What is Mead?
When FolkTale say it is a meadery is are often met by ‘So what meat do you use?’
This misconception of thinking we said meatery and not meadery is very common, and we often try to explain what FolkTale does in our meadery. To which we are asked what grapes we use. Mead has been overshadowed with wine, specifically fermented grapes. But wine can be made with just about anything.
Mead is an alcoholic drink created by fermenting honey with water and yeast. In history mead recipes were made by mixing honey with various fruits, spices and grains or even hops.
Like other wines, mead can be still, carbonated, dry, semi-sweet or sweet, and the alcohol content can range from 3.5% to 18% or more. But what truly defines a mead is that the fermentable sugar is primarily derived from honey.
The origin of mead is still being discovered, but it seems that throughout history, wherever there were bees, people have turned honey into mead. From Europe, Africa and Asia. Dig sites have discovered ancient recipes and clay jugs filled with fermented honey. Mead has played an important role in our history and is embedded in our culture through traditions and stories.
However, most people have been introduced to wine through Norse mythology calling it a Viking drink. And with Norse stories and poems like the Mead of Poetry which tells of the blood of the wise-being Kvasir turning any drinker into a poet or a scholar Viking and Mead will always be linked together.
No matter where fermenting honey came from. One thing that people agree on is that mead is like no other wine. And if you get the chance, don’t hesitate to ‘Have a taste of history!’
What’s so good about FolkTale Mead?
FolkTale prides itself on finding unique and interesting recipes that have been adapted from traditional ancient methods. We are Australian owned and support local farmers and beekeepers to ensure a strong future for our communities.
FolkTale specialises in crafting sweet to semi-sweet meads and country wines. If you enjoy ports, scotches or sweet wines then you will enjoy FolkTale’s mead and wine selection. If you visit our Shop you will be able to read the descriptions to find a mead or wine that suits your taste.
Though FolkTale makes great meads, Australians are extremely lucky. There are many great meaderies in Australia and each one is unique. Each meadery produces different meads using different styles, different berries and uses honey specific to that area. The type of honey used in fermentation dramatically changes the taste of each bottle and depends on region and season.
If you are interested in checking out some great mead, go to or Blogs about Australian meaderies.
Why is Mead so expensive?
This is a question that we get asked a lot at FolkTale. Many factors contribute to the cost of mead, including tax, production cost, and produce used.
As mead’s primary fermentable sugar comes from honey, this contributes to the cost. To put it in perspective, if you go to your local supermarket and buy honey off the shelf you are lucky to buy 400g for less than $5. The honey you get off the shelf is usually commercialised, and investigations are being conducted on honey being adulterated with additives.
FolkTale and many Australian Meadery’s pride ourselves in using 100% local Australian honey and will continue to support our beekeepers and their pure Australian products.
Why isn’t Mead as popular as wine?
FolkTale loves this question as it always leads into a conversation about the differences in fermentation processes and the history of our wine industries. But mead has been overshadowed by fermented grapes, what people have come to know as wine.
Wine is typically produced by fermenting berries or certain fruits and has always been popular amongst high society. Though what really changed the wine industry was the 15th century in Europe when fermenting grapes became popular. The industrial evolution saw another increase in wine production, as wine became cheaper to make and wineries expanded into different countries to mass produce what everyone knows as ‘wine’, ‘champagne’, ‘sparkling wine’, ‘fortified wines’ or ‘ports’.
This hasn’t stopped mead being a favourite in ancient Greece and Rome, United Kingdoms, China, Africa and many more countries around the world. There is something special about a wine made from honey that you do not get to experience with wine.
For more information about wine FolkTale suggests reading The Oxford Companion to Wine.
How long have people been making mead?
FolkTale loves this question as no one can really answer it. New archaeological digs are discovering mead from all countries from all eras.
As far as FolkTale knows, the University of Pennsylvania Museum lead a team who discovered pottery jars in Jiahu. The biomarkers they found indicated fermented honey with flowers and spices. The Chinese Burial tomb was dated at 7000-6600 B.C. Evidence of 3000-year-old ‘Nordic grog’ was uncovered in an archaeological dig in Denmark.
