Thursday, May 29, 2008

RITUALS: Mead, the ancient beverage

MEAD, sometimes called honey wine, is a fermented beverage made with honey. The most basic mead is made with a simple combination of honey, yeast and water.

According to Fermentarium.com, mead may possibly be the world's oldest alcoholic beverage. It was a very popular drink throughout history and was used in religious gatherings. Some pagan rituals used mead in their ceremonies, and Ethiopian meads are used in funeral rituals.

An old European tradition gave newlyweds a month’s supply of mead. Some say this is where the word “honeymoon” came from. However, linguists do not often support this claim.

There are online recipes for mead, and websites where you can buy mead. Some specialty supermarkets and liquor stores may carry it. There are also online mead enthusiasts.

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