THE DRINK Mead

MEAD IS SHAKING OFF ITS ‘YE OLDE’ IMAGE AND REINVENTING ITSELF AS A THOROUGHLY MODERN TIPPLE

Mead? Isn’t that what the Vikings drank?

It was certainly popular during the Middle

Ages, and it was the drink of choice for the Danish warriors in the Old English epic poem Beowulf. But mead is much older than that, so much so that it’s widely believed to be the very first alcoholic drink, with evidence of honey fermentation in China dating as far back as

7000 BC. Ancient civilisations elsewhere in Asia, as well as in Europe and Africa, subsequently developed their own versions.

How’s it made?

Befitting a drink with such a long history, there are innumerable iterations, but, in its simplest form, mead is made from honey and water, fermented with yeast. In terms of classification, it’s a drink apart, being neither brewed like a beer, nor a type of wine or spirit. It’s also simple enough to be made at home, under the guidance of Youtube tutorials, should you wish. But be warned: although easy to make, it’s hard to perfect.

So who’s making it?

Modern mead-makers include Bermondsey-based Gosnells of London, which has a range of canned sparkling meads — Hopped, Citra Sea, Hibiscus and Sour — plus bottled meads. Superstition Meadery, in Arizona, ages some of its meads in bourbon and wine barrels, creating a vast range of flavour profiles. Meanwhile, in New York, actor and entrepreneur Dylan Sprouse — passionate about mead since his teenage years — has co-founded All-wise Meadery. It makes traditional meads, as well as varieties flavoured with rose petals and oolong tea.

How should I drink it?

Mead can be served neat, either chilled or at room temperature, depending on the type. The sparkling varieties make a great alternative to a cider. Mead’s burgeoning popularity means it’s also increasingly used as a cocktail ingredient. Take, for example, bride’s nectar from The Cocktail Trading Co., in Shoreditch, east London, which is made from jasmine mead, calvados, yellow Chartreuse and lemon juice.