Aohu'o Sweet Spiced Mead is a favourite drink of Brownies of Aohu'o tribe descent all over Caelereth, which is made from fermented honey. It is occasionally drunk among other races as well, but rarely, being seen as an exotic change from more normal fare.

Image description. A banquet isn't complete without a bottle of Aohu'o Sweet Spiced Mead. Picture drawn by Seeker.

Description. Aohu'o Sweet Spiced Mead can be described in detail as follows:

• Appearance
  Clarity may be good to brilliant. As this is a still drink, no head is expected. Color is deep amber.

• Aroma
  The spices and herbs are expressed in the aroma as a rich spicy undertone to the basic honey smell, with cinna being the strongest.

• Flavor
  The spices and herbs are expressed as a distinctive harmonious enhancement to the honey flavor but the honey character is still the backbone of the mead and appears in the flavor as a rich base to the spices and herbs used. There is also a good balance among the different spices and herbs, with the blend of spices giving a character greater than the sum of its parts. Its flavor profile is dominated by cinnamon. It has a sweet body and finish, with a slight citrus aftertaste.

• Mouthfeel
  Smooth texture. Wine-like, with the warming presence of alcohol and sense of medium body. A very slight astringent sensation is present.

• Alcohol Content
  Alcohol Content lies by approx. 15%

Preparation. Ingredients for this recipe include:

• a tot and a sip of clear spring water
• half a sip of Trifoil honey
• cinna (the inner layers of bark of the Cinnabark Pine)
• various other spices
• citrus fruit rinds
• priming sugar
• yeast nutrient
• yeast (ultimately deriving from Gnorian gnomes and golden rain)

Every utensil is boiled. The water, honey and dry ingredients are then mixed together and slowly heated for 30 minutes. It is then allowed to cool to autumn daytime temperatures, and placed aside until the next morning. The yeast starter and yeast nutrient are then added and the pot is covered with several layers of cloth to allow it to start fermenting. As soon as it is rapidly fermenting it is sealed with a lid and airlock. In a week to 10 days the primary fermentation subsides. The mead is then siphoned into a clean, boiled, container and sealed with the airlock. It is then fermented for a few weeks in a warm, dry place. When sediment collects on the bottom of the container, the liquid is siphoned off without disturbing the sediment. This is done as needed over the next two to three months or longer until a clear mead is produced. The mead is then placed in airtight bottles made from the wood of the eur'Oak tree and aged for at least 6 months in cool, dry hollows under tree roots. The best tasting batches are at least three years old.

The above recipe is for a Brownie-sized batch. Humans and other big people should multiply the recipe as needed.

Serving. Aohu'o Mead is drunk by Brownies of Aohu'o descent all over Caelereth (including those in Akdor, Seraia, a minority in the Vale, and the Milken tribe) in servings ranging from one to four drops (one drop for a Brownie is equivalent to two sips for a human. It is generally served either warm or hot, right after one's feasting is finished, or in some areas, with a final course of bread, sometimes salted, baked from greenbark moss. Some humans have also acquired the taste, but say that the sweetness, while not cloying, does take some getting used to.

Origin/History. Aohu'o Mead was discovered in recipe form in the Everbark by Keekoo. Apparently, it was also the drink of choice in the ancient Brownie kingdom of Birn. Currently, Brownies of the Aohu'o tribe favor it, with each clan making their own. It is also commonly used in bartering as it is valued by all.