Are There Health Benefits to Drinking Mead?

In a word… no.
There are no clinically proven health benefits to mead.

Historically, though, mead has been believed to be healthy to both drink as well as to make into healing tonics. The mead of preference was one infused with spices or herbs, using the sweet drink to mask some other flavors. The term metheglin, spiced mead, comes from a Welsh word which, in turn, came from the Latin word “medicus,” or medicinal liquor. These drinks were used to cure all manner of illnesses, of the time.

There is a long history of claiming benefits of drinking alcohol modestly, and it isn’t just restricted to mead. But, as stated, there are no clinical studies that prove this out to be completely true. But, there are some aspects about mead that make it an interesting concoction to look at, purely from a health perspective.

Gluten-Free
This is absolutely true. All our meads are gluten-free, offering a real option to patrons who want to experience a craft scene but can’t enjoy beer or even dark liquors. Because mead is never brewed with grain, those with a gluten-free diet can drink it with confidence. Even the barrel-aged meads still don’t contain gluten.

All Natural Ingredients
There is no better natural sweetener than honey. In it’s raw state, honey itself is very healthy offering relief to local allergies by containing local pollen. It’s questionable whether mead keeps this trait, but what is certain is that there is no refined sugar added. And, for those who try to avoid white sugar, mead is a great alternative.

No Added Sulfites
Some meaderies may use sulfites as a preservative, but we have processes that allow us to avoid it. The headache some people suffer from wines is often connected to the sulfites added. When drunk in moderation, you can avoid all of that. Like all alcohol, we recommend a 1:1 ratio of water to drink, for best results.

At the end of the day, mead doesn’t offer any direct health benefits. But if you like to know what’s in what you’re putting in your body, mead is a good choice. It’s gonna be honey, water and yeast. And, in our case all-natural fruits, berries and spices. We don’t add chemicals or preservatives to, what we think, is a perfect drink.

Is Mead a Beer or a Wine?

It’s neither.

Mead is like a kissing-cousin to beer. Both of them are brewed and fermented in a similar way, more so than wine. But like wine and beer, mead exists in it’s own category. BUT, it is more akin to beer than wine because of it’s consistency and habits. Unlike wine, good mead is intended to be fairly consistent, from season-to-season, unlike wine which dramatically changes by vintage.

At the core, beer and mead (and cider for that matter) are brewed and fermented. Unlike wine, which really doesn’t include a brewing process.

We also seem to share many of the sensibilities of the beer fan. We think of it as an alternative to beer, when you want something very different. While we really appreciate wine, it’s just not our vibe. Wine, unlike beer, has wild variations in quality and price that make it more of an experiential product than a true consumer-friendly drink. It is very difficult for the average fan to distinguish a $20 bottle of wine from a $75 bottle of wine. It makes it difficult to know, without guidance, if it’s a “good” wine.

Mead, by comparison, is fairly economical and easily approachable for the average person. Like beer! A GOOD mead will be priced in the $20-30 range. Most of that cost is associated with the high expense of honey. It’s a mercurial agricultural product and not as accessible as, say, hops. We also appreciate the simplicity of mead with no additives. Some fans don’t respond well to the sulfites added to wine, defeating the point of drinking something purely for pleasure. Typically, craft beer and mead are both very natural, using organic ingredients which can be made the same way, every time.

We like to think of mead as beer-adjacent. Like ciders, mead becomes a favorite of the casual consumer who just wants to enjoy something without the baggage of having to learn waaaay too much about what they are trying.

You should know what you’re drinking, what went into it and what you can expect. it’s one of the reasons we keep our ingredient list simple, with pronounceable words. if it’s a blueberry mead, you know it’s brewed with blueberries. No weird, or concocted ingredients have been added.

So, next time someone asks you what mead is, you can certainly call it “honeywine,” but it’s the non-pretentious, easily enjoyed version of wine. And remind them this was the first alcohol known to humans!

What Food Goes Well With Mead?

Wine pairing is a pretty well-known pass time. Most people know red wine with meat, white wine with fish. What’s less known is how to pair meads and ciders and what to consider. It’s similar, but not really the same because of the wide variety. We like our meads with almost anything, but there are some foods that work better with one mead than another. So we thought it would help to give you some suggestions.

First off, there is a reason for drinking certain wines with certain foods. A lot of it has to do with the tannins and the acidity of the wine as well as the “body” of the wine. Take red meats (or cheese), as an example. Because of the high fat content, red meats will coat your mouth, rendering the flavor of the meal lessened as you go. A full-bodied red wine has enough acidity to cleanse your palette. So much so, that each bite will be as good as your first bite. A white wine wouldn’t work as well and, frankly, waste a great piece of meat.

