Many people are accustomed to consider mead to be a primordially Russian drink. But of course, it is in Russian fairy tales that the narrator "drank honey - beer," so much so that "it flowed down the mustache, but did not get into the mouth." This is a Russian saying "Beer is not a miracle, but honey is not an animal, but everything is the head." But honey drinks were prepared in different countries, the mention of "honey wines" can be found in the writings of Hippocrates. It was he who gave the first recommendations on how to drink mead.
Instructions
Step 1
You can drink mead in different ways, it all depends on what kind of honey you have on your table, for what purposes you want to use it and the traditions of which people you will adhere to. The word "mead" itself appeared only in the 19th century, before that the drink was simply called "honey" and was divided into "put" and "boiled". Putted or intoxicated honey was necessarily kept - they buried the barrel at the stage of fermenting into the ground and dug it out only after 25-40 years. If you dig a barrel earlier, after 10 years, honey was considered immature, it intoxicated and rewarded with the strongest hangover syndrome. But the "correct honey" amused and invigorated without consequences. They drank it before meals, "round" from a brother - a huge wooden, copper, and it happened that gold or silver bowls, scooping up in small ladles with a curved handle or cups. If you want to drink honey like epic heroes, then you have to put it on your own and wait for almost 30 years, the unique Slavic technology of "pit honey" faded into oblivion somewhere in the 15th century.
Step 2
All other peoples have made boiled honey since ancient times, it is they who are known to us under the general name "mead". The recipes by which the drink was prepared are at the same time similar, and all different, the whole point is that different meads can be prepared using the same technology, because you can take different honey - flower, buckwheat, linden, and add various spices to it, berry juices, roots and herbs. Each hostess had her own signature recipe, and it was considered good form in Russia to go on a visit, taking with you a vessel with a home-made drink. Since it was necessary to try more than one brought bottle, they drank mead from small glasses, before eating. To taste the whole gamut of different shades, mead is still drunk in small sips, holding it on the tongue, without haste.
Step 3
In summer, mead is drunk chilled. At the same time, the vessel is opened with extreme caution, because the drink can foam. In winter, before pouring into circles, the mead is heated, in no case bringing to a boil.
Step 4
When in the 19th century, in the wake of interest in everything “primordially Russian,” mead was revived, the traditions of its drinking were already lost, so now it is customary to drink this drink both before and after, as well as during meals, snacking on “what God sent”. But in Ireland, the tradition of drinking honey on St. Patrick's Day is still alive, accompanying them with the national dish of corned beef and cabbage or the famous Irish stew. In the UK, a special Christmas honey is also still brewed, which is served with a turkey.
Step 5
If you want to drink mead for medicinal purposes, then you should do it on an empty stomach. To stimulate bowel movements, improve metabolism and digestion, drink a glass of mead half an hour before meals. To sleep soundly, they drink mead half an hour or an hour before going to bed. In both cases, the drink also has a beneficial effect on the heart and prevents atherosclerosis.
Step 6
In many countries there is an expression "honeymoon". In French lune de miel, in English - honey moon, and this is not a translation from one language to another. The fact is that many peoples noticed the beneficial effect of mead on potency, in addition, it was believed that this drink promotes the conception of male babies, therefore, the newly-made husband and wife were prescribed to drink a glass of honey wine at night for a whole month.