I’m sure with more archaeological digs more discoveries of this ancient drink will be found and the more FolkTale will be able to create ‘A Taste of History’ for you.
Is mead always sweet?
Like other wines, mead can be dry, semi-sweet or sweet and the preference really depends on the mazer.
At FolkTale our meads and wines are inspired by our favourite drinks like scotches, sweet wines and ports. FolkTale specialises in sweeter meads and country wines, but FolkTale do have a dry range for those who prefer dryer wines. You can read all about it in the descriptions at our Shop.
What is a mazer?
A mazer is a person who ferments honey into mead. Similar to a brewer who ferments grains and hops into beer and a winemaker or vintner who ferments grapes, fruits and berries into wine.
Do you have beehives at FolkTale?
FolkTale is lucky to be partnered with some great local beekeepers who have been doing this for several generations. We trust in these great Australian owners to ensure high quality honey.
This also goes with FolkTale’s values and mission statement to continue to support local businesses.
For more information check out the following
Robinson, Jancis (1999). The Oxford Companion to Wine (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 775.
Fitch, Edward (1990). Rites of Odin. St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 290. ISBN 9780875422244.
History of beer in Hungary Archived 28 September 2010 at archive.today – difference between mead and honey-wine (in Hungarian)
Lichine, Alexis. Alexis Lichine’s New Encyclopedia of Wines & Spirits(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987), 328.
Gayre, Robert (1986). Brewing Mead. Brewers Publications. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-937381-00-7. ...Therefore to our synopsis: Mead is the general name for all drinks made of honey
Rose, Anthony H. (1977). Alcoholic Beverages. Michigan: Academic Press. p. 413.
Hornsey, Ian (2003). A History of Beer and Brewing. Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-85404-630-0
Lévi-Strauss, J. and D. Weightman, tr. From Honey to Ashes, London:Cape 1973 (Du miel aux cendres, Paris 1960)
Morse, Roger (1992). Making Mead (Honey Wine). Wicwas Press. ISBN 978-1878075048.
Schramm, Ken (2003). The Complete Meadmaker: Home Production of Honey Wine From YouWhat is mead?
We are often asked ‘What is Mead’ and are often met by ‘So what meat do you use?’. This is common as the Mead has been overshadowed with wine specifically fermented grapes. But wine can be made with just about anything.
Mead is an alcoholic drink created by fermenting honey with water and yeast. In history mead recipes were made by mixing honey with various fruits, spices and grains or even hops.
Like other wines, mead can be still, carbonated, dry, semi-sweet or sweet, and the alcohol content can range from 3.5% to 18% or more. But what truly defines a mead is that the fermentable sugar is primarily derived from honey.
The origin of mead is still being discovered, but it seems that throughout history, wherever there were bees and honey people have turned it into mead. From Europe, Africa and Asia. Dig sites have discovered ancient recipes and clay jugs filled with fermented honey. Mead has played an important role in our history and is embedded in our culture through traditions and stories.
However, most people have been introduced to wine through Norse mythology calling it a Viking drink. And with Norse stories and poems like the Mead of Poetry which tells of the blood of the wise-being Kvasir turning any drinker into a poet or a scholar.
No matter where fermenting honey came from. One thing that people agree on is that mead is like no other wine. And if you get the chance, don’t hesitate to ‘Have a taste of history!’
What’s so good about FolkTale Mead?
FolkTale prides itself on finding unique and interesting recipes that have been adapted from traditional ancient methods. We are Australian owned and support local farmers and beekeepers to ensure a strong future for our communities.
Most of the meads and wines produced at FolkTale are sweet to semi-sweet. If you enjoy ports, scotches or sweet wines then you will enjoy FolkTale’s mead and wine selection. If you visit our Shop you will be able to read the descriptions to find a mead or wine that suits your taste.
Though FolkTale makes great meads, Australians are extremely lucky. There are many great meaderys in Australia and each one is unique. Each meadery produces different meads using different styles, different berries and uses honey specific to that area. The type of honey used in fermentation dramatically changes the taste of each bottle and depends on region and season.
If you are interested in checking out some great mead, go to or Blogs about Australian meadery’s.
Why is Mead so expensive?
This is a question that we get asked a lot at FolkTale. Many factors contribute to the cost of mead, including tax, production cost, and produce used.