For mead, the rules are pretty simple but get progressively more complicated as you learn more. Dry meads go with dinner, sweet meads are for after dinner and sparkling meads are for drinking on their own. You could stop here, and just try that to see how it goes. Or, continue…

Red meat and other heavy foods
A steak is easy. But what about a stew? Or even chili? There is a rule of thumb with pairing, dark with dark. If your meal is a dark, heavy meal, you want a darker mead that can hold up to the flavor profile. If it’s a very rich meal, a fruity mead would be ideal. But still on the drier side. You wouldn’t want to pair a sweet, dark mead with a heavy meal. It would become overwhelming and do a disservice to both. From our menu, a mead like Antinomy is an excellent choice as a pairing wine with steaks, stews, chili and other dark, heavy meals. You could also try Skol, but it may not pair quite as perfectly as Antinomy.

White meat and lighter foods
Following the rule, chicken or fish would be best served with a dry, lighter mead. The mead you choose should still be a dinner mead, but in this case, you have a wider variety as most of the white meads tend towards the drier side, as fruits tend to color the mead. From our labels, the first choice would be Solifaction. If you’re serving something with a lot of flavor depth, you might try a label like Accord or Respite, from the barrel-aged group, as they have a musky flavor and deeper body that counterbalances strong spices. Solifaction, though, would be the best choice.

Medium meals and in-between foods
Some foods exist in a bit of a middle state. Not quite red, but not really white and are often strongly spiced. Pork and venison, for instance, are prepared very differently than chicken and often have deep flavor profiles. In these cases, you could choose an in-between, fruity mead to match the flavor profile. From our labels, Skol is a good choice. It has slightly sweeter characters without leaning too far into the sweet profile. It also holds up against strong spices, offering a nice balance you’d enjoy. If the meal is very spicy, you could also try Mangata or a session mead, which has more body and is sweeter than Skol.

What about all this cheese I have?
This is a contrary to the rule of colors; dark with dark, light with light. You definitely want a dark, full bodied mead to go with cheese. Generally, the sweeter meads will work well and have enough character to stand up to a cheese. Try either Mangata or Bliss with cheese and meats to see how they work. Should you prefer the drier meads, choose a barrel-aged mead that carries a residual spirits flavor.

For all other things…
For every other time, there are the sessions and the sparkling meads. Not to say you can’t have anything anytime (we encourage that). But these are the meads that are designed for un-paired enjoyment. The sessions, in particular, have a much lower ABV, allowing you to enjoy a lot more drinking and relaxing than you can with a standard mead. Mints of Persia, Lone Star, Sonic Boom… these are all amazing anytime meads.

You don’t have to follow these rules, but it is helpful to know that you can drink mead with a higher sense of presence, thinking about which you have when. Try some combinations and see how you like it. If you find a perfect fit, let us know. People need to know these things!

How Barrel-Aging Works

Aging spirits are part and parcel of many of your favorite liquors. From rum to bourbon, tequila to scotch, barrel-aging is part of the spirits culture and process. A happy by-product of all this barrel-aging is, surprise, excess barrels! These barrels often find a second life with brewers and other distillers. And, because of the wide variety, brewers can create truly unique offerings.

As our program has become more and more popular, we thought it would be helpful to understand more about how the process works, the considerations and what to look for. This isn’t going to be heavy science about lactones and phenols, but more of a “friendly” way to understand barrel aging.


Why’s it done in the first place?
There is an underlying assumption about barrel-aging that just glosses over the reasons in the first place- it’s what you do. But there are two fundamental reasons to barrel-age spirits.

First, the filtering process that occurs takes out the harsh notes of distilled spirits. Think moonshine… that’s the way most spirits start. They are very strong, with sharp edges. Desirable in some places, but not others. Secondly, the barrel itself will infuse the spirit with flavors, color and tone. Different barrels will react different, but all of them contribute to the overall flavor effect.

Different wood, different flavor
Chances are, the barrel you meet in the US, particularly the south, will be American Oak. The reason is simple: For bourbon to be called bourbon, it must be aged in an American Oak barrel. And, given our region, we have an ample supply of bourbon distilleries to collect from. While European Oak is known for spice with vanilla flavors, American Oak is known for it’s caramel with vanilla tones.

