Mead

What is mead?

Common in myths and deeds, we know mead from movies and novels. Always linked to ancient times, this drink has accompanied us since man has been a man; although nowadays it does not enjoy the same popularity as wine or beer. Share with them the fermentation process, but change the raw materials. Mead is a mixture of honey and water in different proportions that is boiled and left to ferment until the yeasts transform the sugar into alcohol.
Now, as in beer, there are different styles of mead organized in turn in families. According to the American guide BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program), we can distinguish the following:

Traditional Mead: does not contain attachments. A distinction is made between dry, semi-dry or sweet depending on the portion of residual sugars. In its drier versions, traditional mead can be reminiscent of wine or cider.

Mead with fruit or melomel: in this category we include all the meads that contain fruits -whether pulp or juice- in their elaboration. Among the most common fruits we find apple, grape, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, currant, strawberry, cherry, plum, peach and apricot.

Mead with spices or metheglin: As with the addition of fruits, the mead also supports different spices or seasonings. Among the most popular we find: flowers, ginger, coffee, cocoa, tea, mint and rosemary.

Braggot: it is the product of fermenting barley malt must together with mead. The result is a drink somewhere between beer and mead.

In recent years there has been a revival of mead, which in part comes from northern and eastern Europe. In this new wave, the brewers have not limited themselves to imitating the pre-existing traditions, but have incorporated some techniques typical of beer. For example, some producers use hops in dry hopping to add aroma. Likewise, the maturation of mead with wood and distillates is also a trend.

As a result of this development, the Copa Reina was held last October; the first mead championship in Spain. Among the winners we extract some national hydrometers of proven quality: Blesar Hidromiel, Grendel Hidromiel, Bodegas Valhalla and Hidromiel Guerrero among others. In general, these are small producers that rarely go beyond the provincial market. However, many have online sales from their web pages. In addition, you can find mead in the same stores specialized in beer. Don't you fancy the drink of the gods?