I've been brewing kits for almost a year now, and I've just started drinking my second all grain batch. Most definately a money saving hobby.
I'm also enjoying mead-making which seems to be a bit less common so thought you might be interested! It's pretty simple. All you need for a basic one is honey, water, nutrient, and yeast.
My test batches (1gal) - my own recipes
Braggot (Mead brewed with malt and honey - less than 50% malt or it's a honey beer)
Amber and pale malts to the tune of approx 300g with about 1kg of honey.
Mashed normally, boiled for 30 mins with the zest of 2 limes, 1 lemon, 1 orange, and the pulp of 1 lime, 1 lemon, 2 oranges. Also a good couple of pinches of east kent goldings hops.
Fermented with the zest of 1 orange and a handful of juniper berries.
I tasted it as I bottled (was a golden colour with hints of brown) and it had semi-sweet balanced mead flavour with citrus and gin aroma, but an aftertaste of beer with a kentish finish.
Currently sat conditioning in bottles to add some fizz. I'll photograph it when I crack it open.
Raspberry Melomel (Mead brewed with fruit)
1300g of honey, racked onto 300g raspberries with nutrient, yeast, and a touch of citric acid.
Racked it off that after 2 weeks onto another 300g of raspberries
Currently waiting for fermentation to finish - honey ferments slooooowly!
And my planned label.... (took ages to make, and not looking forward to cutting out 9 of them!)