What does the char do?
Many, not all, barrels are charred of toasted. And both treatments do much of the same, adding charcoal to the inner lining of the barrel. Odds are, in the US you will encounter charred barrels, as it is the prevailing style. The char caramelizes the sugars in the wood, producing the signature flavors you can recognize in an aged spirit as the fluid passes through. The char really matters, and bourbon distillers will perfect their proprietary styles.

But just as important, the char helps to filter out undesirable chemicals; those that occur naturally through the distillation process. The carbon wall is much like a filter pad you’d see in an aquarium. It helps to purify the alcohol as it passes into and out of the wood.

Temperature fluctuations matter
As temperatures vary, the wood barrel will absorb the alcohol differently. In warmer weather, the wood will become saturated, while in cooler weather, the wood will squeeze the alcohol out. Consider the bourbon belt… why Kentucky and Tennessee? They’re not really known for corn and grains. If it were based on harvest availability, Indiana would be a great place. Rather, these regions have deeply varied seasonal differences (in addition to forestry, nearby).

The hot summers and cold winters help the spirit move in and out of the wood, picking up flavor and filtering our undesirable chemistry all year long. It’s one of the reasons Scotch ages so long. With the cooler climate, it takes far longer to barrel-age the spirit to the desired result.

Second lives for bourbon barrels
For bourbon to be called bourbon, it must be aged in a new, charred American Oak barrel. As such, there is a wealth of barrels that can no longer be used to make bourbon. They offer brewers and manufacturers a deep, rich resource of experimental material. They show up in unusual places - vinegar, syrup, wines, as well as other spirits.

In all cases, the freshly used barrel brings along the notes of the bourbon as well as the caramel and vanilla of the oak. With the char still doing its job, anything aged in a bourbon barrel will have its harshest notes smoothed, leaving a mellower version of the fluid.

A barrel may be used and reused many times over as it continues its lifecycle. As long as the barrel doesn’t dry out, which can cause leaks. Older barrels may need to be cured, but a barrel filled simply with water will remain tight and effective.

Learn more about it…
If you’re really interested in learning the science behind barrel-aging, do some research. Most distilleries have information on their sites about their process and there is ample information from third parties. You can always as our bartenders or speak to one of the head brewers. As our program builds, we will try to keep you informed about the pedigree of a barrel and what you could expect it to do.

Why Is It Called a “Session” Mead

As you explore our meads, you’re going to run into lots of titles… Signature, barrel-aged, seasonal, session… They all mean something, but it’s helpful to know what a session mead (or beer) is and why it’s different than a regular mead. The term session refers to the alcohol content of the drink and has it’s roots in beer brewing.

Typically, a session brew has about half the normal alcohol content to a regular brew. It is designed in a way that one can drink quite a bit of it without feeling the effects or becoming intoxicated. The term goes back to British drinking habits and describes a drinking “session” that might include 6-8 pints.

For a beer, a session is between 3-5%, but for a mead a session is still almost 6.5%. Though half our normal ABV (alcohol by volume) it is still pretty strong beverage. The benefit of the session, however, is that you can try a lot more options and enjoy a larger pour than you normally would.

So, if you’re responsible visit is typically a 2-3 pour visit of our Signature meads, you could enjoy 4-6 pours of our session meads. Think of “session” as shorthand for lower alcohol. If you enjoy trying many, many options, sessions are for you.

We also offer two types of session. Sparkling and still. Each has it’s place and character and, depending on what you enjoy, you may prefer one over the other. For sparkling, our best selling signature has been Mints of Persia. A strong minty flavor with an effervescent feeling. If you prefer a still mead, you might try Lemonage a Trois, a lemon blueberry mead that has a very strong body. You could always just try a flight of five, and see what you enjoy.

Creating session meads is a bit faster than our Signature meads, allowing us to do more trial and error. Sometimes, a session is so successful that it becomes a standard on the menu. But, just as often, we will cycle in and out different sessions depending on the time of year.

Our session meads are only available in the tap room - never bottled. You can certainly enjoy them as a pour, but you can also take them home in a growler. You just won’t find them in bottle shops like our Signature labels.

Focus on the ABV
Besides variety and selection, session is all about alcohol content. If you know you want to try a lot, we suggest focusing on the session meads. And, of course, drink responsibly.

What’s the Difference Between Mead, Cyser, Braggot & Melomel?

In the trade, and sometimes on the menu, you’ll see different names given to different drinks. Some things you know… Cider, beer, mead. But sometimes drinks pop up on our menu that are more unusual. If you just want to drink something and enjoy it, ignore the names! Everything is good. But if you want to become discerning and know what each designation means, read on. We’ll clear some things up.