As mead’s primary fermentable sugar comes from honey, this contributes to the cost. To put it in perspective, if you go to your local supermarket and buy honey off the shelf you are lucky to buy 400g for less than $5. The honey you get off the shelf is usually commercialised, and investigations are being conducted into the additives being used and the watering down of products. Australian Meadery’s are proud in using 100% local Australian honey and will continue to support our beekeepers.
Why isn’t Mead as popular as wine?
FolkTale loves this question as it always leads into a conversation about the differences in fermentation processes and the history of our wine industries. But mead has been overshadowed by fermented grapes, what people have come to know as wine.
Wine is typically produced by fermenting berries or certain fruits and has always been popular amongst high society. Though what really changed the wine industry was the 15th century in Europe when fermenting grapes became popular. The industrial evolution saw another increase in wine production, as wine became cheaper to make and wineries expanded into different countries to mass produce what everyone knows as ‘wine’ and ‘champagne’.
This hasn’t stopped mead being a favourite in ancient Greece and Rome, to United Kingdoms, China, Africa and many more countries around the world. There is something special about a wine made from honey that you do not get to experience with wine.
For more information about wine FolkTale suggests reading The Oxford Companion to Wine.
How long have people been making mead?
FolkTale actually doesn’t know and we doubt anyone can accurately answer this. New archaeological digs are discovering mead from all countries from all eras.
As far as FolkTale knows, the University of Pennsylvania Museum lead a team who discovered pottery jars in Jiahu. The biomarkers indicated fermented honey with flowers and spices. The Chinese Burial tomb was dated at 7000-6600 B.C. Evidence of 3000-year-old ‘Nordic grog’ was uncovered in an archaeological dig in Denmark.
With more archaeological digs more discoveries of this ancient drink will be found and the more FolkTale will be able to create ‘A Taste of History’ for you.
Is mead always sweet?
Like other wines, mead can be dry, semi-sweet or sweet and the preference really depends on the mazer.
At FolkTale our meads and wines are inspired by our favourite drinks like scotches, sweet wines and ports. We prefer the sweeter wines and meads in our selection and therefore most of our range are sweet. But, FolkTale do have a dry range for those who prefer dryer wines and you can read all about it in the descriptions at our Shop.
What is a mazer?
A mazer is a person who ferments honey into mead. Similar to a brewer who ferments grains and hops into beer and a winemaker or vintner who ferments grapes, fruits and berries into wine.
We are lucky at FolkTale to have a meadery and winery and therefore Tony is both a winemaker and a mazer.
Do you have beehives at FolkTale?
FolkTale is lucky to be partnered with some great local beekeepers who have been doing this for several generations. We trust in these great Australian owners to ensure high quality honey.
This also goes with FolkTale’s values and mission statement to always support local businesses.
For more information check out the following
Robinson, Jancis (1999). The Oxford Companion to Wine (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 775.
Fitch, Edward (1990). Rites of Odin. St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 290. ISBN 9780875422244.
History of beer in Hungary Archived 28 September 2010 at archive.today – difference between mead and honey-wine (in Hungarian)
Lichine, Alexis. Alexis Lichine’s New Encyclopedia of Wines & Spirits(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987), 328.
Gayre, Robert (1986). Brewing Mead. Brewers Publications. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-937381-00-7. ...Therefore to our synopsis: Mead is the general name for all drinks made of honey
Rose, Anthony H. (1977). Alcoholic Beverages. Michigan: Academic Press. p. 413.
Hornsey, Ian (2003). A History of Beer and Brewing. Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-85404-630-0
Lévi-Strauss, J. and D. Weightman, tr. From Honey to Ashes, London:Cape 1973 (Du miel aux cendres, Paris 1960)
Morse, Roger (1992). Making Mead (Honey Wine). Wicwas Press. ISBN 978-1878075048.
Schramm, Ken (2003). The Complete Meadmaker: Home Production of Honey Wine From Your First Batch to Award-winning Fruit and Herb Variations. Brewers Publications. ISBN 978-0-937381-80-9.r First Batch to Award-winning Fruit and Herb Variations. Brewers Publications. ISBN 978-0-937381-80-9.