THE CELEBRATED STORY Copyright © 201 The Honey Wine Company LLC. All rights reserved. 6 OF

First edition published in 2013. HONEY WINE Published by The Honey Wine Company LLC San Francisco, California U.S.A.

www.DiscoverHoneyWine.org

ISBN 978-0-9893339-0-0 Hardback ISBN 978-0-9893339-1-7 Paperback ISBN 978-0-9893339-2-4 Ebook

Edition THE H⬡NEY WINE COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO Second Dedication

To three determined groups who operate Pleasant!words!are!a!honeycomb,!! in challenging environments: sweet!to!the!soul!! ______and!healing!to!the!bones.! ! O Proverbs!16:24! T’ej makers and t’ej bar owners in Ethiopia who

and promoted pilsner style commercial beers. ደስ የሚያሰኝ ቃል የማር ወለላ ነው፤ continue to resist the onslaught of well financed ለነፍስ ጣፋጭ፣

Organizers and participants of The Mazer Cup in the ለዐጥንትም ፈውስ ነው። U.S.A. who have stuck by their mead regardless of what everyone else is drinking. ምሳሌ ፩፮፥፪፬

Independent farmers and beekeepers O ! around the world. Table of Contents Chapter IV. The Most Sustainable Libation 48

The Buzz on Bees 49 Drink Honey Wine, Save the Forests 52 A Beeline for Urban Renewal 54 Foreword 1 Why You Should Keep It Local 56 Preface 3 ChapAn Un-Industrialter V. A Bev eraRevolutionge of My thical Proportions 6058 ChapIntroductionter I. An Ancient Libation 119

Honeymoon in Babylon 60 The Rise of Culture 11 Honey Love 61 A Long Time Ago in a Field Far, Far Away 12 ChapPoeticter Inspiration VI. ‘Must ’ Knows about Fermentation 6664 African Origins? 13 Honey Wine in the Mediterranean 16 Honey Wine in Europe 19 Flowers Live in the Bouquet of Honey 6670 A Global Phenomenon 20 Holy Yeasties! 68 ChapThe tGreaer II.t Honey Gold Wineen W Recessionine: Chara cter and Variety 2522 Good Chemistry Means Good Wine Follow the Yellow Brick Road 71 Got Gesho? 72 Acquaint Yourself with Greatness 25 ChapDo Tryter T hisVII. at The Home Reb irth of Honey Wine 7573 Love at First Sight 26 Misunderstanding Is Such Sweet Sorrow 27 Acknowledgements 79 No Tannins, Please 29 How to Order Honey Wine in Any Land 80 A Wine for All Seasons 30 Mellowing Honey Wine with Fruit 31 The Spice of Life 32 A Grape Way To Serve Honey Wine 33 ChapFor ttheer Love III. H ofo wBeer To and Ser Honeve Hyoney Wine W ine 3635

OfFor Temperatures Your Dry Humor and Glasses 3638 FoodThe Pairings Semi-Sw eet Life 3839 Sweets to the Sweet 41

Honey Wine Mimosa 43 ForThe the Kentucky Mixologists Honeymoon 4344 Long Island Honey Wine 44 The Honeyrita 45 Tequila Honey-Rise 45 The Honey Wine Toddy 46 Foreword t’ej come to fruition. day by day, for five weeks, I watched my The worst thing about history is that we have to I soon named my and, just for fun, created a label. take other people’s word for it. No matter how vivid t’ej the account of something that happened decades or All About , or in my book, centuries ago, we’ll never really know what it looked Tej Mesob Across America: Ethiopian You can read about Ferenj Tej at my website, like, felt like, sounded like or smelled like to be there. Food in the U.S.A. But my interest has been . Now, thanks to The Nor what it tasted like. Some 2,000 years ago, a lucky just t’ej Honey Wine Company, you can learn about all types of Aksumite discovered t’ej, the wonderful Ethiopian mead in The , a lively honey wine, and he probably didn’t even know what Celebrated Story of Honey Wine and readable little book loaded with information and he’d just tasted. I say 2,000 years because the earliest colorful images. Honey wine may well be the oldest written record of t’ej dates back that far. But it may well fermented drink in the world, and people certainly have been – in fact, almost certainly was – even longer ago. documented it. imbibed in it long before recorded history first Aksum was the great ancient kingdom that occupied the is a valuable book northern portion of modern Ethiopia, most of modern The Celebrated Story of Honey Wine that brings together a world of information that will Eritrea, and portions of Arabia; and the Aksumites delight both mead maniacs and the more general wine left behind enough artifacts and inscriptions for us to understand a fair bit about their habits. We know your side as you read it. they ate lentils and peas, two items familiar from the aficionado. Just be sure to have a glass of honey wine at Ethiopian dinner table, and that they used teff, probably to make injera, the Ethiopian traditional bread. We also University of Pittsburgh know they drank . t’ej Harry Kloman t’ej, but alas, that moment of personal history is lost to time. I Ibegan wish Imaking could remember it myself at the home first eighttime Iyears tasted ago with honey from local markets and with gesho, the woody t’ej, from Ethiopian markets in hops that flavors the 1 2 Washington, D.C. The first batch fermented well, and Preface I suppose they had lots of time exploring common

