Ever Wonder What ‘Mead‘ is?????
Before we were involved in the Honey Industry….I had no idea what Mead was! For those of you in the same boat as me…I’ve pasted the definition from good old Wikipedia below:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mead (pronounced /ˈmiːd/) is an alcoholic beverage, made from honey and water via fermentation with yeast. Its alcoholic content may range from that of a mild ale to that of a strong wine. It may be still, carbonated, or sparkling; it may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. Mead is often referred to as “honey wine.”[1]
Depending on local traditions and specific recipes, it may be brewed with spices, fruits, or grain mash. It may be produced by fermentation of honey with grain mash;[2] mead may also be flavored with hops[3] to produce a bitter, beer-like flavor.
Mead is independently multicultural. It is known from many sources of ancient history throughout Europe, Africa and Asia, although archaeological evidence of it is ambiguous.[4]Its origins are lost in prehistory; “it can be regarded as the ancestor of all fermented drinks,” Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat has observed, “antedating the cultivation of the soil.”[5] Claude Lévi-Strauss makes a case for the invention of mead as a marker of the passage “from nature to culture.”[6]
At Zee-Bee we have sold alot of honey to Mead makers over the past few years, and because Mead-Makers are a very generous lot…..some of them have given us a sample of the finished project to taste. Mmmmmmm! We have tasted some that was carbonated, another that was fruity and sweet. Fun to try new things! Every year I plan to make some and it never gets done! Maybe this year!!!! I know where to go if I need help. I have recently learned about a great club located in Regina - ’ Ale & Lager Enthusiasts of Saskatchewan’ or ALES (www.alesclub.com) I believe they meet at Bushwakker Brew Pub (2206 Dewdney Ave) Hmmmmmm! Sounds interesting!
I am excited to announce that some of my customers have entered their homemade Mead….(made with Zee-Bee Honey of course) into the ALES Homebrew Open Contest, and the results have been GREAT!
Our friend Kevin Bedel won a Silver Medal in 2007, and a Gold and Silver in 2008
Our friend Paul Compton won a Silver Medal this year for his “Big Bad Cyser” (Cyser is a blend of honey and apple juice fermented together)
Congratulations on your wins ! So nice when hard work pays off!
Best of luck to all you future Mead Makers….including me! Who knows maybe we will compete against each other some day!
Cheers!
