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Grex Enigma Item 133: The Real Thing [frozen]
Entered by vidar on Sat Sep 25 19:04:57 UTC 1993:

Is there any place in the US a Viking can buy *REAL* Mead?  All I've been
able to find is white wine with honey added.  I could go to England and get
the Real thing, but that's an expensive plane ticket.  Why do people hate Mead
anyway?

16 responses total.

#1 of 16 by remmers on Sat Sep 25 23:14:23 1993:

Because they've been concentrating more on the Persians?

#2 of 16 by scg on Sun Sep 26 00:06:57 1993:

Not legally, if you're under 21.  The law doesn't really care whether you're
a viking or not

#3 of 16 by vidar on Sun Sep 26 11:41:07 1993:

As you might have noticed earlier, I don't give an airborne rodent intercourse
about the law.  And what laws are there that prevent me from making it myself?

#4 of 16 by chelsea on Sun Sep 26 13:39:47 1993:

"Airborne rodent intercourse"...  Has a nice ring. ;-)

#5 of 16 by embu on Sun Sep 26 15:09:20 1993:

then *make* it yourself!

#6 of 16 by vidar on Sun Sep 26 17:25:47 1993:

Shouldn't I try it first to so if I'm going to want to make some?

#7 of 16 by rcurl on Sun Sep 26 17:32:52 1993:

There is a recipe in Henley's Formulas for Home and Workshop (1927).
Let us know how it turns out.

#8 of 16 by jdg on Sun Sep 26 18:34:29 1993:

There are many commercial meads, Vidar.  I was a judge at this year's
Mazer Cup competition, and about 7 commercial meads were entered.  You
should know, though, that NONE of the commercial entrants were award
winners.  All of those went to homebrewers.  The "Best of Show" entrant
was, believe it or not, a Chocolate Mint Pyment -- pyment being a spiced
mead.  It was perfectly balanced between chocolate, mint, and honey, and
I was lucky enough to have it at my table in the first round.

#9 of 16 by vidar on Sun Sep 26 22:49:43 1993:

Ok.  I just don't know where to find the real stuff in the US without
making it myself.  Well, I guess I'll try and see how it works out.

#10 of 16 by jdg on Sun Sep 26 23:44:58 1993:

If your seriously interested, Vidar, you could attend the next meeting
of the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild.  Meads seem to appear at most every
meeting, and we have some *world class* mead makers in the guild.
Send me e-mail for more information.

#11 of 16 by robh on Mon Sep 27 02:31:12 1993:

Yes, some pagan friends of mine made mead on their own a few days
ago.  I don't drink, so I didn't try it, but they said it was good.
I don't remember the exact steps, but it wasn't complicated.

#12 of 16 by rcurl on Mon Sep 27 12:45:58 1993:

Re: #7: I wanted to repeat the recipe, but it is too long. However, you
first need to get a 40 gallon barrel. I do hope someone will try it.

#13 of 16 by glenda on Mon Sep 27 16:37:42 1993:

Village Corner carries (or at least used to carry) a Polish mead that was
very, very good for a commercial mead.  It came in a lovely reddish brown
earthenware jug.

#14 of 16 by vidar on Mon Sep 27 19:26:13 1993:

Cool.

#15 of 16 by jdg on Wed Sep 29 01:08:42 1993:

re 11: Mead takes a long time to age before drinkability occurs.  If
it was only a few days ago, rather than a few years ago, I'd avoid it
if I were you.  Most meads take at least a year from the time fermentation
has completed until they are delicious.  I love meads, I just don't have
the patience to wait for them to age, nor the money for high quality
honeys.  Hence, I judge 'em instead.  :-)

#16 of 16 by vidar on Wed Sep 29 01:25:14 1993:

And the Viking had much rejoicing!

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