Exploring the Flavours of Mead: A Journey Through Ancient and Modern Variations

Mead, the ancient honey wine, has captivated the palates of cultures for millennia. But its journey is not just through time, it is flavored with a rich tapestry of ingredients that enhance its unique character. If you make mead, have you experimented with adding flavorings? Let’s dive into this exploration.

The Art of Flavoring Mead

Making mead is an art form that has evolved over centuries. The traditional approach involves only honey as the source of fermentable sugars, but adding other ingredients can transform it into a diverse array of flavors. Addiction to mead’s essence can only be rivaled by its potential for creativity. In fact, I'm currently brewing a batch of spruce essence and ginger mead, ready for bottling.

From Tragic to Tragicomical: The Contrasting Meanings of Pathetic and Meathetic

The word “pathetic” has an opposite that is just as intriguing: “meathetic.” While “pathetic” means tragic in every way, “meathetic” carries a more merciful significance. “Mead” comes from “meathe,” a term that holds fascinating connotations, including references to flowering pastures and honey production. This back story adds a layer of richness to the beverage, especially for those who explore monastic and historical roots.

Experimenting with Fruit and Aromatics in Mead Making

Making mead isn’t confined to the traditional. You can enhance its flavor with a range of additives, from simple lemons and oranges for acidity to more complex herbs and spices. One of my favorite variations is the spiced sour cherry melomel. A partial list of mead types includes:

Dry - Mead Sweet - Sack Mead Low Strength - Hydromel Fruit - Melomel Malted Barley - Braggot Maple Syrup - Acermel Spiced - Metheglin Herbed - Hippocras

Further exploring melomels (fruit meads), you can also find specific names with rich historical backgrounds:

Apple - Cyser (a variant of apple cider) Pear - Perry (a variant of pear cider) Grape - Pyment (I use canned vintner’s grape juice) Mulberry - Morath (Anglo-Saxons made this) Black Currant - Black Mead (I use black currants or blackberries) Red Currant - Red Mead (I use red currants or red raspberries) Apricot - Gold Mead (my own addition to the mead canon) Hot Peppers - Capsicomel (use one gallon batches as the cooking liquid for chili) Fruits: Cherries, Peaches, Oranges, Pineapple Aromatics: Dried black currants and black mulberry juice

For fruit additions, I typically use commercially prepared juices or nectars. If using whole fruits, I freeze them to maintain freshness and reintegrate them for optimal flavor.

Fermentation Techniques for Enhanced Flavors

The method of adding flavorings can make a significant difference in the final product. Adding fruits, herbs, or spices like vanilla beans in a secondary fermentation stage can enhance the overall experience. I have experimented with a wide range of ingredients, from the familiar to the unique, such as dried black currants and black mulberry juice for my last batch.

My first batch of mead in 1983 was a Sack mead, a dry variety that finished at 17 1/2 ABV. This was made using Pasteur process yeast, which has a higher alcohol tolerance than traditional wine yeast. This method allowed for a more robust and distinct flavor.

Conclusion

Making mead offers a vast playground for flavor exploration. Whether you prefer the classic dry mead or want to experiment with unique variations, the possibilities are endless. So, if you haven't tried adding different flavorings to your mead, it might be worth giving it a try. The journey through the mead-making world is full of surprises and delightful discoveries.