Making Mead

("Summer Solstice" by Danielle Barlow. Image used with permission)

This past Sunday marked the Summer Solstice (in the northern hemisphere), which is the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. The Summer Solstice is also celebrated as a holiday in many folk and pagan traditions around the world and has also been folded into later Christian practices as well. It is a moment in the year that has caused humans to pause, look at the sky, and celebrate for thousands of years.

The Summer Solstice is celebrated under numerous names and traditions, both new (post-Christian) and old (pre-Christian). Midsummer, Litha, and St. John's Day being the more widely known (to me, at least). Litha is a name sometimes used interchangeably with Midsummer, but derives specifically from Germanic roots. Like many pagan holidays/holy-days, Midsummer was brought into the fold of Christianity and revamped into the feast of Saint John.

What better way to celebrate the Summer Solstice than by making mead? Mead is made from honey; a magical, sweetly viscous concoction. The amber shine that is so reflective of the warmth of the sun and the earthy, flowery origins of the nectar make honey an obvious food to use in a Summer Solstice celebration. A delightful tribute to the sun's energy and light, the fertility of flowers, and the hard work of our vital honeybees.

I followed the basic recipe for 1 gallon of mead from Storm the Castle's website. This was my first time making any kind of fermented beverage. The instructions they provide were very easy to follow. I would suggest though, that if you are planning on making a mead with additional ingredients, such as fruit, that you add 1/3 of the water rather than half when initially adding ingredients. You would be surprised at the displacement you need to account for.

Sanitation is highly important when you are dealing with the controlled fungal ecosystem you are creating. At the bottom of the mead recipe page, they offer a food-safe bleach sanitation recipe.

The view while the last drizzle of honey slowly swirls to the bottom of the water. The amber glow, sparkly ribbon, and the reflection of the sun off the glass surface is beautiful.

Ready to ferment in a cool, dark place.

I did end up making two separate gallons; a sweet mead and an orange mead. The smells were wonderful and I am very excited to see how they will turn out. After they are racked, I plan to let them rest until the Winter Solstice.