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The ecology and chemistry of Mead

Tracing the creation of an ancient drink, from honey bee to toasting flute

December 3, 2015 4:00PM ET

by Lauren Ellis @lauren_jellis

Mead sometimes known as honey wine or as TechKnow host Phil Torres calls it “hipster honey” may be the granddaddy of all alcoholic beverages. Early Greeks clinked goblets with it, King Midas’s tomb had drinking cups laced with mead, even the Vikings slugged it. Today, this beloved ancient beverage has attracted the palates of the eco-conscious and craft movement connoisseurs, with over 200 meaderies popping up around the country. Scientists are even looking into the health benefits of mead, seeing if it could fight antibiotic resistant pathogens.

TechKnow visited Heidrun Meadery in Point Reyes, California to report on the scientific process behind the elixir and to spend time with the royals behind the drink: the Queen and her honeybees of course.

Phil Torres hitched a ride with Jordon Thompson, Heidrun Meadery’s horticulturist. Her job is to tend to the meadery’s garden and determine what flowers bees like the best.

Bees see the full UV spectrum and have a penchant for blue flowers.

Once bees collect pollen, they head straight to the hive. The crew suits up to join them.

A productive hive making tons of bee food. Removing honey doesn’t affect the hive’s food supply. Bees often make a surplus of honey, and that’s what’s used to make the mead.

In the lab, beekeeper Brad Albert scrapes some of the honey off the hive frame.

The hive frame is placed inside this extractor machine, which will spin the honey right off.

Next, the honey heater. Honey is heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and liquifies.

After the honey is diluted and purified, yeast is added and then it all goes into these fermenters, where it ages for months.

The last step is riddling: the bottles are placed on special racks at an angle and they are turned slowly. It’ll bring the remaining yeast sediment to the very top of the bottle.