What Is Mead?
A Brief Introduction
At its most basic, mead is alcohol made using honey as the fermentable sugar (just like how wine is made from fruit, or beer is made from grains). However, when you really look into what mead can be, you come to realize that it is so much more complex. Many people say that mead is the oldest fermented beverage known to mankind. Whether or not this is true is debatable. However, archaeological evidence of mead has been shown to exist as far back as 7000 B.C.E. in Northern China. So it has certainly been around for a long time. Add to that the fact that mead has existed in some form or another in almost every major civilization throughout human history, and you might start to understand why the definition of mead is not easy to pin down.
Mead can be sweet or dry, still or carbonated, and can vary widely in alcohol percentage. It can incorporate alternative sugars, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and even nuts. It can be aged on wood to increase complexity, distilled, or added to cocktails. The variations are nearly endless, and there is no modern mold into which the class of beverages known collectively as ‘mead’ might fit. This is why we think mead is the most interesting fermented drink available. It offers endless opportunities for creativity and discovery!
