could carry, but I care not for those trinkets.
My companions, on the other hand, weighed down their pockets with all sorts of gold, precious stones, and even a handful of enchanted weapons. While they scoured about to enrich themselves, I investigated our true purpose, to divine where our dragon had gone to.
All signs pointed to a recent departure from his lair, as we discovered from a Kobold seer who attacked me (I am forever grateful for Aliasbe's blades for dispatching the seer's hand from his body). Through techniques more imaginative than I would have given him credit for, Dathor pried from the seer the knowledge that the dragon, named Vorathix, has traveled to the Southern Spire to find a mate. After Dathor's unique and frankly disturbing interrogation, he cleaved the seer in two. I shudder to think of arriving on the wrong side of his favor and axe.
After much deliberation, our party has decided to travel to the Southern Spire- each for our own reasons. Dathor for his honor, Aliasbe for the hunt, Selenar for duty to their goddess, and Ishael for "the hell of it," as she so eloquently phrased it.
But, in my deepest thoughts, I am convinced they all are just as intrigued as I at the possibility of consuming dragon meat.
As we gathered as much treasure as we could, we backtracked out of the lair, out of the cave- Ishael saw the nymph again, but Aliasbe managed to keep our bard from wandering off again- finally, we arrived at The Frumpy Pony. The Toadfil's were unfazed that we were without the meat, but said they would not fund the next leg of our journey.
Not that their sponsorship was needed now that we held part of a dragon's hoard.
Our night at the Pony was a night of debaucherous revelry. The mead flowed a raging river. We all celebrated our newfound wealth and quest into the predawn hours. I do not recall what food we partook, but I was able to get Mr Toadfil to part with his mead recipe.
I hope you enjoy with the company of your fellow companions in moments of celebration.
May I present to you-:
The Frumpy Pony 's Juniper-Infused Mead:
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds of honey (choose your honey wisely, it's best if you can find an apiarist you can have a friendship with)
- 1 gallon of water
- 2 tablespoons of juniper berries
- 1 cinnamon stick (if the market price in your town allows this luxury)
- 1 vanilla bean (see above note)
- 1 teaspoon of whole cloves
- 1 pinch of yeast
- 1 cup of brown sugar (for priming, optional)
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, bring to a simmer and add the honey, stirring until it dissolves completely.
3. Add the juniper berries, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, and cloves to the pot. Let the mixture simmer gently for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse into the liquid. Stir occasionally.
4. After 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. This step is important to ensure the yeast isn't killed by high temperatures.
5. Once cooled, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the spices and any impurities. Transfer the liquid to a clean fermenting barrel.
6. Sprinkle the packet of wine yeast over the liquid and gently stir it in. Cover the vessel with a clean cloth secured with a band to allow gas to escape while preventing contaminants from entering.
7. Place the fermenting vessel in a cool, dark place and let the mead ferment for approximately 1 to 2 weeks, or until the fermentation activity slows down. This time can vary depending on the ambient temperature and yeast used.
8. After fermentation is complete, you can optionally transfer the mead to a secondary fermentation vessel to clarify further. This step is not necessary but can result in a clearer mead.
9. Now comes the juniper infusion step. Prepare a bundle of fresh juniper boughs, making sure they are clean and free from any contaminants. Place the boughs in a clean barrel.
10. Carefully pour the mead over the juniper boughs, allowing it to rinse and infuse with their aromatic flavors. You can let the mead sit on the boughs for a few hours to overnight, depending on how pronounced you want the juniper infusion to be. Monitor the flavors by tasting periodically to achieve your desired level of juniper essence.
11. After the desired infusion time, remove the juniper boughs from the mead, ensuring none of the branches or needles remain in the liquid.
The below is optional. You can drink and serve from the barrel if you do desire.
12. If you prefer your mead with a bit of zest, you can prime it by dissolving brown sugar in a small amount of water, boiling it to create a simple syrup. Let the syrup cool, and then add it to the mead before bottling. This will create natural zest and add effervescence to your brew.
13. Bottle the mead in clean, sanitized bottles, sealing them with corks. Store the bottles in a cool, dark place for several months to allow the flavors to meld and the mead to age. The longer you wait, the better the flavors will develop.
14. Finally, enjoy your juniper-infused mead with your companions, raising a glass to the adventures that lie ahead!
Inebriatedly Yours,
Hathor Rophine
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