From: The AMA Meadletters - Summer 1993 

Excerpt from article: "Last year I made up a 10 gallon batch of Vanilla Bean Dream, a hydromel of 6.5% alcohol that included split vanilla beans in the recipe. The result was an exceptional blend which tasted like old fashioned ice cream soda with a kick."

This recipe starts off by making a 5 gallon batch of traditional mead, 13% alcohol: