The history of alcoholic beverages based on honey more than one millennium. About heady intoxicating honeys mentioned in ancient legends and modern mead has appeared in the XVIII century. This low-alcohol drink made from honey and water with the addition of yeast or hops appreciated for mild taste and pleasant aroma.

The story of

Since ancient times, people valued Cheering properties of alcoholic beverages. And if in southern latitudes with ancient wine-making has evolved and there, where the grapes are not growing preference for beverages based on honey.

The first mention of honeys representation refers to the year 880. The recipe of this drink is described in the famous "Domostroi." The representations of honey was added either water or alcohol drink made from fresh honey and sour berries (cherry, raspberry Berry, Raspberry: sweet healer , Cranberries). Honey berry mixture wandering in open vats, after which the drink is poured into barrels and buried in the ground for the long term to final maturity. Honey matures representation had at least five years, but this drink was considered immature, usually ripening period was 15-20 years. Due to the complexity and duration of the manufacture of representations honeys treat elite drinks.

It is much more accessible honey was drunk. Even before the fermentation mixture of berry juice and honey added to it bumps hops. As a result, the drink is getting harder and matured earlier than representations honey: in just three years. For the ideal result should resist this honey for ten years tarred barrels.

Even faster was preparing boiled honey, the first mention of which can be found in the annals of 996 years. Such honey prepared according to the same technology as the beer and beverage preparation takes only 2-3 weeks.

Gradually, from the preparation of the traditional drink of honey began to refuse, to the XVII century and beverages based on honey wine ousted. And in the XVIII century Nizhny Novgorod was invented mead: low-alcohol drink made from honey and water. Traditions cooking mead in Nizhny Novgorod kept to this day. Also, the drink is produced in Suzdal. Fortress modern mead can range from 5 to 16 degrees.

Species diversity

There are many recipes for mead. Small changes in the technology of preparation to help get to taste a variety of drinks with more or less sugar or alcohol.

So, mead representations obtained from unboiled, unsterilized honey. Many believe that this mead - the most useful, since honey is undesirable to be heat treated. More often, however, in the sale meets mead hearty (boiled), which before fermentation is boiled.

Occasionally during cooking in mead further added ethyl alcohol. Thus it turns fastening mead. In other cases, the fermented drink with a sour taste add more honey, which gives the drink flavor and sweetness.

Usually mead is made from honey and water with the addition of yeast. If we add to the drink bumps hop, it turns intoxicating mead with characteristic bitterness. The fake mead add spices (usually cinnamon, ginger, cloves, juniper, pepper).

In Suzdal also produced nonalcoholic mead - Transparent sparkling beverage with a pleasant sweet aroma. This mead recipe kept secret.

Fans of mead is often said that the drink is useful. This is only partly true. Bee honey does contain a lot of vitamins Vitamins for everyone   and minerals, but when heated it loses its beneficial properties almost completely.

Mead with his own hands

Mead is good because it is possible to prepare from honey any quality, including old, sugar, or purchased in a store sterilized. The aromatic raw material, the more fragrant get ready to drink. If, however, for the preparation of laughing drink honey used without the expressed smell better prepare fake mead - that is flavored spices.

Technology of preparation is different complexity. Honey should be folded into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. The proportions may vary, typically honey take approximately seven to ten times less than that of water. Blend on medium heat is brought to a boil and boil for a couple of minutes. The foam thus must be removed. Once the foam is no longer released, boiling is stopped and the mixture cooled.

The warm mixture is necessary to add yeast, then leave in a warm place for a month. Then you add a new piece of yeast and fermentation is underway again last month. Then drink can be filtered and bottled. Store the finished mead bottles in a cool place. Shelf life - 6 months, with the best taste of mead happens at four months after exposure.

To speed up the process of preparation of hops is added to mead. Knobs of hops can be added immediately after cooking, to yeast. Intoxicated enough mead to ferment only five days - thereafter hop knobs should be removed, and the drink strain and pour into bottles. You can drink this mead a few days. Keep it can only be in the cold no more than six months.

For lovers

Having mastered the basic recipe of mead, the drink can be improved according to your taste. The easiest way to change the taste of mead - add spice to it. The choice depends on the taste of spices manufacturers. With honey The benefits of honey: tasty recovery   well together lemon and orange peel (citrus juice can also be added to the drink), cinnamon, cloves, ginger and black pepper. Interesting taste is mead with herbs, such as mint or thyme.

You can enhance the beverage by adding thereto dried fruit (raisins, apricots, figs) or fresh berries. Men have to taste sweet and strong fastening of mead. To prepare this drink, it should be before the end of fermentation to add a little alcohol mead (only a couple of tablespoons per liter of beverage).

Maria Bykov

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