Dark and stormy

[woggers]

Dark and stormy
Anybody drink dark and stormys? It's a boater drink, dark rum and ginger beer - very tasty.

Anywho, I was thinking that a sparkling ginger mead would make an excellent substitute for the ginger beer, adding an additional alcoholic kick and an additional level of flavor.

Here's the questions:
1. Has anybody done this?

2. What was your specific recipe and would you change anything?

3. What do you think of my recipe?
Here is what I was thinking of doing for my "Double Dark and Stormy":
Water and honey to achieve approx 10%abv
Safe ale 05 and a lot of ginger (how much ginger to replicate goslings ginger beer?)
Back sweeten slightly (only to bring out the heavy ginger flavor)
Carb (again, recommendations appreciated? Looking for the "soda" mouthfeel")

 

[Hrahn1995]

I have made ginger mead before, and I loved it. would definitely go great with some rum.

I used 2lbs of wildflower honey and about 4-8tbs of dried ginger then some EC-1118 and nutrient. In retrospect I would just take a 1/4lb root and grate it then throw it in at primary and then more to taste at secondary. back sweeten with Dark Malt is my suggestion.

 

[Arpolis]

I takes a while to mature but my last ginger mead had about 5 small handfuls of raisins and had 2.5 pounds of sliced/pounded ginger root. Yeast was lalvin k1v-1116 and a proper nutrient schedule. That was a 5 gallon batch.

 

[fuelish]

Have not made a strictly ginger mead yet, but have never used less than 1.5 lbs fresh root for 5 gallons, but this is used as an adjunct... 2.5 lbs would probably work for strictly ginger, and ya can always add more to secondary if ya feel the need ... I have 3 gallons of oaked ginger capsicumel (habaneros) bulk aging at the moment....tastes great now, should be incredible come Christmas 2015

 

[woggers]

Wow, 2.5 lbs of ginger. Was that comparable to a spicey ginger beer like goslings?

 

[IJesusChrist]

Wow, I used a simple small ginger root for my ginseng/ginger mead. The ginger is a subtle note, and the ginseng is quite strong (Earthy).

Its my favorite mead so far.

 

[Arpolis]

Wow, 2.5 lbs of ginger. Was that comparable to a spicey ginger beer like goslings?

Never had goslings before. But around 6 months of age it is pretty spicy. But when I checked it after just over a year of aging it mellowed out and has this really great floral ginger like taste with spicy notes in the background. I really like it chilled in a wine glass.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

if you read the "alcoholic ginger beer" thread, there's a lot of posts that start out recommending large amounts of ginger but after cutting back little flavor is lost. It seems that after a certain point its just diminishing returns. I'd go with 2lb at most.