Mead, a Honey of a Drink. Alberta is the place for mead.
by Margaux Burgess
As proper spring weather approaches and we look forward to our long sunny days, we are not the only creatures readying for summer. Alberta’s 25 billion honey bees are ready to get to work after their long retreat into winter clusters. (Honey bees don’t hibernate—rather they stay active in the hive to keep the temperature around 26ºC and the queen alive.) Almost half of Canada’s premium honey comes from Alberta. The favourable mix of alfalfa, clover, fireweed and wildflowers make for plentiful and diverse foraging lands for the bees and high-quality honey for us.
Honey is rich with antioxidants, has antimicrobial properties and a lower glycemic index than sugar. Like all sugars, it is fermentable. Around 10,000 years ago, water, yeast and time happened upon a flagon of honey and what was created—mead—is arguably the world’s oldest fermented beverage.
Also known as ambrosia or nectar in ancient texts, mead was viewed as the drink of the gods and related with royalty. It was associated with the god Bacchus long before wine was, and literary references to mead are found in works like Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales and Bulfinch’s Mythology, The Age of Fable. Traces of mead were found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb. The mythology of mead lingers with the honeymoon, the traditional gift of a moon’s cycle worth of mead (honey-wine) to a newlywed couple.
The making of mead is a little bit science and a little bit art, needing only three ingredients—honey, water and yeast—to begin the fermentation process and creating ethanol from sugar. Mead is gluten-free (as long as no gluten is added) and can be enjoyed in a variety of styles and flavours.
It is easy to assume mead is sweet, it does come from honey after all, but mead ranges from dry, crisp styles fit for a patio, to very sweet styles that are perfect with a dessert at the end of a meal.
In addition to classic mead made in the traditional way, there are many other varieties and styles that the mazer (mead-maker) can create. Melomel is mead made with fruit. If made with apples it is called a cyser (think cider), if made with grapes it’s called a pyment. Pyments can be white, rosé or red just like wine. Metheglin is a spiced mead and braggot, for the beer-lovers, is mead blended with beer. Some braggots are also carbonated for an even more beer-like beverage. Bochet, made with carmelized honey, is an ideal finish to a meal due to its extra intensity.
Regardless of the style, honey is still the number one ingredient in quality mead. Similar to grapes for wine, honey is able to communicate a sense of place indicating where it is from and what sort of nectar the bees were collecting. The floral source will determine the characteristics of the honey and hence the mead in your glass. For example, wildflower honey comes from undefined flower sources and is versatile with mild floral undertones. Alfalfa honey is pale in colour with a delicate beeswax flavour and aroma and clover honey has a sweet floral aroma and a mild taste that is similar to actual clover blossoms. All three are used for mead-making here in Alberta.
There is a dynamic range of producers of mead all across the province from the north around Grand Prairie to down south to Okotoks and beyond. With many awards won, Alberta is a great place to dive into mead.
Chinook Honey and Chinook Arch Meadery in Okotoks was the first commercial meadery in Alberta. Starting with hobby hives in 1995, a change to Alberta laws to support cottage wineries allowed the opening of the meadery in 2007. Founders Art and Cherie Andrews are a great resource to the mead industry in Alberta and their years of experience are communicated via the glass in the diversity of their meads.
Fallentimber in Water Valley has had hives even longer, since the late ’60s and the meadery was established in 2010. Brothers Nathan and Colin Ryan work tirelessly on their line-up to offer more traditional styles as well as canned hopped, melomels and metheglin meads, perfect for luring beer and cider lovers to the world of mead.
Stolen Harvest is new to the scene, founded in 2020 in Grovedale in Northern Alberta and it’s already winning medals, including from the World Mead Challenge in Chicago. Mazer and co-owner Kristeva Dowling offers traditional, melomel and bochet meads.
Many of the meaderies across Alberta have tasting rooms on-site where you can taste through the line-up and learn directly from the producers how their mead is made and why it tastes the way it does. What better way to see the province than a tour full of wildflowers, bees, honey and mead all the while showing support to some of our unique local producers?
Must Try Meads
Chinook Honey King Arthur’s Dry is a more modern interpretation of a traditional dry mead, made from a blend of alfalfa and clover honeys that give a delicate floral character while not overpowering the honey aromatics. Off-dry and crisp with a long finish, this is great as an aperitif or with pork or poultry.
Fallentimber Meadjito is a wonderful introduction to mead and perfect for anyone who enjoys a mojito. Branded as a session mead this is canned, carbonated, lightly sweet and refreshing. A flavourful blend of mint, lime and honey that is super quaffable at 5.5 per cent abv.
Stolen Harvest Coffee Bochet makes for an excellent post-dinner sweet digestif. Caramelizing the honey gives added intensity and complexity while the coffee flavour adds balance. Great on its own or excellent with sticky toffee pudding, crème caramel or dark chocolate. An award winner at the World Mead Challenge.
What to look for when tasting mead
Well-made meads have a balance of pleasant honey flavour, sweetness, acidity, tannins and alcohol. Any additions (fruits, spices) should be well-integrated and the final mead should be cohesive and enjoyable.
Tasting mead is not so different than tasting wine. There are characteristics to look for and clues to the type of mead and quality. Honey contributes flavour and aromatics (instead of grapes) as do any additions. There are any number of flavour combinations that can make for a wonderfully complex and enjoyable beverage. Balance and integration are key.
Appearance
Mead should be clear with good to brilliant clarity. Meads can have carbonation so there may be the presence of bubbles. The colour depends on the type of honey used and any additions. Crystal clear, bright examples are the ideal.
Aroma
Mead should smell of honey and have a pleasant and clean aroma. The intensity depends on the alcoholic strength, type of honey and style of mead but there should always be a discernable honey character. Aromatics may also include fruity, floral or spicy notes. Complexity is valued and if a variety of honey is declared the variety should be recognizable.
Flavour
The intensity of the honey flavour is based on the sweetness of the mead (the sweeter the mead the more intense the honey character on the nose and palate). Mead can range from very dry to very sweet but should never be cloying or unbalanced. Complexity of flavour indicates quality (as it does in wine). If fruit or spice have been added, their flavours should be noticeable and true.
For more info on tasting and judging mead visit: dev.bjcp.org/style/2015/mead