t’ej. On the other hand, put a Habesha and a curious Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published by Harriet oenologistinterests because together Amanuel in a room knew for of a Hilko’s few seconds, affinity notfor Beecher Stowe, as was Childhood by Leo Tolstoy. The several days, and the topic of would not have to InPalace 1852, of Westminster opened in Great Britain a month t’ej wait for awkward silence1. or so before Napoleon III ascended to the throne and I would meet Hilko, along with his wife, Andrea, and Burmese War was fought over eight months, while the their two sons, for dinner at a restaurant in downtown Battlethe Presidency of Gur Amba of occupied the French just Republic. the better The part Second of one Stellenbosch the next day. Hilko took up my invitation day. and was on a plane to Ethiopia to research t’ej production within weeks. Shortly after his visit, Hilko began producing his version of honey wine under the is The Celebrated Story of Honey Wine You must be wondering, “why the history lesson?” This Solms Delta label. , not Jeopardy category, “1852.” coffee. It’s an internationally recognized biosphere for one American priest. In addition to these global Kafa forest is the origin of the eponymous beverage, Well, 1852 was a very special year for me, for you, and reserve to conserve wild coffee genes, and an ecosystem under heavy threat of deforestation. This is a relatively Langstroth patented the modern frame beehive that lush part of Ethiopia, but I took particular notice of wouldhappenings, revolutionize it was honey the year production Rev. Lorenzo globally. Lorraine slash and burn activities on the long drive from Addis The year is 2009, and I am driving in the mountain rain Theto Jimma percent and intoof native the town forest of Bonga cover inin Kafa. Ethiopia has African grape winemaker. We had met just weeks shrunk from 40% to the low single digits within a beforeforests throughof Kafa ina randomsouthwestern stranger Ethiopia I met withone nighta South at century. This is mainly driven by the rural population a bar in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. The stranger, whose name I came to know as Amanuel, was years alone. an Eritrean student at the University. Upon hearing increases; from 35 million to 90 million over the last 35 my interest in wine, Amanuel would tell me, and those with us, about a winemaker named Hilko Hegewisch, with whom he recently shared a hospital room. 1 Amanuel magically reappeared in the living room of a shared apartment in Cape Town where I stayed during New Years 2011. 3 4 2009 was pressure to deforest, and the near universal useWhat of I pre-Langstroth witnessed in Kafa traditional during beehives those few (with days no in clearA self-enforcing for corn, coffee cycle andof poverty other crops.causes Ironically, the Kafa arealess internal frame structures). The long bamboo or wood residents to cut more trees to sell as firewood and to cylindrical enclosures are hung from tall trees, and honey production results, not to mention the carbon dioxidetrees means emissions less floralthat result forage when for bees carbon so evenstored less in enclosures and turn them into beehives. trees is released upon burning. typically, wild bees may inhabit five out of 10 of these This question crossed my mind and took hold of me each annually. The beekeepers have to crush the combs toThese extr traditionalact the honey, hives so yieldthe bees only will 15 poundshave to putof honey their energy into producing new combs, not honey, the ever since: Could it be that the lowly 1852 invention by the Rev. Langstroth could reverse multiple economic, the beekeeper extracts the honey through centripetal environmentalincome and more and equitable social ills? gender More distribution honey from of forcefollowing and year. returns But with the originala “modern” frame 1852 comb frame to hive, the modern frame hives results in more household box children. that income – with the resultant benefits accruing to hive; yields on frame hives average 75 pounds Larger income on its own may or may not lead to less per year incredibly raising household income five deforestation, but in this case, the beekeepers are keenly fold. aware that the pollen for their honey comes from tree out of the beekeeping business, a relatively high income earningWith traditional activity hives, even women with low-yieldingin Kafa are effectively traditional cut that lays the golden eggs. hives, because of taboos against women climbing trees. flowers, so they will surely not kill the proverbial Moreover, dozens of beekeepers die or are crippled goose from falling from trees in the process of hanging the more value and produce honey wine (in Ethiopia) How to pay for these hives? Well, why not add even bees when the embers easily reach the tree branches. Finally,hives, and the forest quality fires ofstart the from honey crudely from smoking traditional out theusing honey honey wine bought proceeds directly to fund from the Kafa conversion beekeepers of hives can be poor and inconsistent for a number of thousandsand export of it traditional globally? Thehives plan to modern was to ones. use some of reasons Note, in (see the 90-second video on our website; it the two years between this book's first and second shows how hives are hung and how they are collected printing, I've come to appreciate the ecological and for harvest in Kafa). 5 practical benefits of the Transitional6 or Top Bar hive. The decision of where and how to produce this wine by bees abandoning their hives, leading to decreased crop pollination, a reduction in honey three countries, and could have produced a separate output and commensurate increase in price. book.evolved and the rest of the story spans five years, covers There are efforts Wine Company intends to I decided to produce our wine in Northern California for support initiatives, suchaimed as at California finding a based solution Project to both personal and business reasons; it is where I grew CCD,Apis m., and by The creating Honey awareness and donating funds up and have family, the wine industry infrastructure from the sale of wine. is strong, good quality honey is locally available I have shared how the wine came to be, but As luck, or destiny, would have it, I reconnected. with nothing about the book. We wrote it because a vast colleagues at Wildlife Works; a pioneering California majority of people have never heard of, much less tasted, honey wine. So I wanted you to know about its history, how it tastes and pairs with food, how it is based company that works on “Reducing Emissions made and what the environmental issues are. from Deforestation and Degradation” or REDD+, and today to we cutting are attempting trees for to crop develop agriculture. a REDD The+ I hope that The Celebrated Story of Honey Wine will project in would Kafa with modern hives as a key livelihood help you savor the history and culture of this ancient alternative communities drink as well as its unforgettable taste. create jobs and share carbon credit Therevenues Honey with Wine Kafa Company will. initially use all local honey, buying directly from California beekeepers Ayele Solomon and farmers. But the original plan of funding modern The Honey Wine Company beehive conversions in in Kafa modern and other hives forests for ultra- still exclusiveremains. Our lines long-term of wine. plan is to source some specialty Kafa honey produced Many issues were resolved by locating production in For the free ebook and audiobook, visit the U.S.A. But all is not well with California beekeepers because of a very serious problem called beehive DiscoverHoneyWine.org Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is characterized Don't just read about it, taste it! Of course my favorite 7 is Bee d'Vine. TASTE CHANGE8 at beeDvine.com Introduction but honey wine is back to enliven and illuminate the way modern imbibers eat, drink, and enjoy special moments. immensely, but he also remarked that he had never had So while you’re free to drink it as the Vikings did (with anythingWhen Harry like Potter it before. first Like tried Harry, honey so wine, many he of enjoyed us have it epic gusto, no doubt), we intend to show you how sun-kissed honey wine is the modern, sustainable what the ancients called been immediately captivated by our first taste of alternative to beer and grape wine. The oldest libation in history will taste refreshingly new as you pair it with But even though golden- your food, friends, and special occasions. But even more toned“the nectar honey of winethe gods.” was refreshing is the role honey wine will play in helping a favorite long before to save our critically threatened bee populations. In a the Queen of Sheba was time in which we’ve seen the rebirth of farmers markets tipping royal cups of it and local, sustainable foods, the environmentally responsible craft of making honey wine makes more of us have yet to have sense than ever. thearound unique 950 privilege B.C., many of tasting honey wine for For those in the know, no libation enchants quite like honey wine. That’s because thousands of years of the first time. practice have made it perfectly suited to your divinely inspired moments. We know that you’ll enjoy the rich Because of this, honey wine (historically known as story of honey wine as you get to know the oldest new beverage on the market. And as you read, you’ll become in French) is largely misunderstood. And that’s why part of the greatest comeback story in drinking history. we’ve“mead” written in English, a story and to awaken “hydromel” and celebrate or honey the water, rich past and resplendent character of the noblest beverage on earth. Our story will explore how honey wine has So what will you add to the tale? civilization to your table. To your health! influenced history and myth on its way from ancient Best of all, our story has a happy ending. Because

