4 • March 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


& Prosper! Cloverdale, CA. ~ Mead


Eat Well is


the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man. Asian pottery vessels, from 7,000 B.C. con- tained combined compounds of


honey,


rice, fruits and fermen- tation. Euro- pean tribes of


hunter- gatherers


were “proof- ing”


honey


and water by 2500 B.C. Mead was the preferred drink of the ancient Greeks. Described as “ambrosia” or “nectar of the gods”, they believed it descend- ing from heaven as dew before being gathered up by bees. To help induce her visions of the future, the soothsayer at Del- phi drank mead made from semi toxic plants. In Norse mythology, beauti-


gained


his strength as an infant from suckling mead from a goat’s udder.


Celtic


myth has a riv- er of mead run- ning thru


directly


During the Middle


paradise. Ages


the keys to the kings mead cel- lar were kept by the chief offi cer of the court. A “honey-


moon” stems from the ancient tradition of giſt ing bridal couples with a moons worth of honey wine. T is was meant to insure a


by Executive Chef Ron Skaar ~ ronskaar@comcast.net ~ 707-490-7636 Honey Wine


ful maidens deliver a draught of mead upon the entrance to Valhalla. Odin, appar- ently,


faithful and lit, union. T e An- glo-Saxon believed the bever- age was responsible for knowl- edge,


poetry and immortal-


ity! Queen Elizabeth I had her own spe- cial recipe made with sweet briar, bay leaves, rosemary


and thyme. With its


mixture of ferment-


ed honey and water mead was


a most agreeable intoxicat- ing drink. Various fruits were added to the mix along with spices and grains or hops. T e


grains acted as a preservative while producing a bitter beer like fl avor. In southern Europe, grapes


became a less expensive alter- native for making alcoholic beverages. Plus, their fermen- tation was much more predict- able than that of honey wine. In England, mead was


the


most popular intoxicant until beer came along. T e advent of wine and beer drove honey wine into obscurity. For a while, mead was a


specialty drink savored at fes- tivals in Russia and through- out Scandinavia. Home made honey-wine is prevalent in Af- rican nations. Ethiopian mead is called tej and is fl avored with a species of the buckhorn. To- day, interest in mead making is on the rise. In the United States small home and commercial “meaderies” are creating a re- surgence. T e yeast used in fer- mentation is nearly identical to that used in making wine, espe- cially white wine. An Amer-


ican rich, dry, black hopped


mead is made to- day from black cur- rants and wild fl ower honey. A French varietal uses honey which has been caramelized and a couple of Mexican meads are made by adding chili pep- pers and wine vinegar, respec- tively. Short mead is made for immediate consumption while the “Great Mead” is created to age for several years. T ere are numerous recipes


for making honey-wine on the internet, one using 18 pounds of honey for producing 5 gal- lons of wine. Local liquor stores carry a


variety of meads, including T e Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa.


4 • March 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. “You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.” ~ Colette First Humor


My doctor took one look at my gut and refused to believe that I work out. So I listed the ex- ercises I do every day: jump to conclusions, climb the walls, drag my heels, push my luck, make mountains out of molehills, bend over backward, run around in circles, put my foot in my mouth, go over the edge, and beat around the bush.


The Punitentiary #2 My neighbor is in the Guinness World Records. He has had 44 concussions. He lives very close to me. A stone’s throw away, in fact.


The farmer was surprised when his pumpkin won a blue ribbon at the State Fair. He shouted, ‘Oh, my gourd.’


The raisin wined about how he couldn’t achieve grapeness.


Paid Volunteer Delivery People wanted!


Scenic Route Available!


* 5 hrs, One time per month. Will Train. Must have valid drivers licence, insurance & own car! Flat fee for route & gas $ included! Send your info to:


upbeat@upbeattimes.com It’s Fun!


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