Mead, beautiful mead

[Little Frog]

A discussion about homebrewing on another forum left me craving mead something fierce.

Alas, the bottle I picked up on my last trip to Brittany is long gone and it seems that mead is not all that easy to find in Vancouver. Government liquor stores do not carry it and when I enquired at private stores they told me that they maybe get one request a year but do not stock any.

Does anyone know where I could find some locally?

What is a girl to do? Plan an expedition to Sooke, where there apparently is a meadery? Or buy the equipment and brew mead at home, putting my whole block at risk of deflagration if the fermentation goes wrong?

My buckwheat crepes and myself thank you in advance for your recommendations!

[kurtisk]

Hi!

Tim Pawsey wrote an article in the Courier (click here!) recently that covered local Mead quite well. In fact, he said he'd be interested on seeing it in some local spots, particularly Aurora Bistro. Personally, it's not my thing and Jeff isn't exactly hankerin' for it either.

Yes, it would be nice (a great claim) to have it in the restaurant, but I envision opening a bottle around here once every year or so, and watching the remaining 80% of the bottle just sittin' in the fridge getting darker, darker, and undrinkable.

What does everyone think? If you were dining here, would you ever (really) order it?

[Memo]

Brian Trudell, the new cider-maker at Merridale Cider - in the Cowichan Valley - is a master mead-maker (though not commercially).

He made a wonderful blueberry mead (honey, water, yeast & blueberries) in 2004.

If you're at the cidery, you might contact him to see if he knows of any mead availability in B.C.

Memo

[Little Frog]

Kurtis and Memo, thank you very much for your replies!

I will definitely try and get in touch with Brian at Merridale Cider.

What does everyone think?  If you were dining here, would you ever (really) order it?

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Well, I know I would!

Seriously though, I am afraid that it would take some effort and time before Vancouverites consider mead as a viable alternative to, say, beer and apple cider, especially if they have never heard of it or tried it before.

Even in France, where there are still quite a few commercial meaderies in Brittany, mead (called "hydromel" in French and "chouchen" in Breton) is considered either as a relic from medieval times or as a quaint little regional drink that is almost impossible to find in the rest of the country.

Not a widespread thing by any stretch of the imagination!

Also, most of the mead made in BC seems (at least from what I read online) to be flavoured with fruit and/or herbs, which technically makes it a melomel or metheglin. I would expect these flavoured meads to be more difficult to successfully pair with food, therefore limiting them to being served as an aperitif or maybe with dessert.

Plain mead on the other hand, when well-made, can be refined and complex enough to be enjoyed with food in lieu of wine.

Whew! That was a long-winded post! Sorry for being so verbose (can you tell I am passionate about mead? ) and thanks again for taking the time to answer my question.

Emmanuelle

[kurtisk]

No worries, it provides great food for thought...

k

[appreciator]

There was some discussion about Mead previously in the Farmer's market thread here and here

You've probably already checked out the websites for Tugwell Creek Farm & Meadery as well as Middle Mountain Mead but in case not... you now have the links

I would like to try some myself so the next time I go to Vancouver Island, I will be sure to include a trip to Tugwell Creek.

[chrisstearns]

What does everyone think?  If you were dining here, would you ever (really) order it?

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Well, a good waiter can always introduce a customer to a new product that they're excited about (how many of us have turned guests onto Moscato D'Asti?). But to help with the practical question of an open bottle of mead just sitting there, I can think of a couple ways to help keep it moving.

You could incorporate it into a wine flight which accompanies a tasting menu (provided your restaurant offers something like this), probably to accompany the dessert/cheese course.

You could use mead as an ingredient in a cocktail (one that lets the character of the mead show, without covering it up, of course). I have a couple recipes in mind.

Both ways, you are moving enough mead that it won't spoil, and people could order a glass on it's own anytime they wanted. But I think the best way to sell mead in restaurants is to talk about Beowulf.

"Gathered together, the Geatish men in the banquet-hall on bench assigned, sturdy-spirited, sat them down, hardy-hearted. A henchman attended, carried the carven cup in hand, served the clear mead. Oft minstrels sang blithe in Heorot.”

Henchmen? Minstrels? Who can resist that?

[Little Frog]

You could incorporate it into a wine flight which accompanies a tasting menu (provided your restaurant offers something like this), probably to accompany the dessert/cheese course.

This sounds like a great idea! Last time I was served local mead, it was the lavender/cranberry from Middle Mountain and I remember thinking that it would be fantastic paired with a lavender creme brulee or something along these lines. It is semi-dry but tastes crisp and fresh enough not to be cloying with dessert.

And some good plain mead would go very well with several of our local fresh goat cheeses.

Henchmen? Minstrels? Who can resist that?

Throw in a couple curvy Valkyries to wait on tables and you are all set!

[Sam Salmon]

Henchmen? Minstrels? Who can resist that?

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OK-I'm in.

[mtigges]

What does everyone think?  If you were dining here, would you ever (really) order it?

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I'm a homebrewer and beer afficionado, as such, the quality of beer that a restaurant stocks attracts me in the way that a wine lover is attracted to a good list. That said if I knew you had mead I would order it.

[Zucchini Mama]

Did some say Valkyries...?

Funny that there's a bit of a buzzzz about mead goin' around these days. People are talkin'. I think it may have the potential to be a home brew kind of thing. I'm interested in finding a U-brew that's mead-friendly. I'm a huge fan of Merridale Cyser-cider made with honey, so maybe there's a U-brew in town that has a bit of knowledge and would be open to mead/cyser-making. Let's ask around and see if it could happen. I think there's fun to be had with sherry or champagne yeasts. The possibilities are intriguing.

