Mead

Mead(/miːd/), also calledhoney wine, andhydromel(particularly when low in alcohol content), is analcoholic beveragemade byfermentinghoneymixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such asfruits,spices,grains, orhops.The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5%ABVto more than 20%. Possibly the most ancient alcoholic drink, the defining characteristic of mead is that the majority of the beverage's fermentable sugar is derived from honey.It may be still, carbonated, or naturally sparkling, and despite a common misconception that mead is exclusively sweet, it can also be dry or semi-sweet.
Mead that also containsspicesis calledmetheglin(/mɪˈθɛɡlɪn/), and mead that contains fruit is calledmelomel. The termhoney wineis sometimes used as a synonym for mead,although wine is typically defined to be the product of fermentedgrapesor certain other fruits,and some cultures have honey wines that are distinct from mead. The honey wine ofHungary, for example, is the fermentation of honey-sweetenedpomaceof grapes or other fruits.
Mead was produced in ancient times throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia,and has played an important role in the mythology of some peoples, which sometimes ascribedMagicalorsupernaturalpowers to it. InNorse mythology, for example, theMead of Poetry, crafted from the blood ofKvasir, would turn anyone who drank it into a poet or scholar.
Mead is a drink widely considered to have been discovered likely among the first humans in Africa 20,000–40,000 years agoprior to the advent of bothagricultureandceramic potteryin theNeolithic,due to the prevalence ofnaturally occurring fermentationand the distribution ofeusocialhoney-producing insects worldwide;as a result, it is hard to pinpoint the exact historical origin of mead given the possibility ofmultiple discoveryor potential knowledge transfer between early humans prior to recorded history.With the eventual rise of ceramic pottery and increasing use offermentation in food processingto preserve surplus agricultural crops,evidence of mead begins to show up in the archaeological record more clearly, with pottery vessels fromnorthern Chinadating from at least 7000 BCE discovered containing chemical signatures consistent with the presence of honey, rice, and organic compounds associated with fermentation.
The earliest surviving written record of mead is possibly thesomamentioned in the hymns of theRigveda,one of the sacred books of thehistorical Vedic religionand (later)Hinduismdated around 1700–1100 BCE. The Rigveda predates theIndo-Iranianseparation, dated to roughly 2000 BCE, so this mention may originate from theWestern SteppeorEastern Europe.TheAbri, a northern subgroup of theTaulantii, were known to the ancient Greek writers for their technique of preparing mead fromhoney.During theGolden Ageofancient Greece, mead was said to be the preferred drink.Aristotle(384–322 BCE) discussed mead made inIlliriain hisMeteorologicaand elsewhere, whilePliny the Elder(23–79 CE) called meadmilititesin hisNaturalis Historiaand differentiated wine sweetened with honey or "honey-wine" from mead.The Hispanic-Roman naturalistColumellagave a recipe for mead inDe re rustica, about 60 CE.
Ancient Greek writerPytheasdescribed a grain and honey drink similar to mead that he encountered while travelling inThule.According toJames Henry Ramsaythis was an earlier version of Welshmetheglin.When 12-year-old PrinceCharles IIvisited Wales in 1642 Welsh metheglin was served at the feast as a symbol of Welsh presence in the emerging British identity in the years between theUnion of the Crownsin 1603 and the creation of theKingdom of Great Britainin 1707.
There is a poem attributed to the WelshbardTaliesin, who lived around 550 CE, called theKanu y medor "Song of Mead" (Cân y medd).The legendary drinking, feasting, and boasting of warriors in themead hallis echoed in the mead hallDin Eidyn(modern-dayEdinburgh) as depicted in the poemY Gododdin, attributed to the poet Aneirin who would have been a contemporary of Taliesin. In the Old English epic poemBeowulf, the Danish warriors drank mead. In both Insular Celtic and Germanic poetry, mead was the primary drink associated withheroesand deities, see for example theMead of poetry.
Mead (Old Irishmid) was a popular drink in medievalIreland.Beekeeping was brought around the 5th century, traditionally attributed toModomnoc, and mead came with it. A banquet hall on theHill of Tarawas known asTech Mid Chuarda("house of the circling of mead"). Mead was often infused withhazelnuts.Many other legends of saints mention mead, as does that of theChildren of Lir.
Later, mead was increasingly displaced by other alcoholic beverages for which the fermentable sugars required were less expensive and more readily available, which combined with taxation and regulations governing the ingredients of alcoholic beverages led to commercial mead becoming a relatively obscure beverage until recently.Somemonasterieskept up the traditions of mead-making as a by-product ofbeekeeping, especially in areas wheregrapescould not be grown.
The Englishmead– "fermented honey drink" – derives from theOld Englishmeoduormedu,andProto-Indo-European language, *médʰu.Its cognates includeOld Norsemjǫðr,Proto-Slavicmedъ,Middle Dutchmede, andOld High Germanmetu,Sanskritmadhuand the ancient Irish queenMedb, among others.TheChineseword for honey,mì(蜜) was borrowed from the extinct Indo-EuropeanTocharianwordmit –also a cognate with the English wordmead.
