Mead, the ancient honey wine once beloved by Vikings and poets, is undergoing a craft revival. This aromatic golden libation with roots dating back thousands of years has captured the imagination of modern mead-makers. From sweet to dry styles, still to sparkling, mead’s versatility lends itself to experimentation. For the curious imbiber, discovering mead offers flavours both familiar and exotic.
A Mead Primer
Mead begins with honey and water, fermented by yeast. The basic ingredients mirror that of wine, but the rich, fruity sweetness of honey imparts mead’s signature smoothness. From light honey wine to rich, oak-aged metheglin, mead abounds in varieties. Common types include:
- Sweet Mead: The simplest style, with honey as the dominant flavour. Pairs delightfully with fruit desserts.
- Dry Mead: Fermented longer, yielding crisp, wine-like dryness. Lovely before or after dinner.
- Melomel: Made with fruit, like blackberry or peach. Reminiscent of crisp cider.
- Metheglin: Spiced mead, such as with orange peel, cinnamon or ginger. Perfect for autumnal sipping.
Serving Mead
Mead appreciates many of the same service considerations as wine. Pour mead into a white wine glass, allowing it to breathe before enjoying. The ideal serving temperature ranges from 7°C for crisp dry mead up to 13°C for rich dessert-style varieties. Unopened, mead will keep for several months, but once opened it lasts only one to two weeks. As with fine wine, mead rewards patience — many varieties improve wonderfully with bottle ageing for a year or more.
Where to Begin Your Mead-Venture
Fortunately, the UK hosts several outstanding meaderies for discovering this historic honey wine. Gosnells of London offers an admirable introduction with their well-balanced London Mead. The subtle wildflower honey notes please the palate through the smooth, semi-sweet finish. For a bolder expression, the Lindisfarne Meadery’s Viking Blod showcases a vivid cherry colour with a rich, spiced character and lingering warmth—an ideal nightcap for cold winter evenings.
The alluring allure of mead invites exploration into honey’s festive fermented delights. From bright and tangy fruit melomels to smooth oaked varieties redolent of honey’s ambrosial nectar, mead tempts with flavours evocative, eccentric and comforting. Every sip conjures visions of Beckow’s fabled mead hall, where heroic tales unfold over generously filled horns flowing with golden mead. One needn’t be a Viking warrior or medieval bard to partake in mead’s time-honoured pleasure; simply grasp your chalice, and let the honeyed adventure begin!