Mead is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world and is steeped in legend and mystery. The term “honeymoon” is linked to the alleged custom of drinking honey-based mead for a month (moon) after the wedding to ensure a male child. Besides its reputation for being an aphrodisiac, it has also been suggested it may have medicinal properties.
Traditional mead is a fermented liquor made from honey, water, yeast, and a little citric acid/lemon juice. Mead can be Dry, Medium, or Sweet (Sack) and all stages in between.
To achieve a medium mead would require about 4lbs of honey per gallon, this equates to a little under 1/2 lb of honey per bottle, whereas for a sack mead about 5lbs of honey per gallon would be right – this is usually added gradually over the fermentation period or there is the risk of the fermentation “stopping”.
Mead needs about a year in oak barrels to develop character – a Sack mead should ideally have at least four years to develop properly. The alcohol level will vary from about 7% for a dry to about 15% for a good Sack (lots of honey) mead.
One should serve mead lightly chilled and while mead keeps well it should be kept cool and closed to reduce oxidation. Mead makes an excellent aperitif and dessert wine or just for drinking on its own.