May Wine with a Modern Twist

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Melanie Marquis, author of The Witch’s Bag of Tricks, A Witch’s World of Magick, and the new Beltane.

Originating in Germany, May Wine is a beverage whose popularity has endured throughout the centuries and expanded across the oceans. As a May Day or Beltane beverage, it’s hard to find anything else with as much tradition and flavor as this simple yet delicious drink. Recipes vary, but at its most basic, May Wine is simply white wine that has been infused with the leaves of the woodruff plant, an herbaceous perennial with fragrant green leaves and delicate, white, four-petaled flowers. Both the leaves and the flowers of the woodruff are edible, and the flavorful tonics made from the plant are believed to help ease nervous tension and induce a feeling of calm and well-being. Sharing a cup of May Wine is a great way to relax, wind down, and say “Cheers” to the warmer weather. Sounds delicious, right? But what about those of us who abstain from alcohol? Well, never fear—it’s actually quite easy to adapt your May Wine recipe into a non-alcoholic version. Here’s a basic recipe that can be used to create many variations of May Wine, from the traditional to the not-so-traditional.

You’ll Need:

• One liter white wine, non-alcoholic white wine, white grape juice, or apple juice
• One liter carbonated liquid such as sparkling white wine, champagne, sparkling white grape juice, or club soda
• One large handful fresh woodruff leaves
• One small handful fresh woodruff flowers (optional)
• One vanilla bean (scored), 1 tsp vanilla extract, or 2 tsp vanilla powder
• One small lemon, one small orange, a few strawberries, or a few cherries (optional)

Place the non-carbonated wine, grape juice, or apple juice in a large, heavy pot and simmer over very low heat. Add in the woodruff leaves and the vanilla, and steep for about twenty minutes, stirring gently. Remove from heat and cover the pot, allowing the mixture to sit for about an hour. Strain out the solid plant matter from the liquid, and chill the resulting concoction. When you’re ready to serve it, mix it half and half with the carbonated liquid, then garnish with woodruff blossoms, strawberries, cherries, or slices of lemon or orange. Enjoy in the sunshine to ring in the May! For more great Beltane recipes, see Beltane, part of Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials series, and to learn more about magickal traditions from around the world, see A Witch’s World of Magick.

Our thanks to Melanie for her guest post! For more from Melanie Marquis, read her article “May Bush and Wishing Tree Magick for Beltane.”