Meads often ferment at the same temperatures as wine, and the yeast used in mead making is often identical to that used inwine making(particularly white wines).
By measuring thespecific gravityof the mead before and throughout the fermentation process using ahydrometerorrefractometer, mead makers can determine the proportion of alcohol by volume in the final product.
With many different styles of mead, various processes are employed, although most producers use techniques recognizable from wine-making, includingrackinginto another container for a secondary fermentation. Some larger commercial producers allow primary and secondary fermentation in the same vessel. Racking is done for two reasons: it lets the mead sit away from the remains of the yeast cells (lees) that have died during the fermentation process and have time to clear. Cloudiness can be caused by yeast,or suspended protein molecules.The pectin from any fruit that is used can also give the mead a cloudy look.The cloudiness can be cleared up by either "cold breaking", leaving the mead in a cold environment overnight, or by using a fining material such as sparkolloid, bentonite, egg white, or isinglass.If the mead-maker wishes to backsweeten the product (that is, add supplementary sweetener) or prevent it from oxidizing,potassium metabisulfiteandpotassium sorbateare added. After the mead clears, it is bottled and distributed.
Primary fermentation usually takes 28 to 56 days, after which themustis placed in a secondary fermentation vessel for 6 to 9 months ofaging.Length of primary and secondary fermentation can vary considerably due to numerous factors, such as floral origin of the honey and its natural sugar andmicroorganismcontents, must water percentage,pH, additives used, andstrainof yeast, among others.Although supplementation of the must with non-nitrogen based salts, or vitamins has been tested to improve mead qualities, no evidence suggests that adding micronutrients reduced fermentation time or improved quality.Cell immobilizationmethods, however, proved effective for enhancing mead quality.
Mead can have a wide range of flavors depending on the source of the honey, additives (also known as "adjuncts" or "gruit") including fruit and spices, theyeastemployed duringfermentation, and the aging procedure.Some producers have erroneously marketed white wine sweetened and flavored with honey after fermentation as mead, sometimes spelling it "meade."Some producers ferment a blend of honey and other sugars, such as white refined sugar, again, mislabeling the product as mead. This is closer in style to ahypocras. Blended varieties of mead may be known by the style represented; for instance, a mead made with cinnamon and apples may be referred to as either acinnamon metheglinor anapple cyser.
A mead that also containsspices(such ascloves,cinnamonornutmeg), orherbs(such asmeadowsweet,hops, or evenlavenderorchamomile), is called ametheglin/mɪˈθɛɡlɪn/.
A mead that contains fruit (such asraspberry,blackberryorstrawberry) is called amelomel,which was also used as a means offood preservation, keeping summer produce for the winter. A mead that is fermented with grape juice is called apyment.
Mulledmead is a popular drink at Christmas time, where mead is flavored with spices (and sometimes various fruits) and warmed, traditionally by having a hot poker plunged into it.
Some meads retain some measure of the sweetness of the original honey, and some may even be considered as dessert wines.  Drier meads are also available, and some producers offer sparkling meads.
Historically, meads were fermented with wildyeastsandbacteria(as noted in the recipe quoted above) residing on the skins of the fruit or within the honey itself. Wild yeasts can produce inconsistent results. Yeast companies have isolated strains of yeast that produce consistently appealing products. Brewers, winemakers, and mead makers commonly use them for fermentation, including yeast strains identified specifically for mead fermentation. These are strains that have been selected because of their characteristic of preserving delicate honey flavors and aromas.
Mead can also be distilled to abrandyorliqueurstrength, in which case it is sometimes referred to as awhiskey.A version called "honey jack" can be made by partly freezing a quantity of mead and straining the ice out of the liquid (a process known asfreeze distillation), in the same way thatapplejackis made fromcider.
InFinland, a sweet mead calledsimais connected with the Finnishvappufestival (although in modern practice,brown sugaris often used in place of honey). Duringsecondary fermentation, added-raisinsaugment the amount of sugar available to the yeast and indicate readiness for consumption, rising to the top of the bottle when sufficiently depleted.Sima is commonly served with both the pulp and rind of alemon.
AnEthiopianmead varianttej(ጠጅ,[ˈtʼədʒ]) is usually home-made and flavored with the powdered leaves and bark ofgesho, ahop-likebittering agentwhich is a species ofbuckthorn.  A sweeter, less-alcoholic version (honey-water) calledberz, aged for a shorter time, is also made.
InKenya, a mead variant calledMuratinais usually home-made which is used during a number of different important religious and social events.
Mead in PolandandIrelandhas been part of culinary tradition for over a thousand years.
In the United States, meadis enjoying a resurgence, starting with small homemeaderiesand now with a number of small commercialmeaderies.As mead becomes more widely available, it is seeing increased attention and exposure from the news media.This resurgence can also been seen around the world in the UK and Australia particularly with session (lower alcohol styles)sometimes called hydromeland Mead-Beer Hybrids also known as Braggots.
In thePhilippines, local mead makers are also putting mead back into the radar of liquor and alcohol aficionados. In fact, to promote mead in the country, the Philippines had its first International Mead Day celebration for the first time ever on August 3, 2024.