You don’t brew the berries, just the tender new leaves. Every year when the Robins migrate through they gorge on the berries.
I know. You are correct, but just wanted to make it clear that using the berries is not a good idea. (And, frankly, I'm not sure I'd be all that interested in the drink brewed from the leaves either.)
Birds are headed for a rough winter here. The honeysuckle berries that the birds rely on during the winter have already dried up and fallen off. The bushes themselves are dying now too. The wild rose hips are like hard little rocks at this point. No wild grapes either.
I’ll put out a lot of seed and suet but I can’t save them all.