What's This About?
I have recently decided to embark on a new hobby. After a long-standing fascination with brewed alcohol, I am finally putting hands to craft and learning to create it myself. I am creating this page to document and share my progress and learning process as I explore the world of making mead.
Why Mead?
History
Mead is a historically significant beverage. With honey being one of the purest naturally occurring sugar sources, it follows logically that it has been being fermented since before humans even discovered it. Some records indicate that mead making predates history, with some cultures touting it as a divine gift.
Underappreciation
Ale, beer, wine and even sake and soju are all recognized parts of modern culture. Yet a beverage so foundational to global culture has been left to languish as a bland curiosity in the corner of the miscellaneous section in stores. Despite its potential, mead is ignored.
Flexibility
Beer, wine and other commonplace beverages are rooted in flavors that define them. The taste of malt, barley, or grapes being the final, definitive, flavor that all others must conform to. However, with mead, the flavor of honey is much more flexible and open to diverse profiles. As a experience chef and mixologist, this flexibility seems an untapped gold mine of fascinating potential.