Mead I say more

Beer Snob | July 6th, 2016

For fans of the epic series Game of Thrones, you might say it played a huge part in the resurgence and newfound popularity of mead. Even though the beverage itself hasn’t made an appearance on the show, the popularity of both are on the same trajectory, and it is curious that it hasn’t made an appearance. It would be the most likely beverage to have been quaffed in those ancient times.

It is a performance centuries in the making and it is now taking center stage: call it the Hamilton of craft brewing, not quite as huge as the enormous craft beer scene but taking a long-awaited bow nevertheless. This beverage of honey infused with yeast and exotics, fermented and aged, the oldest known alcoholic beverage, was the nectar of the Greek Gods and it fueled both weary Romans and Vikings. Queen Elizabeth even had her own aviary for making her own mead infused with rosemary.

And the art of taking honey and then taking the making of mead to a new level has never been in more capable hands than those of the B. Nektar Meadery clan of Brad and Kerri Dahlhofer and Paul Zimmerman. They are ranked as one of the top 100 best breweries in the world, and that’s a pretty heady accolade.

They are known for their distinct styles of mead. They also produce several craft beers and ciders. Creative pairings for mead include Black Tea, Cherry, Mango, Habanero and Black Pepper. Unlike the heavy craft beers on the scene, these meads are crisp, tart, and refreshing, the perfect summertime drink.

Mead has been around for centuries, with peaks and valleys in its popularity and production. The Church at one point wanted the beeswax for candles, which curtailed production. And then of course wine appeared, dominating the beverage landscape.

But here is something to consider. Bees are our friends. Without them we have no crops, apples disappear (no cider) and we are in serious dire straits. The making of mead has an eco-friendly footprint as opposed to that of wine and other stimulating beverages.

Mead doesn’t require acres and acres of land, that requires gallons upon gallons of water to nourish its vines, along with heavy mechanical equipment and fertilizers. Mead is the most sustainable, if we don’t kill off all the bees.

And those bees work so hard for the honey. According to B. Nektar, it takes three to four pounds of honey per gallon of mead and a single batch yields two hundred and sixty five gallons. That is a lot of honey.

In 1640 British scholar Howell, Clerk to the Privy Council, said “”the juice of bees, not Bacchus, here behold , which British Bards were wont to quaff of old, the berries of the grapes with Furies swell, but in the honeycomb the Graces dwell”

Come out and sample some nectars from B. Nektar, like Kill the Golfers mead, infused with tea and lemon, destined to become the new Arnold Palmer. Or try Zombie Killer, a hard cider with honey and tart cherry. You won’t be disappointed. Be a part of an 8,000-year tradition.

IF YOU GO

B. Nektar’s mead tasting Tuesday, July 12 Sidestreet, 404 4th Ave N, Fargo

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