A Word about Mead

Mead is basically fermented honey and water. Its history goes so far back that we may never know the exact origins of the drink.

It has been established that ancient Egyptians may have been first to create beer, and yet they reportedly made mead for a long time prior to that.

Mead was consumed in ancient Greece (Aristotle spoke of it) and became a popular drink throughout Europe. As European populations increased however, the demand for honey increased as well, and prices went up. Around the Mediterranean, grape culture being cheaper than beekeeping, wine became more common. Tastes in Northern Europe evolved more towards beer, also cheaper to produce.

Beer and wine were easier to come about, and replaced mead as the daily drink throughout Europe. Mead was mainly produced for special events, such as weddings.

Although it became less common, mead’s lure was never lost. Today, mead is still of interest to beer enthusiasts, and home-brewers alike.
Meadhing is the practice of brewing honey. A brewery that deals specifically in mead is called either a meadery or a mazery. (Thank you Wikipedia!)
There are many variations of the drink. Traditional mead is nothing but honey, yeast, and water. But there are non-traditional meads that typically contain additional ingredients. A mead made with spices (like cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg) or herbs (such as oregano or even lavender or chamomile) is called metheglin. Mead that contains fruit is called melomel. Mead that contains specifically grape juice is called pyment. Pyment made with white grape juice is sometimes called "white mead." Mulled mead is a popular winter holiday drink, where mead is flavored with spices (and sometimes various fruits) and warmed, traditionally by having a hot poker plunged into it.
Mead may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. Sweetness simply refers to the amount of residual sugar in the mead
Mead may be still, petillant, or sparkling. Petillant meads are “lightly sparkling” and can have a moderate, noticeable amount of carbonation. Sparkling meads are not gushing, but may have a character ranging from mouth filling to an impression akin to Champagne or soda pop.
Clarity may be good to brilliant. Mead should be crystal clear, and observable particulates are undesirable.

To this day, mead is still a more select drink than beer. There are quite a few commercial examples out there to sample should you think of making your own. Regardless, mead is worth trying and is quite a treat.