The drink of kings makes a comeback

[Jazzy]

Long relegated to the dusty corners of history, mead - the drink of kings and Vikings - is making a comeback in the US.

A brief history of mead

Mead is the oldest known alcoholic beverage; at its most basic level, it is a combination of honey, water and yeast that has been allowed to ferment.

The earliest archaeological evidence for mead comes from 9000BC in northern China; in Europe, the first traces date to 2800-1800BC.

Mead has a long history in literature - memorialised in the mead-halls of the epic poem Beowulf, it's been mentioned by everyone from Aristotle to Dostoevsky to Chaucer (above) to, more recently, JRR Tolkien and JK Rowling.

Perhaps the most famous poetic incarnations of mead come in Norse mythology, where it is thought that anyone who drinks mead becomes a scholar.

Mead was popular during medieval times, however, the rising cost and scarcity of honey soon made it too expensive for most, and its popularity waned.

Tej, the national drink of Ethiopia, is a form of mead, drank out of a traditional vessel called a berele.

Full article

Have you ever tried Mead? If so, did you like it?

 

[DrLeftover]

"GMTA"

I put the same article in the Booze thread.


Anyway, I have tried a couple of meads at a Renascence Faire a couple of years ago.

One was thick, chewy, and so sweet I felt like I should stop by the dentist's office on the way home.

They said it was "traditional". If that was the tradition, pardon me while I skip it. Instead of being drank with dinner, you should pour it on your pancakes at breakfast.

The other wasn't nearly as sweet, but nothing except pure honey could be, but it was still too sweet for me to willingly buy or drink, but it wasn't bad at all. Considering.

Other than that, no. I haven't.

 

[Evil Eye]

I have. A friend had a bottle of liquorice mead or something like that.
Can't say I very much enjoyed the taste.

 

[Raven]

OH YEA!!!!!! It is quite popular in the UK, you can buy it in supermarkets like Co-op, Asda, Tesco's, Morrisons etc.

Storm here is the Mead Queen. I think people here know that actually.

Love it, Tis beautiful!
Had quite a few brands but my favourite is either Met (from Germany - Get a couple of bottles every time I go to Witchfest in London - usually each year or everyother) or Monach.

Met is more like a sherry, and Monach isn't as heavy as some of the others I've had. I have also got a Mead Liquiore at home which is quite nice. Bit unusal to me as I'm used to the Mead Wines.

Never heard it called the drink of kings. More the Gods.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

I have never tried it but I'd try it. runk: