div align="center">MEAD ME ANYTIME, HONEY
October 2003, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Page 16.
Mead is the oldest alcoholic beverage in recorded history; it's been used in religious rites and as an aphrodisiac. (The term "honeymoon" is said to come from the tradition of newlyweds drinking mead for one lunar cycle, which was thought to ensure a fruitful union and a quick birth of a male heir.)
In the 18th century, sugar trumped honey as the sweetener of choice, but mead is finally coming back into vogue. There's even an International Mead Festival to be held this year in Boulder, Colorado, October 24-25.
Boulder's Redstone Meadery, one of the country's largest mead producers, offers such enticing mixers as the Meadmosa, Nectar Be Darned and Mead Tai, but our favorite was their Honey Wine with Black Raspberry Puree (Redstone Reserve 2001). It's rich and sweet with dominant honey flavors, complemented by black raspberry, currants and cranberries. Try this melomel (fruit infused mead) in sangria or homemade chocolate truffles, as a sweet fillip for roast beef or duck gravies, or for a modern twist on tiramisu.
For more information on Redstone Meadery or the International Mead Festival, visit redstonemeadery.com
-Phillip Morson
|
