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With our love of traditional drinks, it’ll come as no surprise that here at Lyme Bay Winery we are pretty excited about International Mead Day, which falls on August 1st this year.
Created in 2002 by the America Homebrewers Association in order to encourage camaraderie among mead makers, as well raise awareness regarding the craft of this historic drink, International Mead Day has inspired many people since then to make, bottle and even start selling mead themselves.
History of mead
Probably the world’s first alcoholic drink, mead is made by the simple process of fermenting honey with water. Makers who want to step it up a notch can create a wide range of flavours depending on the source of the honey, additives including fruit and spices, the yeast employed during fermentation and the ageing procedure they choose.
In Asia, pottery vessels containing residues of a fermented mixture of honey, rice and other fruits dating from 6500-7000BC were found in Northern China. During the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, mead was said to be the preferred drink. Aristotle (384–322BC) discussed mead in his Meteorologica and elsewhere, while Pliny the Elder (AD23–79) called mead militites in his Naturalis Historia.
This so-called ‘nectar of the gods’ has long been rumoured to have aphrodisiac properties and was historically presented to newlyweds to enjoy during what we now call their honeymoon. In fact, because drinking mead was thought to ensure a fruitful union bearing plenty of children, a bride’s father included a month’s worth of mead in her dowry.
Mead made modern
Despite its ancient heritage, mead is by no means an old-fashioned drink, and we like to think that our recipe innovations have contributed to the resurgence of what is considered by many as an elixir of health, fertility and longevity.
Inspired by notorious local smuggler Jack Rattenbury, who used to smuggle contraband into Lyme Bay in the 18th century, our award-winning Jack Ratt meads are fermented, blended and aged on-site using a secret blend of honey to create the rich, floral and pungent characteristics for which they are famed.
From the balanced sweetness of our Traditional Mead to the smooth, crisp effervescence of our Jack Ratt Sparkling Mead in a can, we are constantly striving to find new ways of celebrating the smooth honey notes and mouth-watering finish of this traditional tipple.
Mead discount in July
With that in mind, what better way to celebrate International Mead Day on 1st August that with a tasty 10% off all our 75cl meads when you enter code INEEDMEAD10 at checkout until the end of July.
You can also take advantage of this discount if you place an order with our friendly team here at the Winery via email at [email protected] or by calling us on 01297 551355 if you prefer to order by phone. And as always, we love meeting those of you who stop by at our cellar door, so do pop in if you are passing the Winery.
In the meantime, keep sending us your feedback about our drinks via our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages – and share your marvellous mead concoctions with us there too.
