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 Bewitchingbee's Brew Page
Brews Listed below are a few brews of interest. Scroll downward to see all of the recipes. The last one for Absinthe is cited for historical interest only! Do not try to physically reproduce this recipe.
2 parts rose petals 1 part Mugwort 1 part peppermint 1 part Jasmine flowers 1/2 part cinnamon Mix, add one tsp to a cup. Pour boiling water over this and let steep, covered for a few minutes. drink before going to bed to produce psychic dreams. * Dream Tea recipe is in Scott Cunningham's, Complete book of Incense, Oils, & Brews.
Aphrodisia: A Passion Drink 1 pinch Rosemary 2 pinches Thyme 2 tsp. Black Tea 1 pinch Coriander 3 fresh Mint leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried) 5 fresh rosebud petals (or 1 tsp. dried) 5 fresh Lemon tree leaves (or 1 tsp. dried Lemon peel) 3 pinches Nutmeg 3 pieces Orange peel Place all ingredients into teapot. Boil 3 cups or so of water and add to cup. Sweeten with honey if desired. Serve hot. * Aphrodisia appears in Scott Cunningham's, Complete book of Incense, Oils, & Brews.
Artemisia Potion: Psychic stimulation Tea Pour boiling water over the following, blended ingredients: 1 tablespoon dried Mugwort 1 teaspoon dried Melissa (Lemon Balm) 1 teaspoon dried Peppermint leaves 1 teaspoon dried Yarrow 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Let it steep for approximately ten minutes, then strain and drink. Artemisia Potion appears in Judika Illes Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells Judika also says: Mugwort "is a potent psychic enhancer, but although many yearn for it's effects, few will wish to drink it, because Mugwort tea doesn't taste good." Then speaking of this particular recipe, she says: "Many of the additional ingredients in this potion (yarrow, cloves, melissa), stimulate psychic power. Their addition also makes mugwort's flavor palatable."
Dandelion Wine 1/2 gallon of dandelion flowers 2 gallons of water 8 pounds of sugar 7 lemons, peeled, seeded, and cut in half 1 package of Brewer's Yeast 1 slice of toast Boil the dandelion flowers for 1/2 hour and then strain. Keep the water and discard the flowers. Add the sugar and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Put the lemon halves into the cask and pour the sugar water over them. When the water has cooled (at 92 degrees), pour the yeast onto the toast and set it on top of the water mixture. Let the mixture set for 2-3 days. remove the toast, and skim off any yeast on top of the wine. Chill & serve!
1855 Absinthe Recipe WARNING- This recipe is reproduced here only as a historical curiosity, it is not intended to be physically reproduced or ingested by anyone viewing this information. I hold no responsibility for any actions resulting from the illegal use of this recipe.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!
Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made with an extract from wormwood. It is very bitter (wormwood tastes even worse than mugwort), and this drink is an emerald green color. Long ago absinthe was popular among artists and writers due to a belief that it stimulated creativity, and was used by Van Gogh and Tolouse Latrec among other famous artists. I'm sure that if I drank it- it would only stimulate brain damage:). In the 1850's there there began to be a health concern in regard to chronic absinthe use. Chronic use was believed to cause a syndrome called absinthism. Addiction, hyperactivity, and hallucinations characterized this syndrome. Absinthe was later banned in many countries in the beginning of the 1900's. It is illegal now in the United States and many other countries. The active ingredient in absinthe, (besides alcohol), is Thujone. Thujone is a potential hallucinogenic and convulsant. It is structurally similar to tetrahyydrocannabinol (the active component in marijuana). The essence of the plant wormwood contains up to 40 to 90% thujone. (No wonder it tastes so nasty). I am not crazy enough to have personally tried this recipe (I don't even drink alcohol). So I make NO claims to it's safety.
Here is the Arnold's article published in Scientific America: This 1855 absinthe recipe from Pontarlier, France is cited below
Macerate- the following in 95 liters of 85% ethanol by volume 2.5 kilograms of dried wormwood, 5 kilograms of anise, 5 kilograms of fennel
Let this mixture steep for at least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler. Add 45 liters of water and apply heat; collect 95 liters of distillate. To 40 liters of the distillate, add 1 kilogram of Roman wormwood, 1 kilogram of hyssop, and 500 grams of lemon balm (melissa), all of which have been dried and finely divided. Extract at a moderate temperature, then siphon off the liquor, filter, and reunite it with the remaining 55 liters of distillate. Dilute with water to produce approximately 100 liters of absinthe with a final alcohol concentration of 74% by volume. |