Ten surprising facts about mead or honey-wine or honey!

1. Vikings Did Not Invent Mead! Mead is the oldest alcoholic beverage on Earth. Archaeological evidence in China indicates that mead fermentation dates back to at least 7,000 BC. Mead was a global beverage, widely referenced in ancient civilizations across Rome, Greece, Egypt, the Maya, China, and India. It predates agriculture and was among the earliest fermented drinks made from honey and water. Ancient civilizations consumed mead when purified water was scarce, as lightly fermented beverages made it potable.

The Norse civilization adopted mead as its preferred drink. The hard, cold Scandinavian winters did not permit robust viticulture, and access to wine was limited by the challenges of transporting clay amphoras across rough, cold seas. Honey was readily available during spring and summer, making mead the favored beverage of Norse culture.

2. Honey in Roman and Greek Mythology: In ancient Roman mythology, it is said that Cupid, the son of Venus (the goddess of love) and Mars (the god of war), dipped his arrows in honey. Honey symbolizes pure joy and the sweetness of love, juxtaposed with the bitter sting of an arrow piercing the heart, similar to a bee sting. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the revered goddess of love, beauty, and desire, was believed to have used honey in love potions and for her own beautification.

Aphrodite’s priestesses were known as Melissae, or “bees.” Honey was considered “ambrosia,” the nectar of the gods, and in modern Hellenism, it is a common offering to Aphrodite. 

3. Honey’s Significance in India: In India, honey (madh) is deeply rooted in Vedic traditions, symbolizing purity, prosperity, and spiritual sweetness. It holds significant religious importance and is offered to Lord Shiva, the transformer, preserver, and destroyer of all existence. Panchamrut (panch means “five” and amrut means “nectar of the gods”), a sacred drink made of honey, milk, butter, yoghurt, and holy basil, is believed to alleviate negativity and promote clarity. The Ayurvedic principle attributes honey as a carrier of medicinal properties of herbs used to enhance consciousness and purify the body. 

The ancient Indian alcoholic drink made from fermented honey is referred to in Sanskrit as Madhu (fermented sweetness), derived from the Sanskrit word madh. As one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages, this honey-based drink is documented in ancient Indian texts, including the Rigveda, dating back to 1700–1100 BCE. 

4. Honey’s Healing Properties: Honey possesses spiritual healing energy. It is a natural antibiotic with antimicrobial properties and is used to treat burn victims.  Medical-grade manuka honey sold by ACTIVONⓇ and MEDIHONEYⓇ are among the commercially available brands for wound care. The high viscosity and acidic pH of honey create a protective barrier on the skin that prevents bacterial growth, including inhibiting growth of drug-resistant strains such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci commonly present in hospital settings. It is known to stimulate tissue production and promote the removal of dead tissue, reducing scarring in partial-burn victims. Ongoing scientific research is exploring honey’s potential to combat drug resistance.

5. Other Honey-Producing Insects: Honey bees are not the only eusocial insects that produce honey. Stingless bees, or meliponines, are closely related to honey bees and produce a slightly watery, highly acidic, sweet, tangy, and sour honey with a fruity taste. Bumblebees, primarily found in the Northern Hemisphere, are also responsible for pollination and honey production. Some wasp species, such as Brachygastra lecheguana, a species of dark paper wasps, and Brachygastra mellifica, a Mexican honey wasp found in South and Central America, feed on nectar and produce honey. The Mexican honey wasp is also useful for pest control and pollinating avocados. Honeypot ants, also known as honeypot ants, eat and produce honey. Honey produced by honeypot ants has a higher moisture content, a slightly acidic pH, and a lower sugar concentration than manuka or jarrah honey. The ant honey is not concentrated only from nectar and other sweet components of the diet, but also from metabolites of plant and animal food sources consumed by the honeypot ant. It has a distinct taste but is similar to bee honey and has antimicrobial effects and is effective against pathogens and decay organisms. 

6. Fermentation and Health Benefits: Mead is fermented at low temperatures, which helps retain all its natural flavonoids, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties during the fermentation process. Medicinal mead, known as metheglin (derived from the Welsh word “meddyglyn”, meaning “healing liquor”), is infused with medicinal herbs to treat ailments like colds, coughs, rheumatism, and digestive issues. Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed a specific royal restorative mead recipe that included rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.

7. Misconceptions About Mead: A common misconception is that honey-wine, or mead, is always sweet. Mead can be a flavor chameleon; it can be bone dry, sweet, or semi-sweet. Traditional fermentation methods often used honey to back-sweeten meads or wines. At Clear Skies, we offer a wide range of meads, most of which are dry or semi-sweet, with a limited selection of sweet and back-sweetened options. Our two back-sweetened meads are Meadarita (agave-sweetened) and Blueberry Maple (maple-sweetened).

8. Mead or Honey-wine: Mead and honey wine are often used interchangeably, which leads consumers to believe that all honey wine is mead and vice versa. This is incorrect because mead is a distinct category of wine, separate from grape wine and other fruit wines. 

Mead is fermented using only water, honey, and yeast. The ratio of water to honey is adjusted to create either sweet, semi-sweet, or dry mead. After the primary fermentation of the honey-water-yeast mixture is complete, fruits and spices are added during secondary fermentation to create metheglins (spiced meads) or melomels (fruit meads), the two primary styles of meads available on the market. Traditional mead-making recipes may also include honey for back-sweetening after secondary fermentation to enhance sweetness. 

Honey-wine encompasses a broader spectrum of winemaking styles. Honey is often used to back-sweeten grape wines, fruit wines, and ciders, adding floral notes and sweetness while correcting bitterness and rounding out the mouthfeel. Various honeys, such as raspberry and blueberry, are used to flavor fruit wines and enhance their fruit profiles.

For example, a blush Zinfandel grape wine can be sweetened with honey to create a sweet dessert wine.  Mulsum is an ancient beverage made using four parts of grape wine and one part honey. Mulled wine is made with red wine, honey, and spices such as pepper corns, cinnamon, and star anise. 

At Clear Skies, we offer only a limited variety of back-sweetened meads, such as Headless Norseman pumpkin mead, Meadrita, a margarita-style mead, and Blueberry Brunch, blueberry maple mead. Our focus is primarily on producing very dry to semi-sweet meads. 

9. Mead “The Eco-Friendly Choice”: Mead is a green energy drink for the environmentally conscious. Honey is produced by bees, who are the primary pollinators of all plants on Earth. Harvesting honey is less labor-intensive than harvesting grapes or grains. Since mead is fermented at low temperatures, heating and boiling are not required, and drinking mead helps keep “bees in business.” Beehives harvested according to fair trade practices provide unique aromatics to honey. Our 18% alcohol by volume “Aurora Mead,” made from Aoriera honey, features marshmallow and caramel notes unlike those of any wines or cognacs. 

10. The Origin of “Honeymoon”: The term “honeymoon” literally derives from mead. In medieval Europe, newlyweds were gifted a full moon’s supply of mead (a “moon” worth of “honey”) to boost fertility and ensure a “fruitful” union.