Cherry-Vanilla Braggot
The fellow with the big head is our cherry-vanilla braggot — a hybrid of mead and beer. We made our version with six pounds of clover honey, two pounds of our favorite dried cherries, and two whole vanilla beans.
For a number of years, we’ve followed the recipe for “Crandaddy Braggot” from Extreme Brewing by Sam Calagione, the owner of Dogfish Head Brewery, with great results. But we wanted to put our own spin on it, so this time we substituted dried cherries for cranberries, and added the vanilla.
So how did it come out? Well, with that list of ingredients, how could it be anything less than terrific? Dark, heavy, sweet, and quite effervescent (thanks to the substitution of champagne yeast for ale yeast). Also quite strong, I’m guessing about nine percent alcohol. The cherries are very present in aroma and taste, lending both a sweet and slightly tart quality. The honey is also noticeable, especially at the finish. The vanilla is less obvious, but dances around the roof of your mouth. If we make any changes to the next batch (and I guarantee there will be a next batch), it will be the inclusion of a bit of vanilla extract before bottling to enhance the aroma.