Zuke

[makanmakan]

chris, those are wonderful ideas! i myself have been turned onto different things at restaurants by passionate servers. my liver and i are always grateful for it!

a friend came back from prague a few years ago with a bottle of almond mead for me. what a beautiful sipper and i miss my ritual of having a little glass of it every couple of days. i will definitely be looking for those local meads that have been talked about here. thanks!!

[kurtisk]

Well well well...

Who'd have thought that the Mead thread would be so coveted?

Chris, you bring up some valid points and I know that I could get staff behind it, but how much effort to put behind such a thing? It's like the Garry Oaks Blanc de Noir, which we all loved and sold cases and cases of, until that little hussy Joie Pinot Noir Rose sauntered in, and poor Garry Oaks was left sobbing in the corner.

And Lori, I knew you'd chime in with something quite relevant sooner or later. Great thoughts, we can always count on you for excellent ideas and feedback.

Our cheese & dessert program is fairly extensive and it looks like we could have some fun with Mead.

So there we go, look for it to appear here at Aurora Bistro in the next week or so.

As an aside, this is a great example of how eGullet has, and will continue to, be a part of shaping our local food scene.

k.

[Daddy-A]

[host]

As an aside, this is a great example of how eGullet has, and will continue to, be a part of shaping our local food scene.

I was going to jump in a remind everyone to keep the discussion local. Looks like someone was reading my mind

If you;re looking for more generic discussion/info on mead check out these threads over in the Beer forum.

A Mead Brewing Project

Mead

A.

[/host]

[mtigges]

So there we go, look for it to appear here at Aurora Bistro in the next week or so.

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Is it out of line to ask you to let us know when it happens? Hopefully Daddy-A won't mind if you bring this thread topside when you have it in. My wife owes me a dinner, and I can't think of a better place to return to.

[Daddy-A]

Hopefully Daddy-A won't mind if you bring this thread topside when you have it in.

Not as long as Daddy-A gets an invite from kurtisk as well

A.

[Little Frog]

So there we go, look for it to appear here at Aurora Bistro in the next week or so.

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Wonderful! I will be paying Aurora Bistro a visit in the near future, then!

[chrisstearns]

Chris, you bring up some valid points and I know that I could get staff behind it, but how much effort to put behind such a thing?

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Valid question. Mead will never be more than a bit player in your beer & wine line-up, it's true. What's more, the LDB doesn't list any mead at all -- this means a spec order, and more hassle to go through to provide your customers with something original. (But we're used to that, right?)

It's an interesting product, certainly, but as you pointed out earlier it won't sell itself. Hence my suggestions were aimed at a couple things to do to ensure that some of it moves almost every night. Just one of the tricks of managing a bar product line: make sure there's no dead wood.

What about infusing some mead with a bit of lavender and mixing it with French vermouth, tall, on the rocks? Mead and Irish whiskey would be good as a digestif, mixed like a Rusty Nail. Or how about plugging it into the spot occupied by Cointreau in many classic cocktails--like the Sidecar? (Name would have to change, of course, and the recipe would have to be balanced for sweetness.)

I bet your pastry chef could have some fun with it too.

[kurtisk]

The 3rd thing on my To Do list when I got to work today was to call Middle Mountain Mead. While finishing my 2nd task, Middle Mountain Mead phoned me! I guess the word is out. I have a half dozen samples coming next week, we'll go from there. Chris, thanks for all the tips.

k

[Daddy-A]

While finishing my 2nd task, Middle Mountain Mead phoned me!  I guess the word is out. 

Never underestimate the power of the Gullet!

Should I put on my Robin Hood outfit and come for a tasting? (Robin Hood drank mead, right? Otherwise, that sounds just ... wrong )

A.

[BCinBC]

While finishing my 2nd task, Middle Mountain Mead phoned me!  I guess the word is out. 

Never underestimate the power of the Gullet!

Should I put on my Robin Hood outfit and come for a tasting? (Robin Hood drank mead, right? Otherwise, that sounds just ... wrong )

A.

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Cripes, where the hell is that brain eraser gadget when you need it. I just stopped myself from making an Errol Flynn comment too. Overload!

[kurtisk]

I'm gonna work on some sort of Mead launch thingy-do here with Jeff, small plate pairing, what have you. More info to come...

k

[Little Frog]

I'm gonna work on some sort of Mead launch thingy-do here with Jeff, small plate pairing, what have you.  More info to come...

k

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Very much looking forward to that... Please keep us mead fans posted!

[kurtisk]

Got my samples today from Middle Mountain:

~ Green Tea / Ginger / Honey

~ Salal / Oregon Grape/ Blackberry / Honey

~ Lavender / Cranberry / Honey

~ Plum / Rhubarb / Honey

~ Cyser: Apple / Honey

~ Cranberry / Honey

Now that we know what we're working with, Jeff will put together some food pairings and some time in the next week/week-and-a-half we'll invite y'all down for an early evening 'Mead Jamboree' and we'll see what everyone likes best.

Stay tuned...

k.

[mtigges]

Got my samples today from Middle Mountain:

~ Green Tea / Ginger / Honey

~ Salal / Oregon Grape/ Blackberry / Honey

~ Lavender / Cranberry / Honey

~ Plum / Rhubarb / Honey

~ Cyser: Apple / Honey

~ Cranberry / Honey

Now that we know what we're working with, Jeff will put together some food pairings and some time in the next week/week-and-a-half we'll invite y'all down for an early evening 'Mead Jamboree' and we'll see what everyone likes best.

Stay tuned...

k.

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Mead Jamboree? Can't wait. We don't have to sing camp fire songs though do we?