Grab your horned helmet, battleax, and tankard: It’s time to rediscover the world’s oldest fermented beverage.
Consumed in ancient Greece and during the Roman Empire, mead was the drink of the gods and studied by Pliny the Elder and Aristotle. In Norse mythology, Thor and Odin consumed mead as if they were college frat boys. Queen Elizabeth I was also a fan.
But there’s more to the lore of this ancient honey-based intoxicant than tall tales of old. Russia, Poland, Ethiopia, and even the United States played a part in cementing mead’s legacy, all the while improving bee populations and beekeeping methods.
Join drinks writer Fred Minnick for a journey that explores mead’s unique place in world history—and why it’s experiencing a cultural renaissance, taking pride of place in trendy cocktail bars and craft breweries across the country. Learn why the Gauls drank barrels of it before battle, why the Vikings established mead halls in territories they conquered, why Polish Crusaders refused to fight without it, and why centuries of Ethiopian mothers passed down its treasured recipe to their daughters.
Raise your own glass at a mead tasting at the conclusion of the program.
Minnick’s book Mead: The Libations, Legends, and Lore of History's Oldest Drink (Running Press) is available for sale and signing.
