Getting Started: The Jargon of it All
Lets pop a squat and do some quick review. I promise, no quizzes at afterward!
What you need to know
When I started making mead it was confusing how many terms there were for mead. They all had different meanings and technical definitions. And some people refer to one thing as a mead and another calls it an Acerglyn. Whats an Acerglyn? No worries! We will come that and some of the other more commonly used terms. So at the end of this quick read you can talk to other mead enthusiasts and be confident you know what’s what.
Here are a few common mead-related terms:
Mead: The most important of all the terms in my opinion and the easiest to remember. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey, water, and yeast. The honey does need to be the primary fermentable sugar otherwise its classified as something else depending on ingredients.
Must: The mixture of honey, water, and yeast before fermentation. Wine makers use the same term because technically a mead is considered a wine.
Fermentation: The process by which yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Acerglyn: In simple terms it’s a mead made with honey and maple syrup. Again the honey is the primary fermentable sugar in an Acerglyn.
Bochet: Mead made from caramelized honey. Can be bitter in taste, sort of the IPA of mead as far as popularity. Either you love it or hate it.
Hydromel: A light, low-alcohol mead that is made with a high proportion of water to honey.
Melomel: A mead made with fruit added to the must, resulting in a mead with a fruit flavor.
Metheglin: A spiced mead, made with spices and/or herbs added to the must.
Session mead: A lower-alcohol mead, typically around 5-7% ABV, that is intended to be consumed in larger quantities.
Nose: The aroma of a mead, often used to describe the overall sensory experience of the beverage.
These are just a few of the many terms used in the world of mead making and consumption. When you get these terms down the others will come naturally.
If you are interested in reading more about mead I recommend checking out MEAD The Big Book about the history, production, and Recipe. #Amazon Ad
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