Meade is the oldest alcoholic drink known to man.  Records date it back to the early Roman and Greek civilizations. Simple and easy to make, many a traveler was able to make this and let it ferment along the trail. There was Honey found in the catacombs of Knossos in Crete that dated back to about 1500 BC, and it was still edible!! Why? Honey is too sweet for any bacteria to grow in it.

    The receipe is quite simple..... You need the following ingredients and implements to make Meade...
 

                        1-1/2 - Gallons of honey.... your choice as to type
                        5 - Gallons of water
                        1 - pkg of Champagne or Mead Yeast
                            (available thru your local supplier of brewing products)
                            (Or check on-line at www.google.com)
 

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                        1 - 8 gallon pot
                        1 - pkg of cheese cloth
                        1 - "skimmer"
                        1 - 5 gallon water jug - glass is the best but plastic will do
                        1 - "Bopper" Balloon (About 16" in diameter blown up)
 

    Put 5 GL of water into the big pot but DO NOT boil. My stove buttons go from 1 to 9... I set mine on 8.  This heats it to about 200 F, but does not boil the mixture. Boiling can cause the honey to "string" and makes the final product cloudy. Does not effect the taste of final out come, but I like my Mead as clear as possible. (NOTE: Put tin foil around the burner under the burner ring to keep marring the paint on the stove.  It does gnerate quite a bit of heat.)  When the water is rolling, add the honey... all of it.  As the honey and water simmers to a roll, the honey will start to "scum" on the surface.  Use the skimmer to remove this material.  When it stops scumming, take it off the fire, and let the mixture cool to about 80 - 90 degrees F.  Add the yeast to the jug, and strain the honey-water mixture into the bottle through a big funnel and the cheese cloth.  Now, put the balloon over the mouth of the jug, and use a rather large needle and poke a hole in it.  This is the "hygrometer"...  The balloon will expand as the yeast ferments in the brew.  When the balloon blows up and then goes down (usually about 8-10 weeks), the brew is ready to drink.  It will range from about 12% to 16% alcohol at this point... about like wine.  If you let it sit longer, it will go as high as 24%... REALLLLY GOOD!!! *grins*...  Also, the longer it sits, the better it is later... I had some at my wedding that was 2 years old, and it was better than anything I have ever tasted before... even mine... *grins*

    You can also add flavorings to the Meade for spectacular variations.  Raspberries, orange peel or extract, brandy flavorings, etc...  Usually you can get the extracts for flavors like Irish Mist, Grand Marnier, Drambuie, etc... from on line.  Below are listed web sites where you can get the supplies you need.

   MEADE, DRINK OF THE GODS

  BEE'S LEE'S

  VIKING MEAD