today we are triumphantly 9calling an end to “The Great 10 Honey Wine Recession.” It’s been a long time coming, Chapter I. An Ancient Libation A Long Time Ago in a Field Far, Far Away

The Rise of Culture on earth. And then about 10 to 20 million years ago, beesAbout became 150 million social years insects ago, that flowers specialized began in popping gathering up Honey wine practically is history. Claude Lévi-Strauss, the renowned French anthropologist, wrote that the no humans around at the time, invention of honey wine marked the point at which butnectar bees and were pollinating already flowers. busily Of course, there were making honey for their own purposes. bighumans deal. Not moved just any “fromdrink couldnature inspire to culture.” humankind’s This is a Bees had plenty of time to perfect honey production living. To pull this feat off, a before humans popped on the drinkfirst foraywould into have cultured to be scene about 200,000 years around for a very, very long ago. While humans were still time. But even more crucially, it would have to make delicious sweetness, the contain the power to elevate us from our natural state. busytrying socialites to figure of out the that insect bees world had long before Honey wine certainly has the pedigree and character to answer both of these calls. Well, at least not for them, because water makes honey fermentfigured out(and that thus water intoxicating). was no good Bees for had their their honey. own So what were the prime ingredients that sparked clever methods for keeping the honeycomb watertight, but the good news is that happy accidents happen. And human culture? Well, the ingredients are as simply andwonderful naturally as the occurring final product. yeasts. All Every humans monumental needed to elementswhen happy that accidents make honey happen wine between the most bees, sustainable flowers, achievementkick start culture in humanwere bees, history flowers, has sunshine, its competing water, alcoholicwater, and beverage sunshine, thehumans world win! has These ever are known. the prime For stories, so let’s take a closer look at how honey wine more on that story, check out Chapter Four on bees and brought all of us a bit closer to the gods. sustainability.

11 12 African Origins? t’ej ጠጅ long used to signify a drink intimately woven into the history and wine is “ ” [tʼədʒ], an Amharic word [ ] Many locate Africa as the origin of the happy accident culture of Ethiopia. One of the ways t’ej is unique among that is honey wine. Picture the scene: wild bees doing their thing in a seasonal climate that features t’ej honey wines is the use of gesho to make it (see our “Got dramatically arid and rainy seasons. These bi-polar so much they eventually made it their national drink. Gesho?” chapter for more on that). Ethiopian’s love weather patterns caused hollows to form in baobab and miombo trees where elephants had ripped off wine today than they do beer and grape wine, and And why not? After all, Ethiopians pour more honey branches. Bees would then build hives in these hollows probably more honey wine than all of the countries in during the dry season. And when the wet season t’ej website today and become a t’ej scholar overnight. the world put together! Visit Harry Kloman’s legendary as honey, water, sunshine, and some native yeast get together,came, these honey nooks wine would is a naturaloften fill result. with water. As soon

