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Party like it’s 1066 with this potent potable.
NewsFeed fondly remembers our younger years when we read the Old English epic poem Beowulf in school. And even more than we wanted to slay the terrifying Grendel, we wanted to party with the warriors in the mead hall, swinging our chalices and enjoying a delicious taste of the honey libation.
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And now it seems, mead is making its comeback, with many a “meadery” opening in the U.S. over the past 10 years. The count is now up to 150 producers, each putting their own spin on the drink of yore. To concoct the beverage, three simple ingredients go into the mix: honey, water and yeast. But then comes the customization.
“Just like wine, mead can be as dry as a bone or it can be so sweet it makes your fillings hurt,” according to Vicky Rowe, who runs GotMead.com. Some meaderies add hops, just like a beer brewer would, to make a bitter beverage. But Rowe notes one Alaskan mead producer who flavors his meads with exotic ingredients like currants, cinnamon, and – hold on to your hats – even hot peppers. “You know, pretty much anything you can throw into a liquid and ferment,” she said. After the mix is made, mead requires no other intervention. It’s as simple as letting the ingredients ferment.
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Rowe says mead was the drink of choice for the masses until around 1500, when wine became cheaper. But now with mead’s revival, you too can party like a Viking. Just don’t forget your horned helmet, because this stuff could knock you to the floor.
(via Huffington Post)