Mead has had a makeover, says Susy Atkins, so get sipping
Mead has a mixed-up image, in my view. Is the fermented honey drink mainly for tourists, sold alongside plastic Excalibur swords at historic sites? Or is it meant to appeal to dessert wine drinkers, to be sipped and savoured with food? Or should it be aimed at the craft beer-loving hipster, sold in cool cans?
It must confuse the major retailers too, as there’s hardly any on the high street. And that’s a shame, because mead can be quite delectable. I tasted two ranges this week. First up, Gosnells, founded by Tom Gosnell in south London five years ago. The range of Gosnells’ five sparkling canned meads is especially fascinating, with surprisingly complex and delicate flavours, light spritz and restrained sweetness.
Gosnell has successfully opened up the mead market, deliberately moving away from the strong and very sweet style of the drink – his canned drinks are relatively low in alcohol at 4% (and there’s a notably moreish 0.5% version) – although he does release stronger bottled meads. You can sip the range sitting outdoors at his Peckham meadery (see gosnells.co.uk).
In the more trad style, there’s Devon’s Lyme Bay Winery meads, which come in “normal” wine bottles and pack a bigger punch at 11-14% alcohol. They’re much sweeter. The rich and mellow Traditional version is divine with a chunk of cheddar cheese at the end of a meal, but see right for my star buy.
Lyme Bay reports sales up 10 per cent each year recently as more people discover mead, and new editions are being added to the range. Muddled as mead may be, it’s starting to create quite a buzz.
LYME BAY WINERY CHILLI MEAD
Devon (11%, lymebaywinery.co.uk, £9.75 for 75cl down to £8.78 until July 31)
The combination of honey and chilli is remarkably fine, and the level of heat in this spiced mead has been pitched to perfection, giving a rich warmth to the finish but no more. A wonderful sipping drink to end an al fresco evening.
GOSNELLS HOPPED SPARKLING MEAD
London (4%, gosnells.co.uk, £3.75 for a 330ml can; also available from Wholefoods, Amazon and independents)
Mead can lack an acidic/bitter note for balance, but the addition of hops has worked well here, producing a super-fresh, light draught with a grassy aroma and mouthwatering honey, pear and pineapple flavours.
GOSNELLS HIBISCUS SPARKLING MEAD
London (4%, gosnells.co.uk, £3.75 for a 330ml can; also available from Wholefoods, Amazon and independents)
Dried hibiscus flowers turn this mead pink and help create a scent of raspberry sorbet; there’s a light cassis juiciness and a hint of sweet, honeytinged cream on the finish. A rosé mead, in short – how very summery…