Imagine the lucky hunter- gatherer that discovered honey wine while looking for a snack. In this scenario, it’s easy to see why honey wine

plausiblehas been that called a hunter a “gift fromon a longthe gods.”trip partially But it’s emptied equally The story about how t’ej became the Ethiopian drink of his water vessel to store choice begins about a thousand years before the birth of some newly found honey. After the long trip home, Christ. Legend tells us that the Queen of Sheba lavished conditions might have been just right for spontaneous fermentation, which of course would have made our voyage. Among the gold, precious stones, and exotic opulent gifts on King Solomon during a diplomatic happy traveler a hometown hero—if not a god. spices was some royal quality t’ej. And it’s worth noting that this t’ej might have played an inspirational role in The rich and royal history of honey wine in Ethiopia Sheba’s greatest gift to Solomon: a baby boy named makes it natural to think of Africa as the birthplace of Menelik who later become king of Ethiopia. Tradition the ancient beverage. The Ethiopian word for honey holds that Menelik brought the Ark of the Covenant 13 14 Honey Wine in the Mediterranean was indeed a very important baby. to Ethiopia after visiting his father in Jerusalem, so he Centuries later, in 1270 A.D., the Ethiopian monarch, have lived in a paradise setting replete with everything neededIn the legendary for the ideal “Golden life, including Age,” the abundantly Greeks were delicious said to Solomon while declaring himself the direct descendant food and drink. Could it be that honey wine put the ofYekuno Menelik. Amlak, This evokedbrilliant the political legend move of Shebaushered and in the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopian emperors that went on to rule the nation until 1974. Even to this day, “Gold” in the Golden Age? remains the everyday drink of the people, while t’ej write about honey wine, it’s easy to suspect that it premium varieties of the libation are reserved to wasGiven the the drink way ofthat choice ancient when Greek gods and and Roman humans authors lived, bless weddings. Even who abstain from alcohol played, and loved together. Aristotle (384 B.C.) writes will commonly drink the non-alcoholic variety of copiously about honey wine in Meteorologica, and the t’ej, or berz as it is called.those early connoisseurship for the libation on display in his It just goes to show that one never knows what bookRoman Naturalis philosopher, Historia Pliny the Elder (22 B.C.), puts his might happen when sharing honey wine as a gift. The even gives a good recipe for making honey wine in his magnanimous gesture of gifting honey wine might book De re Rustica . Columella (a Roman naturalist) reshape an entire nation’s history, politics, and culture. Or (on a slightly smaller scale) the gift might make you Take rainwater keptaround for several 60 A.D.:years, and mix a sextarius a friend for life. of this water with a pound of honey. For a weaker mead, mix a sextarius of water with nine ounces of honey. The Whatever the case, when you enjoy t’ej be whole is exposed to the sun for 40 days, and then left on sure to celebrate the occasion by raising your a shelf near the fire. If you have no rainwater, then boil berill spring water. used exclusively for t’ej) or your horn écarved (a round-bottom with glassa rousing flask wancha If you try this formula, you might decide against storing Letenachin rainwater for several years, but you had better measure out your sextari with precision—whatever those might “ ”. That’s the Amharic word be. For more on how honey wine is fermented today, for “to our health”. Chapter Six. 15 take a look at “Good Chemistry16 Means Good Wine” in And this was especially true of the metheglin variety, Greek and Roman legend both identify honey wine as which was thought to be the highest form of Ovidambrosia, (43 B.C.) or thewrites “Food that of Bacchus the Gods.” gave Sohumans yeah, honey these superioror “The taste Spice of Life” covered in Chapter Two, winepeople as liked a gift, their and honey it’s true wine. that The before ancient Bacchus Roman poetwas The Compleat Meadmaker and culture. According to Ken thyrsus (or staff) that Schramm, author of , “The wascalled dripping the “God with of Wine” honey. he The was honey-laden known as “The thyrsus Honey- was gods and the wealthy sipped” on honey wine and the Lord.” In fact, he even carried a literature of ancientwine Greece was habitually a mark of used class “honey and distinctionand sweetness that as superlativerose to the descriptions heights of of wines.” Mount Olympus.Simply put, honey

for honey wine have been tragically overshadowed bySchramm later Italian also notes tastes that for ancient grape Greek wine. and Grape Roman wine tastes has dominated the modern market for so long that we have

Golden Age of honey wine is upon us. begun to lose our perspective. But no more! A new

a powerfully suggestive symbol of sexual potency and fertility. If you’re into suggestive associations, you can read more about the aphrodisiac qualities of honey covering mythology. wine in our “Honey Love” story found in Chapter Five

Just as in Africa, honey wine was central in both the myths and everyday life of 17ancient Greeks and Romans. 18 Honey Wine in Europe Nowhere is honey wine’s high cultural status among the elite more evident than in Beowulf (c. 700s), which retells the epic confrontation between the heroic By now there are a host of Eurocentrics shouting at Beowulf and the cave dwelling monster Grendel. Honey the top of their lungs about Europe’s preeminence in wine is clearly the only drink for kings and their greatest honey wine. And along with their voices, there is an warriors in . In fact, the epic is drenched with abundance of proof that honey wine has a long, rich Beowulf Beowulf is the story of civilization overcoming humankind’s wilderoverflowing side, thencups ofhoney the ceremonious wine is the leading libation. symbol If for historyStrangely spanning enough, from pre-Roman Europe through the civilized living in the ancient world. Renaissance.strong evidence of honey wine in Europe Honey continued to maintain its high cultural status pops up around the same time as stories was initially so expensive, it was only an option for about the Queen of royaltyin Europe and the until very the rich. Renaissance. Fortunately for Because us, advances honey Sheba in modern beekeeping have made honey wine a the Proto more economically approachable option, while still Aksum Period that maintaining the richly inherent value of a drink deeply began in the 4th saturated in tradition and history. Century BC. For example, cauldrons A Global Phenomenon backwith to ancient1000 B.C. honey have been discovered in Germany andwine the residue British that Isles. date As if ancient cauldrons weren’t While we have been focusing on a few hotspots in the cool enough, there was honey wine in them. ancient world, it’s important to know that honey wine is a global phenomenon. The real magic of honey wine is in the way it organically emerges across diverse suggests that very early Europeans were fermenting cultures without much evidence of cross-pollination, to Recent evidence has even been gathered that strongly borrow a phrase from the bees. Almost every language the naturally simple way that honey ferments when has a word for honey wine, these can be found in removedalcohol in from the the Bronze hive, Ageit’s more (3600-600 than reasonable B.C.). Given to our conclude that honey wine was among the earliest (if Appendix “How to Order Honey Wine in Any 19 Land.” And who doesn’t need20 more words for honey not the first) alcoholic beverage in Europe. wine? is a gift from the gods, then it makes sense that this gift would be lovingly spread to every corner of the earth.

