What is mead you may ask? It is possibly the oldest known type of alcohol on the planet. At its simplest form, it is fermented honey water. It is popular among home brewers because it is easy for beginners to make, but it can also be varied and customized as your experience grows. There are several commercially produced meads available, but those are not as popular as their cousins beer and wine.
Origins of Mead
Nobody knows for sure where mead was invented, but archaeological evidence of mead has been found all over the planet, so it was probably developed in several places by several different cultures at the same time.
Evidence of mead has been found by archaeologists dating back to 7000 BC in China. It was considered to be the “nectar of the gods” in ancient Greece, and most famously, the Vikings had mead halls where they would hold celebrations and imbibe vast quantities of mead.
Early Mead Making
The first versions of mead are commonly thought to have been discovered when open containers of honey from beekeepers were left outside, collecting rain water and wild yeast. Over time, these containers of honey would have fermented into the drink that we know as mead.
Modern Mead Making
Today, mead making is a bit more controlled than the old “leave a tub of honey outside and eventually something will happen” methods of our ancestors. Modern mead is made in everything from 1 gallon plastic jugs, to 5 gallon glass carboys, to commercial mead making facilities.
The basics are still the same as they have always been: combine honey, yeast, and water; then wait and let nature do it’s thing. Nowadays, we also have things like hydrometers, yeast nutrients and clearing agents which help to ensure a clean, clear mead.
Many home brewers make mead in either one, three, or five- gallon batches. The picture at the top of this page is a five-gallon batch that I made this past spring.
Styles of mead
There are dozens of styles of mead, with ingredients and preparation types being the differences between them.
- Show Mead: traditional mead. It is made with honey water and yeast.
- Bochet: mead made from honey that has been caramelized or cooked
- Braggot: mead made with honey and barley. This is seen by many as a mead-beer hybrid.
- Metheglin: mead made with extra spices added. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmetg and various herbs are commonly used.
- Sparkling Mead: a carbonated mead that is commonly made by kick-starting fermentation via adding extra honey before bottling
Whatever style you like, mead is definitely a good way for beginners to get into the homebrewing hobby (assuming that they have the patience to allow it to sit and age for several months without drinking it that is).
For more information, I invite you to check out Mead’s Wikipedia page Here