What is mead? You may be saying to yourself. I thought the same thing to myself when purchasing a lavender bottle of it at Trader Joe’s. The check out guy said it was delicious so I was excited to give it a try. At a quick glance I thought it was a type of wine but quickly realized it was what they call mead. Not a beer, not a wine, not a cider; this has it’s own category. Mead is often referred to as “honey wine” but no grapes are harmed in the making of this product. It is made by fermenting honey.
Here are some quick points about mead that I found interesting:
- It is believed to be the worlds oldest libation and is now one of the fastest growing alcoholic beverage categories in the US
- The term “honeymoon” is thought to be derived from the mid evil tradition of drinking the “honey wine” for a full moon cycle after marriage. Thought to be at aphrodisiac, the bride’s father give a month supply to the newly wed couple
- There are at least 165 meaderies in the US
- Mead has a wine range of flavors depending on source of the honey and the different additives used (lavender, for example)
Now onto the tasting:
Maine Mead Works Classic Lavender Dry mead infused with locally grown varieties of English lavender. Fruity notes of citrus and coconut
12.5% ABV, Gluten Free, base recipe of wildflower honey and water, fermented from a wild strain of South African yeast
Used for cooking, cocktails & in glass pours
My experience:
The Lavender Mead was definitely pretty sweet. I could taste the honey quite well and did not think it tasted much like wine. It was definitely thicker than traditional wine. I would recommend drinking a glass for a toast with friends, or creating a refreshing spritzer over ice. Perfect for a hot summer day.
Pour half a glass of mead of choice over ice. Top with flavored seltzer of choice. I used Polar Grapefruit.
xo Korina
Korina Linda 