Thankfully, we’ll never lose the ability to tap into the libatious powers of honey ever again. In the meantime, we must do our best to protect our divine bee messengers—after all, they are the angels that deliver

the “Nectar of the Gods.” Along with all of this linguistic evidence, there’s plenty The Great Honey Wine Recession of physical evidence to assert the ancient prominence of honey wine. For example, the oldest archaeological Honey wine is still widely popular in Ethiopia, while in evidence to date was unearthed in northern China, other places such as Canada, Germany, New Zealand, where researchers discovered vessels containing a Poland and the U.S.A., it has become a cherished fermented mixture of honey, rice, and fruit dated to secret of the discriminating few. So why did the global around 7000 B.C. phenomenon that is honey wine ever recede from

alone, but the historic price of honey is central to most before the Africans and Europeans, or maybe we’ve theories.favor? We could devote an entire book to this question yetMaybe to unearth the Chinese even were earlier fermenting evidence honey of honey 6,000 wine years in other places. Think about it. Who in the world would One theory is that there was a drastic rise in honey intentionally leave delicious honey wine lying around prices throughout the 14th and 17th centuries. When

Whateverfor thousands the ofcase, years? here’s the big point: given the cane,Europeans which returnedcould have home rapidly after pushed exploring honey into “New a simple, natural way that honey ferments and a nicheWorlds,” market. many Around of them 1300 came A.D., back for with example, cheap Marco sugar seemingly universal appreciation for honey wine, we Polo returned from the Spice Islands with some of this could plausibly push the date for fermentation back cheap sugar cane. Honey had always been the privilege thousands and thousands of years. Some researchers of the elite, but when the prices became prohibitive, speculate that an early knowledge of fermentation other fermented beverages might have found new could have been lost and rediscovered again and again favor. throughout the course of history. If honey wine really 21 22 The rise in honey prices also coincided with Candle makers (many of whom were monks) used improvements in the quality of French and Italian wines. beeswax in their craft, and then used the honey-water These wines would have been a new diversion for elite byproduct to make honey wine. After the process was alcohol enthusiasts at the same time that technological mechanized, there was no leftover honey-water—thus, advances in brewing made beer a more stable and a steep decline in the production of honey wine. movable commodity for the working classes to cheaply enjoy. With high-end consumers turning more and Whatever happened in the past, we can now proclaim more to grape wine and the proletariat drinking beer, the traditional luxury of honey wine receded into the neighbors and friends and invite them to become a part world of artisanal craftsmanship—where it remains ofan this end storybookto The Great revival. Honey The Wine libation Recession. is returning So call yourwith today, for the most part. vigor because while mere products can come and go, artisanal crafts never die. pushing honey wine into the category of rare pleasures. And now you can play a role in the rebirth of honey wine. HoneyAnd finally, wine technology production seems took a to precipitous have played fall a duringrole in Not only will you be indulging in an age-old pleasure, the industrial revolution. After the modern frame but your demand for high quality honey products will also help to sustain bee colonies that are facing new invented in the mid-1800s, the old way of producing threats in a modern world. beehive and the first centrifugalhoney honey all but extractor died out were in the western world. Prior to frame hives and centrifugal Chapter Four covering sustainability. extraction, honeycombs For more on the bees, visit “The Buzz on Bees” in were crushed whole and the honey was separated from the comb by pressing. In order to get all of the honey out, the honeycombs were rinsed with warm water.

23 24 Chapter II. Golden Wine: Love at First Sight Character and Variety To look at honey wine is to fall immediately in love. Like all wines, honey wine varies in color and body, which

to indulgently wander. But it’s the richly golden tones Acquaint Yourself andcreates gemlike a diverse clarity field of ofa pleasuressuperior glass for the of connoisseurhoney wine with Greatness that immediately captures the attention of the newcomer. The golden hue of honey wine

taste of kings and queens who reflects the wealth and royal To be great is to be misunderstood. favored the libation for thousands of years. And who wouldn’t want to see themselves History–Ralph Waldohas already Emerson established the greatness of honey wine. But greatness is often misunderstood. When in their favorite drink? Galileo proved that the earth revolves around the sun most likely appreciate how (and not vice versa) he was imprisoned and labeled a lightYou, onfancifully the other dances hand, around will heretic. Nothing this dramatic ever happened to honey your glass on a summer’s day, or how golden honey wine, but by following the path of non-conformity the wine subtly provides the most illuminating accessory most noble beverage in history has suffered from to your evening wear. And all of this happens before great misunderstanding.

