Krupnik

1 cup honey 1 cup water 3 or 4 whole cloves 6 sticks cinnamon small piece nutmeg (or 1/4 tsp fresh ground) 3 inch piece vanilla bean 1/2 inch strip orange rind 2 cups grain alcohol 1 large dose of common sense*	Bring honey and water to a boil and carefully remove all scum. Add cloves, sinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean, and orange rind. Allow to boil up again. Remove from heat and let stand a minute or two - then again bring to a boil. Cover and set aside for at least half an hour to steep (a few hours is even better). Strain. Again bring to a boil. Pour in the alcohol, stir well. Serve piping hot.
Serving suggestions: 1 serving is no more than two ounces. Serve in cordial glasses .
*Caution: This is an extremely potent drink. It tastes great, but do yourself and your guests a favor and don't serve it if people will have to drive afterward.
Comment: This has a wonderful flavor and aftertaste. It is very easy to have too much. Prepare in the morning, then let it steep all day before the final reheating. Krupnik is one of the oldest-known drinks in Poland, dating far back into the Middle Ages. References to it are found in literature, folk songs, and poetry. Drunk in large quantities, it was supposed to fell strong warriors and conquer conquerors.