The first thing that I wanted to brew at home was mead. Yes, you did read that correctly. I hadn't actually tasted mead until this past Saturday and that was my main reason for not even attempting to make it. I just couldn't justify spending the money on the equipment, which isn't actually all that expensive, or the ingredients, which kind of is.
You may disagree with me as far as the expense if you have done it or have done your research, but my way of thinking is this; if I spend the money on the equipment I can always find a use for it, if I spend the money on the ingredients and don't like the outcome I cant really do anything with it. So here is how my day went.
We woke up and realized that it was cold outside, cold and wet. I spent the start of my day trying to convince my darling little daughter that it would behoove her to put some leggings or jeans on under her dress while she tried to convince me otherwise. After we finally got her situated we walked out to the car and Eva immediately decided that yes it was in fact cold and wanted to put her jacket on.
We drove over the the farmer's market to pick up some things, eggs, lettuce, radishes, new potatoes, garlic, apples, all the good stuff. I had also convinced Cari earlier in the week that we should brew some mead. In a very logical state she said we should go somewhere and taste some mead. I wholeheartedly agreed to this. So we loaded everything in the car and Googled the address for a local meadery and headed off on our adventure for the day.
We only had to drive for about thirty minutes, but it was thirty minutes through some beautiful countryside. When we arrived at our destination we were parked in front of a decent size house with a sign that read Crafted Artisan Meadery. Artisan? Was I walking into some ridiculously expensive, pseudo-hippie-ish establishment? We shall see.
Walking in the first thing I noticed when I walked in was the rustic nature of the place, and the four giant stainless steel vats in the next room. I also noticed that there were two other couples in the place that were enjoying some tasting samples. Cari, Eva and I browsed around and looked at the various bottles of mead, the beeswax candles, and the endless jars of honey that were on display. When the gentleman behind the counter asked if we would like to do a tasting Eva was the first one to jump at the opportunity; don't worry we didn't let her partake in the liquid honey goodness. Kent, the proprietor of the place, who is from Kent, Ohio and also attended Kent State University, doled out some honey for Eva onto a little spoon which she gobbled right up.
Now to the good stuff. We waited our turn and began to taste the five varieties of mead that Kent has concocted. Each one has a different taste than the one you had before that and Kent has set the tasting to where each drink is a little sweeter than the last one due to the residual sugar. It is amazing what he has done with simplest ingredients available. For instance, I despise blueberries and when Kent told me that the one I was getting ready to drink was made with the nasty little blue booger I was hesitant. I am not a trusting man by nature but after the first two glasses I trusted this man with my tastebuds. I am glad I did. A little bit of a bite and then you lick your lips and get this amazing sweetness left over on your lips.
My favorite was the Spiced Apple Cyser (not a typo that is what it is). It may have been because it was one of the first noticeable days of the upcoming fall. It may have also been the deliciousness that fell over my tongue. With light notes of all the spices that make you think of Thanksgiving mixed with the sweetness of the fresh apple cider that Kent brings in is blow-your-mind awesome.
All in all I enjoyed my visit there. I got to ask all the questions that I wanted about making mead, learned about the great fresh ingredients, and got to enjoy some great conversation with a true-artisan. So if you are in the area don't forget to stop by and see Kent at Crafted Artisan Meadery. It would probably also make a great date. Five dollars a person for the tasting and then buy a bottle of your favorite at a great price. For you readers that are not in the area, check back on the Meadery's website often because while speaking with Kent he did say that he hopes to be shipping his goods at some point. Be sure to check out their Facebook Page too.
Have you ever had mead? Ever made mead? Let me know in the comments!
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