Beer Examiner: The Mead House of Gulval. Cornwall 1949.
Ancient Mead Stash
Mead is an alcoholic beverage that predates both wine and beer. Many cultures throughout the world have references to this historical beverage. Essentially you might call it a “honey wine,” though technically wine is from fruit as beer is made from grains. The fermented sugars of mead are primarily from honey. If fruit is added to mead it is called melomel. If herbs are added it is a metheglin, grapes additions are called pyment. Cysers are apple juice and honey fermentations.
In early May I had the opportunity to sample 8 different .JPG)
meads. All were made by English mead maker and mead historian Lt. Colonel Robert Gayre. The meads were all made at The Mead House by Meadmakers Ltd., in Gulval, Cornwall located in the southwest of England. Robert Gayre passed away shortly after my 1993 visit with him at his residence. He lived at Minard Castle on the shores of Loch Fyne, Scotland.
Photo left: Grosvenor Merle-Smith investigates the fine print on a 60 year old bottle of Sack Mead.
Long time friends Grosvenor and Rosie Merle-Smith (Louisa, Virginia), my wife and I rendezvoused in London to eventually reach our destination. We have made and enjoyed meads since the mid 1970s when we discovered mead through our homebrewing endeavors. A table top sampling of various meads together had been our destination for several years. We finally made it. The most interesting part of this adventure was that the meads we were about to try were made in 1947, 1948 and 1949.
To be continued…Tasting 60 Year Old Meads – next.
7 Easy Steps to Maximize Your Beer Enjoyment
Step # 3: Designer glassware – Every brewer wants you to fully experience the pleasures they have brewed in each of their beers. For aromatic hoppy or strong ales and lagers try glassware that resembles a brandy snifter, trapping the complex and tantalizing aromas released by the carbonation. Elegant beers are enhanced by slender and thin-walled glassware. Hearty ales and full-malt lagers do you well in hearty straight-up glasses or handled mugs. For barrel aged and/or very strong brews try short-stemmed wine-type glassware.
