Mead

Met
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The honey wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverage. The origin of the name has in the prehistoric period. The root word is found in all Indo-European languages ​​and is also the root word for "noise". In Sanskrit, is "madhu" for a sweet and intoxicating drink, but also for "honey." Especially the Germans have been 3,000 years ago the art maintained the Met production. They used it as an intoxicant drink used in ritual celebrations, and since they have the effect of alcohol is not understood, there were many myths and legends about the strange brew. The changing their meaning ascribed them to a secret spell, the Met became so soon as a gift from the gods. was among the Romans alongside Met and the sweet honey wine Mulsum extremely popular . At the present time experiencing the Met a rebirth. Both hot drink or cold it is a delicacy. It is made from fermented honey juice (one part honey, two to four parts water) with the addition of hops and spices won. An old recipe from 1897 describes the production as follows:

Twelve liters of water pour into a kettle to make a mark on the tank interior wall to see how high the water stands, and four liters of water and 3.5 pounds of honey to add. Boils and froths the liquid for half an hour, to a bare handful of very good hops pours into it (other recipes also call instead or in addition to two branches of rosemary) and sets the cooking continues until the liquid is again evaporated to twelve liters, which can be recognized earlier in the boiler made characters. Now you pour the brew into a wooden vat, can cool it a short time, mix four tablespoons of good, fresh yeast to the vat is covered with cloths, binds him and makes him stand 48 hours. Then seiht the liquid into a barrel, a linen purse hangs with four sliced ​​lemons (seedless), 30 grams of pounded cinnamon, 15 grams cardamom and three Cloves into it, closes it with a sheet, it provides six to eight weeks then ladle in the round draws to bottles. See also Flavoring and special wines .