Sage Flower & Bee Balm Oxymel

When our mature sage plant comes back to life every Spring, it begins sending up flower stalks shortly after the new leaves unfurl. These purple/magenta flowers will leave a sticky coating on your fingers as you harvest them, as they are coated in a fragrant resin that is a powerful anti-microbial substance.  Studies show that the volatile oils (one of the main medicinal constituents produced by the plant, and which give the plant its fragrance), produced during the flowering stage provide the highest level of antibacterial and antioxidant activity in comparison to pre- and post-flowering stages. Since the flowers open in stages, not all at once, I go out to harvest them every couple days over about a month long period. Each time picking the fresh blooms and continuously adding them into the vinegar/honey infusion, which get darker and more rich in scent and color as it becomes more concentrated. Since sage is such a powerful respiratory aid, and the bee balm was coming up in the gard