What's fermented in Mead? Colin
Mead is made from Honey, water and yeast.
The final result can sometimes turn out sweet, with a honey-like aroma & flavour. But its often fermented to a "dry" drink similar in strength to wine and you might not then be able to guess its source
I dont know how much it was made in other countries, but it has quite a long tradition in the UK. I expect honey was a practical source of fermentable sugars, long before people worked out how to turn barley into malted grains.
The expression "Honeymoon" draws on the fact that a newly wedded bride & groom drank Mead for a few weeks after their wedding.
As i mentioned people who grew roses they were especially proud of used to preserve them in honey.
It prevents the petals going mouldy and their aroma & flavour spreads out into the honey after a few months.
I've made mead and metheglin (mead flavoured with other herbs & magical plants) several times over the years. When i saw how special the rose-steeped honey had become, turning some into mead was my next step!
