Mead or honey wine is the oldest alcoholic drinks known to man. It is made from honey and water via fermentation with yeast. It may be still, carbonated, or sparkling; it may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet.
This is the lnk to the recipe I use as it gives variations depending on how much honey is used. I think flow hives will mean lots of honey for people who would have just bought wee jars in the past. With your own hive producing heaps to use and cook with mead is a lot of fun. Raw honey makes it extra special and delicious:honeybee:
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The only mead I have ever tried was very sweet and I didn’t care for it. But I like very dry wine/champagne so maybe a drier variety would do it for me. I’m excited to find out.
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I’m really looking forward to playing around with this. I’ve tried mead before and not been too keen on it but from what i’ve read it seems there’s potential for a wide variety of flavours and could be as much fun as making your own beer. 
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Came across a good range of Mead and Beer recipes here for those interested:
https://www.dutchgoldhoney.com/recipe/homebrewing-mead
Some extensive testing required…
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I have an extensive step-by-step tutorial (including lots of hints and tips) on how to make mead here:
It outlines how to make mead in three weekends of work (said weekends separated by some time in between), includes equipment and ingredients needed, some safety tips and a big troubleshooting section built up over several years’ worth of people asking questions.
Note: I’ve been making mead for 15 years now. In part, I’m taking up beekeeping as a more effective way of getting tasty honey
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I have a site for mead, you can find a lot of good recipes and mead related topics there…
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the medieval recipe, we’ll have to try it.
We’ve been making Ethiopian Tej, which uses gesho and a 5 week fermentation process, and needs long hot days to brew properly.
Where did you get the T-shirt?
It’s a good one, isn’t it?
Rapanui colothing
But maybe through Buglife
https://buglife.teemill.com/
I bought them a couple years ago and don’t see them available any more.
Cheers!
And now, back to Making Mead 
I have some very dark honey I recently harvested, that has a nice rich flavor. I am considering trying a small batch of mead with this. I wondered if any of you experienced mead-makers notice a difference when using lighter vs darker honey? And what is your preference, if any. Thanks 
Hi Eva,
We’ve just used lighter, early-season clover and wildflower honey for our Tej, so no personal opinion for you here.
But Tyler, at Chasing Railways, has researched lots of honey types and their flavors raw and in mead: https://chasingrailways.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/notes-2-choosing-honey-for-mead/
Skoal 
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What a great article!! Thanks for this resource 
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Me too! I am not a fan of flavored meads, but it sure would be a treat to attend a mead-tasting with the honey he describes .
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I don’t really like flavored wines, so I am sure that I with you on that comment. Even mulled wine is not terribly exciting to me, I would rather just have a glass of a nice dry white wine.
If I ever make mead, I can’t imagine adding fruit, spices etc. I want to taste the complexity of the honey, not the additives.
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O @Cowgirl, where art thou? 
That lady can make some mead…no fruity spicy nonsense, just straight-up, beautifully aged liquid gold.
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I was surprised to have no honey flavour to the ones Ive made.
I’ve only slightly altered the recipe yet the result has varied markedly. Gives me new appreciation for wine… Like I need an excuse…
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