Mead anyone?

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Handsome Dynamite

Handsome Dynamite

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Anyone ever drink mead? Also known as honey wine? It's honey and water fermented. One historian noted that when cultures discovered how to make it marked the change "from nature to culture". That's how prominent it was around the world, and how long it's been around. But, I enjoy it now and again, and it's good at any temperature; cold, warm or hot.
I'm having some right now and just wondered if anyone else ever drank it
 
I make it from time to time - usually a few litres a year from a hive of a family member. It's really easy to make (the trick is to keep fermentation temperature low), but unfortunately not to my taste. Flavoured the last batch with fennel which was quite interesting. Any thoughts on other flavours? or should it be natural
 
Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove are all popular. Course I suppose anything like that could be used. Either during fermentation or mulling it after. I know some mead comes with what are essentially tea bags that you simmer into the mead.
 
Long ago, I worked my way through college working in local liquor stores which afforded me the opportunuty to try a bottle of Mead. I recall the bottle was quite ornate and was sitting on the shelf forever so I picked it up and found that it was mead. I bought it and sampled it with my buddies, who BTW, were also pipe smokers. The mead wine was sweet, honey- amber colored and was just a bit too sweet for my taste.

But, like mom always said, how do you know you don't like something unless you try it?!!!

I'm not sure why it came in such an ornate bottle. It was the only bottle I had ever encountered in all my years working in various liquor stores in my neighborhood.

Haven't had any in about 30 years!
 
We have a bee keeper in the neighborhood who is a great source for clover honey. I brew up 4-5 gallons of mead every fall,,,same time as the hard cider. Keeping it cool while fermenting,(down cellar) and using champagne yeast (yields a drier less sweet product, higher %) is the key. Never flavored it, but know a guy who tosses in lemons for some acidity.
 
I like mead in the autumn more than any other time, maybe spring too, but not year round.

And yeah, shortly after I posted I remembered the speakeasy and noticed my goof.
 
I've moved this topic to the Speakeasy for your dining, dancing, and (or course) drinking pleasure.

My family used to do a lot with the SCA (medieval/renaissance recreation group) and homebrew mead was everywhere. Some of it was pretty good; a lot of it was not.
 
mark":jxybl937 said:
We have a bee keeper in the neighborhood who is a great source for clover honey. I brew up 4-5 gallons of mead every fall,,,same time as the hard cider. Keeping it cool while fermenting,(down cellar) and using champagne yeast (yields a drier less sweet product, higher %) is the key. Never flavored it, but know a guy who tosses in lemons for some acidity.
Click to expand...
Not to derail the thread, but have you ever thought of distilling your hard cider into applejack? I've never had it myself but it surely intrigues me! Any one know of any good brands that distill it from the cider rather than the shortcut using apple brandy?
 
If you freeze hard cider, the liquid remaining is apple jack,,,,(the alcohol doesn't freeze),,, :drunken: ,,,,the result is a boost (jacked) from ten or twelve percent to around 25 percent approx.
 
My preference for honey based distillates is Barenjager, a honey liqueur from Germany. I use it to sweeten my "Sleepy time" tea.

As for commercially made apple jack, the only one available around here is Laird's Applejack. I don't know what process they use, but it's OK with me. All the home made apple jack I've tried (and made) tended to give me a big head ache.


Jim..my ha'pence
 
I was the Piper for an Irish restaurant located west of Austin for a couple of years. The family that owns the restaurant is from Ireland and they introduced me to Mead. I love the stuff. I have tried mny different flavors but prefer the sweet unflavored. We have friends that make all types every year and keep us supplied.
 
mark":viwj0804 said:
If you freeze hard cider, the liquid remaining is apple jack,,,,(the alcohol doesn't freeze),,, :drunken: ,,,,the result is a boost (jacked) from ten or twelve percent to around 25 percent approx.
Click to expand...
Now that sounds fantastic
 
Yeah freeze distillation of the cider was one of our founding father's drinks of choice after rum, and viola! Applejack is made after a cold northern winter. I would say I'd crack a beer with 'em if I could but rum and applejack are both A-okay with this guy!
 
Don't drink much any more with my health issues, but have downed a bunch in my days past and many times way too much. Have tried lots of different wines, Bourbon, Really great Vodka, beer, many more too and even some great moonshine when I get the chance. However I have never even heard of this so can't add to what you guys are saying, but would love to try it sometime.

I do enjoy the finer things in life!

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