To do away with misunderstanding, let’s take a your first sip. few revolutions around the golden just after), go ahead and swirl your honey wine around luminescence of honey wine. Because while a toBut appreciate before you the take fullness that first and sipbody (or of if your you libationcan’t wait, as honey swirling gives way to legs that gently coat and caress scrutiny, the idea alone is inspirational. the sides of your glass. And as you continue to gaze, And hey.wine The centeredmore you universe know about may honey not hold wine, up the to one thing will become brilliantly clear: no wine looks morescientific you will enjoy it. as divine as honey wine. 25 26 Misunderstanding Is Such Sweet Sorrow fermentation sugar is converted to alcohol by yeast, but if the process is stopped before all of the sugar is converted to alcohol, this residual sugar hangs around To imagine all honey wine tasting sweet is a perfectly to contribute to the sweetness of your wine. By varying understandable misconception. Because nothing is fermentation time, honey wine artisans can happily sweeter than honey. But think about this: grapes on the cater to the taste sensibilities of a wide range of vine are about as sweet as it gets. And yet, most grape imbibers. wines are not sweet. Of course they can be sweet - This means that the same diversity offered by grape wines that cater to the sweeter side of life. All of this wine is also found in the world of honey wine. Honey begsconsider the Portsquestion: and Rieslings,how does and sweet all mannerbecome of neat dessert and wines typically come in three basic categories that inform consumers where a beverage lies on the scale from dry to sweet. So while choosing a bottle, look for Thedry? magic transformation depends on residual sugar labels that let you know if your honey wine is dry, semi- content, which is just a fancy way of saying how much sweet or sweet. sugar remains in wine after fermentation. During

options for you. Or maybe you’re all about sweetness; orIf youmaybe like your a dry, taste refined is moody, beverage, making honey you wine like dry has now and sweet later; or maybe you’re somewhere in between. Okay, you’re probably getting the point, which is that honey wine is as wonderfully various as grape wine.

27 28 No Tannins, Please For these people, honey wine provides a welcome opportunity to drink tannin free wine. And the option of honey wine is especially puckery sensation you exciting for those of us who getYou in knowyour mouth that after dry,

Well, that mouth-drying reportedexperience phenomenon “red winethat bitternesstasting some comes wines? from manyheadache,” experts a link commonly to high chemical substances tannin levels in red wines. called tannins that So if you don’t want to hear, occur naturally in grape skins, stems, and seeds. Next time you’re eating your“not tonight,honey honey,happy I havewith a grapes, try tasting just honeyheadache,” wine. consider making the skin of a single grape— A Wine for All Seasons your mouth will immediately dry out as a bitter taste Variety truly is the spice of life. And honey wine indulges us with a wide variety of styles. There are enthusiasts transforms your palate. plant compound that actually Thiscauses is increased because tanninsfriction consist of honey, water, and yeast. But having said this, in your mouth, giving you a palpableare an astringent, sense of dryness bitter honeywho insist wines that have “traditional” been quite honeyvaried wineover maythe ages, only as you smack your tongue on the roof of your palate. making it hard to designate one variety as traditional.

Yeah, you know the feeling we’re talking about. While portionmany wine of thedrinkers population enjoy thethat “mouthfeel” simply cannot that toleratetannins adjunctsToday you that can help find suit honey honey wines wine ranging to every from palate. dry thecreate reaction. in some grape wines, there is a significant Thereto sweet are andtraditional flat to bubbly.adjuncts And like you’llhops, herbs, also discover spices, and fruits, but there’s also some quirky wizardry going

29 on that allows you to explore30 cutting edge flavors of its natural season. But melomels still represent a are limitless. But before popular choice for home honey wine enthusiasts and like bacon (yes, bacon!) and jalapeño.you try andThe possibilitieswrap your typically more melomels are entered into honey wine head around bacon honey competitions than other categories. Popularity cannot

master the major varieties you’rewine, let’ssure to first encounter try to be denied! (or even make). The Spice of Life

metheglin may sound a bit medicinal, Mellowing Honey Wine with Fruit the word really represents a truly wonderful variety thatWhile makes the word use “of spices and” herbs for fermenting or

have traditionally been called melomels. Any fruit can cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, marjoram, lavender, beHoney used wines to enhance that are the fermented taste of traditional or flavored honey with wine, fruit chamomile,flavoring honey and/or wine. juniper, By adding honey ingredients wines can like develop clove, but some common favorites include: apples, pears, complex distinctions peaches, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, to suit the individual blueberries, and the list whims of their creator. goes on and on. In fact, the only limit to what can be The ancient Greeks added to a melomel is your were especially imagination. Grapes are fond of herb-infused also a popular addition, but wines because they since introducing grapes to were considered a honey wine results in a mark of high culture variety unto its own, we’ve and prestige. To reserved a section entirely understand why this devoted to varieties that would be so, we must incorporate grapes (check consider the high cost below for our section on pyments). of spices in a time when For the ancients, adding fruit to honey wine was a clever trade routes stretched way of preserving fruit that could be enjoyed outside for thousands of miles

31 32 across harsh terrains and tempestuous shipping routes. Pyments are honey wines fermented with grapes, Without automobiles and modern ships, spices were making the range of taste diversity never ending. costly luxury items reserved for the very wealthy. Add The sheer variety of grapes alone makes pyment an the cost of spices to the already kingly price for honey expansive category. But the diversity multiplies when you consider that intermingling grapes and honey enables a full range of honey wines—from honey Whileand the metheglins phrase “golden still providewine” takes richly on warmnew meaning. aromatic wines with subtle grape highlights to grape wines notes that make them a perfect libation for parties, with nuanced touches of honey, there’s a balance for picnics, or to crown your holiday season, you can everyone. manage a bottle without breaking into your royal coffers. Whatever the balance, fermenting honey with grapes brings the best attributes of honey and grape wines pleasantly together. For those of us on the fence, A Grape Way To Serve Honey Wine pyments are a glorious gateway drink toward achieving the highest pleasures honey wine has to offer. He syngeth, brokkynge as a nyghtyngale; He sente hire pyment, meeth, and spided ale. –Geoffrey Chaucer

In the 1380s, Geoffrey Chaucer was already writing about pyments as love gifts. And while Chaucer’s English hardly resembles the language we know today, pyment remains a wonderfully romantic honey wine suitable for gifts of love.