Beer
You know what beer is.

Mead
Less understood. Mead is simply honey, yeast and water. It is one of mankind’s oldest alcoholic beverages. Every society, worldwide, developed some sort of mead. Mostly likely, because it was readily available, all-natural and bee populations span the globe. Thinning down a honey with water and letting it sit may have surprised early humans as wild yeasts turned the sugar into alcohol. Little to no science was needed for the reaction to occur.

Mead was also fairly quick and doesn’t require the systems that beer and ale required.. Just ferment three ingredients for about a month, and pow! You have mead. It wasn’t until the advent of agriculture that mead was replaced by ales, beer and wines.

Today’s mead is a rich culture of variety. Because honey is vastly different by season and location, every mead can be a unique experience. A classic show mead drinks similar to a sweeter white wine. Dry, with a signature, musky taste of honey. It can also be back-sweetened after fermentation to create a slightly sweeter mead. But all meads share the same basic recipe: Honey, yeast and water.

Melomel
Put simply, mead with fruit. Almost all our meads, except Solifaction, would be considered a melomel. The term, however, has become so broad that it no longer carries much of a distinction and it’s, frankly, just a complicated word. Take a mead (honey, yeast & water) put fruit in it, whether before or after fermentation, and it’s a melomel.

Some melomels have earned their own distinction. Pyments, for instance, are meads fermented with grapes, typically fermented with the mead. Both red and white grapes can be used. White grapes, particularly, create an interesting desert type of mead. Sweeter with a bit of a custard taste.

Cyser
Cider, a blend of cider and mead, is still technically a melomel. We distinguish it because it shows up so often on tap menus around Georgia. A cyser is a mead which has been fermented with apple juices rather than water, created a unique drink that is both sweeter and tarter.

It’s common to add other ingredients to flavor the cyser like autumn fruits or spices. If you like a cider, but find it’s too “apple-y” you might really enjoy a cyser. It is milder, smoother and takes the tart bite out of the drink.

Braggot
A blend of beer and mead. These are less common to find, locally, in any quantity. Some bars will create them on the fly by mixing mead and beer, but it’s not the same nor as intended. A proper braggot is the perfect balance of sweet honey, malty flavor and body, and a bit of hop bitterness.

Baggot’s, like cysers and ciders, can often be flavored with spices and other flavors creating a rich experience. A braggot keeps the best qualities of both beer and mead in perfect balance. If you see a braggot on a tap menu, definitely try it. They are fairly rare and worth it, almost every time.

We hope you found this helpful and, as always, ask our bartenders about the different styles. It’s worth knowing what you really enjoy so you can seek it out on your travels!

Does Mead Age in the Bottle?

All our meads will improve, over time. This is a simple fact. Practically speaking, some will improve more than others and there really is no way to know, in advance, exactly what your result will be. But, as the mead sits in the bottle, it will undergo a “mellowing” process that allows some notes to come forward, while others retreat. The core composition will never change nor will the basic flavor, but the tones will fluctuate.

We’ve seen surprising success with some of our labels, and have tried to encourage (unsuccessfully) our fans to keep a bottle for a year or more and experience the difference. Harmony, for example, seems to change dramatically as it ages in the bottle. The seasonal mead begins with strong notes of clove and allspice, reminding anyone who tries it of the holidays. But after a year in the bottle, the notes are so dramatically different, that we refer to it as a different name (same label, though), Symphony. An aged Symphony is a far more balanced mead, with all the rough edges smoothed out offering a balanced, lighter experience. This can only be accomplished by letting the mead age in the bottle.

It’s not just Harmony. We’ve experimented with some of our Signature meads, which are very consistent, doing taste tests to see how they age. We’ve found that Bliss ages astonishingly well, producing a less sweet, thinner viscosity that allows the pear flavor to pass the almond flavor. There is no practical way to experience this without allowing the mead to age. And like Bliss, Solifaction will go through the same process. Smoothing out, over time, to make a mellow, less dry experience, letting the latent sweetness emerge.

Creating an “Aged” Flight
If you want to create an experience for yourself or your friends, we suggest storing a few bottles of mead, out of the sun at room temperature, for 6 months to a year. When you are ready to test it, pick up the same labels from the meadery (they will be the most recent) and do some taste testing. For the best results, we suggest trying Bliss, Solifaction, Harmony or Mangata. They will age the most dramatically, offering you something truly different.