Hydromel as I made it weak for the Queen Mother

Hydromel as I Made It Weak For the Queen Mother

(The Old Lady Mead)

Take 18 quarts of spring-water, and one quart of honey; when the water is   
warm, put the honey into it. When it boileth up, skim it very well, and   
continue skimming it, as long as any scum will rise. Then put in one Race   
[root] of Ginger (sliced in thin slices), four Cloves, and a little sprig   
of green Rosemary. Let these boil in the Liquor so long, till in all it   
have boiled one hour. Then set it to cool, till it be blood-warm, and   
then put to it a spoonful of Ale-yest [yeast]. When it is worked up, put   
it into a vessel of a fit size; and after two or three days, bottle it   
up. You may drink it after six weeks, or two months.

Thus was the Hydromel made that I gave the Queen, which was exceedingly liked by
everybody.

      The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby, Knight, Opened (1699)

Redaction:

Boil 1 quart of honey in 18 quarts of water, skimming the scum from the top of the carboy.
Add to it finely sliced ginger root,  two cloves, and a sprig of rosemary. Boil these for 1 hour.
Allow to cool until blood warm. Pitch with ale yeast. It will be ready to drink in 6 weeks to 2
months.

Methodology and Notes:

This mead was brewed using clover honey, tap water, and SafAle S-33 yeast.

The ginger and rosemary used in this recipe were grown in my garden.  
(They are in containers that are over-wintered indoors.)

I researched what was meant by a race of ginger.  It can mean a root, or a joint of a
root, or a sprig of ginger.  I interpreted this to mean a piece of a ginger root approximately

2 inches long. https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/race/

I followed the recipe, allowing the mixture to come to a boil, skimming, and then
adding the flavorings and boiling for an hour.

As this recipe was prepared for the queen, it is clearly appropriate for a noble gathering.

This mead was brewed for the brewing competition at the East Kingdom 50th Anniversary.

The theme of this contest was to create a drink suitable for a gathering of 16th century nobility.