Firstly, what is honey mead Australia? This traditional drink falls into a category all by itself as it uniquely comes from honey, while wine comes from fruit, and beer from grains. Mead is a clean, sweet alcoholic beverage produced from this natural, age old resource. Believed to be one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world, it’s been making a resurgence, which is good news for mead fans.
The best part? With its increase in popularity, homegrown companies like Honey Wines Australia are paving the way, making quality, locally produced mead available for connoisseurs everywhere.
A Brief History of Mead
Early hunters and gatherers had access to honey long before agriculture was invented. That’s why mead was the first major form of a fermented alcoholic beverage. It is truly an amazing gift of nature and considered a gift from heaven by ancient cultures such as the Greeks and Vikings. Beer and wine descended from mead after fermentation was accidentally discovered, which was good news for us!
It’s believed to have been discovered more than 9,000 years ago. People in this era were living a nomadic and simple lifestyle. While gathering food, they likely stumbled upon a rain soaked honeycomb that fermented due to airborne yeast. They tasted the fluids inside, and the earliest form of mead was discovered.
Honey was already used at this time in a variety of uses, such as religious, cultural and medicinal purposes. Modern day honey mead is fermented using select yeast, premium-quality honey, and filtered water. It is also mixed with other ingredients such as herbs, fruits and spices, for different flavours.
The Taste of Mead
Many who’ve never tried mead will ask, what does it taste like? If you like mead in Australia, chances are you’ll also like mead. However, since it’s made by fermenting honey with water and yeast, it’s alcoholic content may vary in a similar range to that of a mild ale or a strong wine.
There are also several types of mead, depending on texture and taste. Different varieties include still, carbonated, sparkling, dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet or sweet, just like wine.
Depending on local traditions and specific recipes, mead may be brewed with spices, fruits, or grain mash. Mead also ranges in flavour depending on the source of honey, type of yeast, length of aging, mixture with fruits and other ingredients.
There are even hundreds of varieties of honey due to the many types of plants and flowers pollinated by bees around the world. These factors affect the type of taste and flavour a honey mead will have. Different varieties of honey include Almond Honey, Tupelo Honey, Black Locust Honey, Pumpkin Honey, Mint Honey, Tulip Honey, Buckwheat Honey, Apple Blossom Honey, Clover Honey, and many more! Each one has a unique and distinct taste. The types of honey can further be subdivided by region.
The Best Honey Mead in Australia
Rather than importing, it’s positive news that top-tier homegrown companies like Honey Wines Australia are paving the way, producing quality mead from their own beekeeping facility on their premises and producing high grade mead for consumers everywhere, with free delivery options available.
Take a look at Honey Wines Australia for the latest products and offers.
