Friday, April 2, 2010

making mead

I have been working in the wine industry and specifically with mead for over three years now, but I just made my first batch of mead on my own. They keep me chained in the office... :) I was amazed at how smoothly it went. I made a pure honey mead from Montana clover honey from the Bozeman area. I made it in a European style, which is to say that it is about 12.5% alcohol and has between 6 and 7% residual sugar. It is made from nothing but honey water and yeast. It turned out great. It tastes like the honey I started with about six weeks ago but with a little alcohol flavor like one would expect from 12.5% alcohol. It is a very smooth, sweet wine. I made it as a test run for a European (old world) style mead for Hidden Legend Winery which I am part owner. I had the help and guidance of our master mead maker Ken Schultz, so I could always ask him what one measurement or another meant and whether any adjustments would be advantageous. But I am convinced that anyone can make their own mead if they desire, especially with a little guidance from a book, mead maker, or web resource. It is fun and gives one a sense of accomplishment as well. I am going to start another batch in the coming weeks and will keep a regular log on here for you to follow if you like.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Mead doesn't put on heirs

Mead (honey wine) doesn't put on heirs. It is a naturally delicious drink that is made in the same fashion as wine but without all the fluffing. You can enjoy mead if you've never liked wine because it is a drink all its own. At the same time, you can enjoy mead if you like wine because it is a smooth and delicious drink. If you like the flavors of honey then you can just sit back and enjoy a nice cool glass of mead without worrying if you know enough about wine to enjoy it because it just plain tastes good. Be careful you don’t drink too much though, because one thing it has in common with wine is a 12.5 % alcohol content. You don't have to worry about whether it is dry enough to impress your friends or from the right region of the world because it is the oldest fermented beverage on the planet and most of your friends have never heard of it before. It is a drink that legends are made of and is a part of many legends. It can be made with just honey or have fruit added to create many different flavors. This means you are practically guaranteed to find a mead that you will love, because these fruit flavors are ones that you already know and are sure to enjoy in the form of mead. If you’ve never had mead give it a try. It tastes great!