33 34 For the Love of Beer and Honey Wine Chapter III. How To Serve Honey Wine

If a pyment is a marriage between honey and grape At last Gandalf pushed away wines, a braggot is the blessed union that occurs when his plate and jug—he had beer and honey wine tie the eaten two whole loaves (with knot. But like all marriages, masses of butter and honey nothing is as simple as it and clotted cream) and drunk seems. at least a quart of mead—and he took out his pipe. –From: braggot” describes The Hobbit honey wines that make use ofThe malted term “ barley, hops and/ Honey wineby J.R.R.is a Tolkienremarkably versatile drink that or grains. The word itself is compliments and even enhances a host of variously of welsh origin, and there delicious foods. are references to the hybrid beverage in Ireland dating as When it comes to serving temperature and food far back as the 12th century. The intriguing combination using to enhance your favorite food, friends, and of beer and honey wine occasions.pairings, you For must a refresher first consider on the differentwhat variety varieties you’re of produces a strong drink honey wine, refer back to Chapter Two.

The strength of the concoction, however, is balanced by the sweetness of the honey,with which uncommon at the end flavors. of the Of Temperatures and Glasses day produces a hearty elixir that will warm the coldest winter nights. For honey wines on the drier side of the spectrum, anywhere from cellar temperature to chilled is Vikings were accustomed to simply mixing honey wine generally preferred. Serving dry honey wine at cooler and beer crudely together after plundering a village, temperatures enhances the bouquet and allows the but since most of us have given up pillaging, we have delicate complexities of the wine to be discerned before more free time to combine honey and malts together before fermentation, which produces a much more room temperature enables the sweetness, aroma, and the dry finish. For sweeter honey wines, serving at 35 36 refined drink. Food Pairings season, warm honey wine mulled with spices is always arich, welcome flavor wayto fully to chase come the through. cold away And afterfor the a long holiday day It simply is not enough to ask what food goes well with of shopping. And when you mull honey wine, the aroma honey wine. Because first, you need to consider which of holiday cheer will entirely envelop your home. wine or beer, the variety determines the food pairing. As for glassware, either an oversized wine glass or Sovariety without of honey further wine ado: you’re serving. Just as with grape snifter provides a marvelous vessel to display and enjoy your honey wine. But if the moment calls for classic elegance, For Your Dry Humor sophistication. And we a smallstrongly flute presentsrecommend grace serving and Similar to white grape wines (like Pinot Grigio or honey wine in a clear glass Sauvignon Blanc), the dry variety of honey wines are presented on a table covered wonderful any time of year, but especially refreshing with a white tablecloth—this during the warm months of summer. In this spirit, dry will allow the brilliant, golden honey wines pair well with most seafood, including: hues of honey wine to fully shine upon your occasion. fruit-based honey wine, try drawing out the fruit with Finally, a hearty mug or chalice sushi—maybeshellfish, sushi, a and wasabi grilled raw fish. tuna If saladyou’re would pairing do abest. dry will serve well to evoke the But you also can’t lose while pairing your dry honey days of old as you sip warm wine with Cajun shrimp or oysters, because spicy food goodness on a cold, cold night. is a good companion with almost all honey varieties. A classic grilled halibut with a basil pesto topping would Still, when it comes to also companion nicely with a good bottle of dry honey moments of pleasure, you wine. should always follow your own tastes. With this in mind, why not go your own way But you’re certainly not limited to seafood. Dry varieties are wonderful with rich, creamy starters and dips—if When it comes to honey wine, you’re the expert—go you’re serving spinach or artichoke dip with French aheadrather andthan experiment. follow the traditional advice of “experts.” bread, serve a dry honey wine to kick-start your guests’ appetite for the rest of your meal. And if the rest of that meal includes dishes like Chicken Florentine or spinach

37 38 stuffed pablano peppers, you might as well keep serving synergy that happens when semi-sweets pair with that honey wine all night. And don’t forget creamy barbecue and spiced foods is utterly incomparable. pasta dishes such as Fettuccine Alfredo while pairing Spicy Thai entrees go especially well with a semi-sweet, as will spiced Mexican, Indian, and Ethiopian cuisines. to the fore by serving the with dry varieties. You can alsodry bring variety the honey alongside theme your local Ethiopian restaurant. When you do, consider honey-baked ham aEspecially semi-sweet Ethiopian with shiro food., a traditional Do yourself chickpea a favor dishand thatfind studded with cloves and absolutely demands honey wine. Honey wine is deeply coated with a tangy imbedded in Ethiopian culture, and when you taste the glaze. food with the wine, you’ll forever be hooked.

