The drinking horn was an iconic vessel for consuming mead during Viking rituals and celebrations. Horns were elaborately decorated and signified wealth and hospitality. Wash and sanitise twelve swing top bottles and your auto-siphon as before. Leave the bottles to drain for a few minutes standing upside down on a clean tea towel on the work surface until most of the sanitiser has drained out. Sanitize all of your brewing equipment using a sanitizer like Star San or Iodophor, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Good sanitation is crucial to prevent any unwanted bacteria or wild yeast from spoiling your mead. Add the pectic enzyme. It will further help to break down the fruits and get better extraction out of the fruits. This step is optional, and you can skip it if you like.

During blóts, or sacrificial rituals, mead would be poured or sprinkled over altars, sacred objects, and even participants as a means of consecration and communion with the divine. Unpasteurised natural honey contains wild yeast and Vikings created mead by mixing honey with spring water and leaving it to ferment for several months. This is a weaker mead and is often made with less honey and more water, resulting in a lower ABV MelomelIf this is your first mead experience, I would suggest going with a more simple brew, keeping the more complex varieties (flavors, so many to choose from!) for after your first bottle.

First and foremost - to all the other reviewers who are saying this isn't beer. - That is correct. It is mead, they are nothing alike, as this is a Honey Wine. It just so happens to also have hops and other sundries within as well. Honestly, that combats the overly sweet taste common in many meads, without having to resort to a champagne yeast base. This mead is sweet, yet a bit tart with the hop and hibiscus, while the apricot smooths the transition between the two. Norse mythology continues to inspire interest in mead, connecting it to an epic, storied past. Viking mead endures as a link to ancient beliefs, customs, and flavors. One of the most famous variations of mead was the "Blood Mead" (Blood Mjød) that Vikings were said to have drunken. A combination of fermenting honey with mixed berries (especially tart cherries) and hibiscus saw the mead turn the color of blood. The hibiscus flower is a perfect sweetener to the tart and bitter flavor of the cherries, whilst it is also said to have some beneficial qualities such as lowering blood pressure. However, Heorot was plagued by the monstrous Grendel, who terrorized the mead hall and its inhabitants. The hero Beowulf arrived to save Heorot, ultimately defeating Grendel and his vengeful mother. Odin then transformed himself into a snake and slithered through a small hole that Baugi had drilled into the mountain. Once inside, he took on the form of a charming man and seduced Gunnlöð, who allowed him to drink the Mead of Poetry over the course of three nights.When it is well mixed, place the jar in a cool, dark place. However, the ideal temperature for keeping the jar is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 degrees Celsius. The contents of the fermenter will slowly transform from a murky brown liquid into clear honey coloured mead. Additional transfers after this will allow dead yeast to settle out each time, prevent yeast autolysis (leading to off-flavors), and improve clarity. And so, Viking Blood gained publicity and fame, and spread throughout areas where people drank mead. Which… included not only the Scandanavian lands, but most of Europe and, well… everywhere. Logically speaking though, anywhere that Viking was a known term, would make sense that this marketing scheme was popular. In areas outside the sphere of influence of the Vikings, it’s probably just cherry mead and not nearly as popular. You guessed it, bubbly mead! This mead is usually bottle conditioned with a small amount of sugar or honey which achieves the carbonation. Traditional Mead

However, traditional mead may contain 8 – 20% ABV which tastes like honey. This alcoholic beverage was very popular with the Vikings. Also dedicated an entire building for this drink.

At the heart of these feasts was the consumption of mead, which flowed freely, symbolizing the host’s generosity and wealth.