Sugar................ ah honey honey.
Mead has for centuries been renowned as an 'aphrodisiac' and the word Honeymoon is derived from the ancient Norwegian custom of having newly-weds drink mead for a whole moon (month) in order to increase their fertility and therefore their chances of a happy and fulfilled marriage...
What is Mead?
In its simplest form, mead is just honey and water, fermented with yeast so that the sugars in the honey turn to alcohol. Originally, fermentation was left to wild yeasts from the air, or from the dregs of old stock. There are several variants of mead:
- metheglin is a spiced variety which was supposed to have medicinal powers.
- pyment is a grape wine, sweetened with honey;the Romans called it mulsum.
- cyser is fermented apple juice and honey, perhaps a forerunner of cider;
- melomel is a fruit mead; made for example, with raspberries,
- sack mead is sweeter than mead; honey and malt fermented together make an ale called bracket,
World famous 'Lindisfarne Mead' is not only the connoisseur's choice but makes a supreme drink for young and old alike whatever the season. To many it is regarded as the 'nectar of the gods'.
Come sample our collection of fruit wine flavours at Xanders and you'll soon realise what you've been missing.






