Beer Style: Mead
Royal Metheglin
We’re not sure if the metheglin served to royalty was any better than a peasant’s variety, but we’re sure the spices make this mead fit for a king.
Mexican Pulque
Readers should keep in mind that it is difficult to replicate true pulque using only the ingredients in a home brewer’s pharmacopeia. It is common for pulque brewers in Mexico to reproduce their own strains of yeast, using a starter of fermented pulque (known as the “semilla”, or seed) to ferment a fresh batch of agave nectar. These yeast strains, like many tricks of the trade, are closely guarded secrets amongst pulqueros — indeed, some of these strains of yeast may be as old as the Aztec Empire itself.
Bragging Braggot
Braggots are fun synergy of meads and beer. Here is a basic recipe that is quick to complete on brewday, but patience is going to be greatly beneficial for fermentation.
Pyment
Pyment is a product fermented with grapes and honey. This recipe also adds some tropical fruit to round out the character.
Basic Sweet Mead
A low-key, one-gallon (3.8-L) batch of mead. This is a great recipe to experiment with several different honey varietals for comparison sake.
Basic Dry Mead
A basic dry mead recipe. This is a great opportunity to test several honey varietals.
Dogfish Brewery’s Head Midas Touch clone
This beer was inspired by residue found in drinking vessels that are believed to be from the actual tomb of King Midas. Some secrets of the beverage, dated to around 700 BC, were revealed by the new methods of molecular archaeology.
The residues inside the vessels belonged to a “Phrygian cocktail,” which combined grape wine, barley beer and honey mead. Starting with the ancient chemical evidence, Dogfish Head Brewery “recreated” a marvelous golden elixir, truly touched by King Midas.
Wild Blossom Meadery’s Blanc de Fleur clone
This mead is best when aged six months or more. Bottle the mead still (uncarbonated).
Redstone Meadery Vanilla Bean – Cinnamon Stick Mead Clone
One of the traditions I started early in my meadmaking career was producing Winter Solstice Mead. Every December 21st, I make mead. For many years I would make a 10-gallon (38 L) batch leaving half of it traditional and half with either vanilla beans or vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks. I would age it two years and then serve it at the annual Winter Solstice party from a special bottle. Serve 3-6 ounces at a time, very cold or mulled. — David Myers
Rabbit’s Foot Meadery’s Sweet Mead clone
This mead is sweet… just like you (awww). And it’s award-winning!
Number 9 (Orange Blossom Honey Mead)
This mead is not as sweet (or alcoholic) as a sweet mead, but retains enough sweetness to round out the orange blossom honey’s characteristics. The Lalvin D-47 yeast is used by winemakers for fermenting dry or off-dry white wines. I used the “no heat” method described in Ken Schramm’s book, “The Compleat Meadmaker” (2003, Brewers Publications) and held my breath, but everything turned out fine. In the no heat method, you don’t heat the must, add sulfite or do anything to sanitize the must — you just mix up the honey and water and let ‘er rip. You can add more or less acid to suit your own taste.
– Chris Colby
Zocco’s Sweet Mead
Paul Zocco was the 2003 National Meadmaker of the Year and 2001-2004 New England Meadmaker of the Year.
