There is an adult beverage that is prehistoric, and probably the front-runner as the oldest form of alcohol. On this All Hallows’ Eve that happens to fall on our weekly day of rest and relaxation, it seems somewhat appropriate to examine this ancient drink that developed independently in cultures from Asia to African and Europe. It may be the nectar, or drink of the gods, in Greek and Roman mythology. Ethiopians call it T’ej. The Vikings called it mead. As you see, some of our favorite Halloween costumes can be linked to this mystical elixir.
It is quite possible that mead was discovered by accident by a less than thoroughly evolved hunter-gatherer (aka “caveman”) who was looking for a thirst quencher and stumbled upon an upturned beehive that was filled with water.
There you have it, all the ingredients for fermentation, sugars, water, natural yeast and a little bit of time. You can just imagine what the reaction might have been from the very first person to sip from a beehive and “catch a buzz.” This intoxication must have been a priority to replicate, and so overturned beehive hunting became popular. Later the art of mead making was born.
The Greeks, who passed down a toga tradition to “Animal House” and any quality Halloween party, believed this drink descended from the heavens as dew and was gathered by the bees. The whole process was considered to be magical and sacred and that consuming this nectar would do everything from prolonging life to bestowing virility and wisdom.
When grapes were discovered as a less expensive and more efficient source of producing wine in southern Europe mead production declined. Up north, however, mead continued as a vital part of the culture and mythology, since vine fruits were less available. (Being predominantly Swedish, I have, since my first memory of Halloween, aspired to don a Viking costume complete with the horned helmet, but sadly this aspiration has yet to be realized.)
The Celtic mythology of mead exists today as part of our ceremony of matrimony. The term “honeymoon” is a direct extension of the tradition of giving bridal couples a moon’s worth of mead to ensure a fruitful union and to perpetuate the propagation of a first-born male.
The history of mead is as long as it is colorful and is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Both beer and wine are evolutionary byproducts of mead, since the early brewers of mead used fruit, spices and hops to mask unpleasant aromas and flavors that occurred in the sometimes challenging fermenting process. Grapes and hops that once were used to enhance mead became what we now know as wine, ale and beer.
We have a local treasure that can connect us to this ancient beverage. Heading east up U.S. 2, past Monroe and just outside Sultan is Sky River Brewing, producers of ultra-premium honey wines.
On a recent trip I visited Sky River Brewing and met with their charming owner and winemaker, Denice Ingalls. Halloween was prevalent on my mind, since all along the way there was no shortage of scary cornfields, frightful pumpkin patches and ghoulish decorations. Approaching the brewery I realized that the Sultan Cemetery was just across the street, and a foreboding sense of gloom came over me like the autumn leaves that blew across the windshield.
Actually, the only thing scary about Sky River Mead is how good it is. The brewery is at 32533 Cascade View Drive in Sultan and is open to the public for a taste of “the nectar of the gods” Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What was most impressive about Ingalls and her entire Sky River operation was the obvious attention to detail and the passion put into their effort to reintroduce mead into the mainstream of the 21st century. “All of our honeys are handled with tremendous care, from the bee to the bottle,” she writes on Sky River’s Web site, www.skyriverbrewing.com. “This yields a mead that retains the honeyed essence of its foundation – the floral nose, and the melon and tree fruit notes that the specific flowers and pollen impart.”
That’s the part of the mead equation that most people don’t realize. There are many different types of honey derived from a multitude of floral sources, each of which imparts different flavor and sugar profiles. With technical support from Cornell University and their partnership with Pure Foods of Sultan, Sky River Mead has developed into an industry leader with an annual production of about 3,000 cases of mead in varying degrees of sweetness.
So, if you are planning to celebrate samhain eve by donning caveman, Greek, Viking, honeymooner or any other wacky garb, consider a gourd, chalice, horn or schooner full of Sky River Mead and toast to the birth of the booze.
Jeff Wicklund can be reached at 425-737-2600, or wick@colbyhospitality.com.
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