Mead. Delicious, golden, soul-soothing mead. I first had the nectar of the gods when I was seventeen and in England, on an island called Lindisfarne that can only be reached during low tide. My taste buds were forever changed. I knew from that moment that if heaven exists, and I believe it does, there are three things it absolutely must contain: snuggly baby animals, sunny spots for naps, and mead. August 6th is Mead Day, and I’m giving you a few different ways to celebrate.

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1) DIY Some Mead: Pinterest is FILLED with all kinds of fantastic mead recipes. Seriously,
I’m drooling over here. Some contain fruit, some have herbs, and some remain true to
the original recipe of honey, water, and a touch of yeast. Thankfully, this tutorial was
made in honor of Mead Day and is super straightforward. Plus, it’s
bound to thrill the lazy DIY-er! Throw stuff in a jug, let it hang out, and voila!

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2) Celebrate Medicine: There have been traces of mead found in Chinese pottery dating back to 7,000 BCE, so needless to say this stuff has been around for a hot minute. There are some recipes from medieval herbals that call for a base of mead, which was always assumed to be given just help the medicine go down. A microbiologist in Sweden, however, is currently trying to make a probiotic mead to fight off drug resistant
infections. It might take several years, but I’m totally down for some mead to make me well!

3) Read a Book: Ancient poetry is filled with references to mead. The Greek gods drank it, Egyptians loved it, and the epic poem Beowulf is almost entirely based in mead halls, which were the Anglo Saxon equivalent of a community center that let everyone get drunk and merry from mead. So read some history books (irreverent ones like this one from Mental Floss are my favorite) or just watch the History Channel!

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4) Take an Arrow to the Knee: There’s been a resurgence in games and TV shows from the Middle Ages, and one of the greatest sources for that is Skyrim. You can make your own Honningbrew Mead, or just use this as an excuse to play lots of Skyrim.

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5) Take a Romantic Trip: Fun fact! The term “honeymoon” comes from the Persian tradition of sending the newly married bride and groom off for a month with LOTS of mead to try and have them conceive their first child (hint: it normally worked). Take your own little honeymoon of sorts and book a weekend getaway in a quiet destination where you can just enjoy each other’s company…along with however much mead (or cocktails made with honey) you like! Or if that’s not feasible, then get to planning your next trip, ensuring you and your love have plenty of time to just relax.

6) Order The Best Tasting Mead On the Planet: Remember me mentioning Lindisfarne at the start of this article? This incredible island has been continuously making mead since before the Vikings invaded and destroyed their abbey. Yes, you read that right – not even Vikings can stop the best mead on the planet. Do yourself and your taste buds a favor and order some. If pure mead isn’t your style, they also have preserves and jams spiked with the divine concoction.

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Cheers, friends!

 

Photo credit: “Mead” by Alberto is licensed under a CC by 2.0

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Charlotte Smith is an esthetician licensed in Tennessee and Georgia. She’s married to a lumberjack version of Deadpool, is obsessed with huskies, is straight up in quarter-life crisis mode, and loves pretty much anything that could be considered creepy.

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