One of the world’s oldest beverages, mead is the nectar of the ancients. From Scandinavia, Gaul, Teutonic Europe, and Greece, this popular honey wine reigned supreme until the late Middle Ages.
Mead is produced by fermenting a mixture of honey and other ingredients. Typically, the beverage, featuring a pale gold tint, is low in alcohol. A wide variety of types can be produced ranging from very dry to sweet and heavy-bodied. If fermentation is allowed to continue after bottling, sparkling mead is produced.
Legend puts mead at the heart of kissing as we know it today. It’s been said that medieval knights, on their return from battle, would plant a deep kiss on their ladies-in-waiting. Not only was he glad to see her, but the knight also wanted to make sure his fair damsel hadn’t been visiting the mead barrel.
The Romans prepared and served a special honey wine called Hydromel. In early Wales, countrymen enjoyed a spiced mead called Metheglin from the Welsh word for “physician.” The name originated from the belief that the drink contained medicinal powers. Mead is still enjoyed today as a homemade beverage of the Pennsylvania Dutch, and in Finland, where mead is called Sima.
Mead Lore from La Buena Vida Vineyards, Fort Worth, Texas