As for dessert, keep it light with the dry thinking about optimal pairings. In fact, barbecue of variety. A simple plate Korean barbecue chicken also comes to mind when of strawberries, melons or pineapples would any kind will find a mutual companion in a semi-sweet. always go well with dry And finally, curry, curry, curry. Spicy veggie curries or

honey wine. Enjoy! The Semi-Sweet Life

A brisk swirl of your semi-sweet glass of honey wine will release a pleasantly sweet nose that will compliment almost any elegantly simple cheese and fruit plate starter—or, since we’re talking starters, try having Indian or Indonesian cuisine, you’d be well a semi-sweet with some roasted garlic spread on your advisedcurried chickento take the are semi top-notch route. fits for semis. If you’re favorite crusty bread or crackers. Amazing. The semi-sweet variety pairs awesomely with almost After starters, the slightly lighter taste of the semi-sweet any dessert, but you absolutely must indulge in a variety will pair well with pork, chicken, and pheasant chocolate cake pairing. No really, you must. dishes. And if you’re looking to kick it up a notch, the 39 40 Sweets to the Sweet nut-based desserts. In the end, sweet wines work with almost any dessert, so long as the balance of sweetness and acidity can carry the sugars off without cloying the And now to our just desserts. Ah, but you’ll have to palate. wait…for a moment at least. Because sweet honey wines are not just for dessert. For example, the sweet Finally, don’t forget that sweet honey wines are a variety pairs extraordinarily dessert unto themselves. So put a crown on any meal well with strong tasting cheeses. with a golden glass of honey wine. Blue cheeses, for example, have a strong taste that can overpower Bon appétit. a timid wine. Because blue cheeses are relatively salty, they

in sweeter wines, making the sweettend to variety find better an obvious compliments choice for blues. And because sweet honey wines with a good acid backbone naturally cleanse the palate, they make the can be said for most aged cheeses, so be sure to taste of each new bite as intense as the first. The same

Sweetexperiment honey to wines find somealso go heavenly well with combinations. entrees that stand up to sweetness, such as again, the spiced foods from Africa, Asia and India. And a warm, hearty stew always goes well with a sweet honey wine. the libation for closing out the night: they pair perfectly withOkay, dessertback to pastries,desserts rich(yay!). chocolate Sweet honeydishes, wines and anyare creamy dessert (preferably with buttery caramel sauce all over it). Try chocolate mousse cake. Or apple pie with ginger. And sweet honey wine goes great with 41 42 For the Mixologists The Harvey Posert Jr.

If you frequent popular nightspots, you know that Or maybe you’re having friends over for the Kentucky mixology is all the rage right Derby. This of course calls for some Kentucky now. And honey wine is bourbon…andpart bourbon, andhoney serve wine. it on W thee call rocks this with The Kentuckya sprig of Honeymoon. You mix 2 parts dry honey wine with one comes to creative cocktails fresh mint as garnish: thatdefinitely add into the the mix character when it of your occasion. But you  2 parts dry honey wine don’t have to go out to enjoy  1 part bourbon mixology. Why not stay in and entertain your friends with drinks they never imagined Long Island Honey Wine existed. Whatever your taste for cocktails, honey wine can make an old favorite a dazzling new experience. And for those warm summer evenings on Here are some recipes to get you started: the porch, you can’t go wrong with honey wine’s answer to the Long Island Iced Tea: Honey Wine Mimosa  ½ oz each of gin, vodka, rum, Thinking Sunday brunch with and triple sec  Four shots of honey wine mimosa. Instead, go with a Honey (either traditional or melomel) Winefriends? Mimosa. Don’t settle It’s so for easy the sameto make. old  Serve on ice in a tall glass with a splash of Coke & lime wedge Wine with 1 part orange juice, and enjoy.Just mix 2 parts sparkling Honey

 2 parts sparkling honey wine  1 part orange juice

43 44 The Honeyrita  1 ounce tequila  ½ ounce Grand Marnier or Cointreau If tequila is your thing, honey  A splash of orange juice wine has a way of transforming  A shaker of honey wine old favorites into fresh alternatives. Check out both of these south of the border The Honey Wine Toddy surprises. First, The Honeyrita. Into a shaker, pour 1 ounce tequila, ½ ounce Grand Marnier, offers the warm and cozy 2 ounces of traditional honey wine, 1 ounce of non-pulp withAnd some finally, wonderful honey wine hot orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of fresh honey. Add a toddy alternatives, such tiny pinch of sea salt and ice, and shake well. Pour as The Honey Wine Toddy.

your favorite whiskey into a 1glass ounce rimmed tequila with sugar. Mmm…so refreshing! withYou mix2 ounces 1 ½ ouncesof heated of  1/2 ounce Grand Marnier traditional or metheglin  2 ounces of traditional honey wine honey wine, ¼ ounce of  1 ounce orange juice (strained) fresh honey and ¼ ounce  ½ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice (strained) of lemon juice. Serve this  1 teaspoon fresh honey soothing mixture in a warm mug, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, and garnish it with a cinnamon stick. Tequila Honey-Rise Put your feet up, sip, and ahhhhh. of tequila, ½ ounce Grand  1½ ounces of your favorite whiskey MarnierNext, try aor delicious Cointreau, Tequila and Honey-Rise. Mix one ounce  2 ounces heated traditional or metheglin honey a splash of orange juice in a wine shaker of honey wine. Serve  ¼ tablespoon of fresh honey over ice and garnish with a  ¼ ounce lemon juice wedge of lime.

45 46 These few recipes are just the start. The real fun is Chapter IV. The Most Sustainable practicing your own mixology. And because honey wine is versatile, adaptable, and delicious, you’re well Libation on your way to crafting your own signature drinks. Be If the bees disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. sure to share. Cheers! –Albert Einstein

Did you know that one-third of the U.S. food supply

many varieties of fruits, vegetables, and even nuts woulddepends be onthreatened pollination with from extinction. bees? WithoutAnd over bees,the past so

out from a convergence of environmental threats. fifteen years, 90% of the wild bee population has died The lifeblood of future agricultural sustainability is our bees. And the recent devastation of wild bees means that we will depend on local beekeepers to stand as the last line of defense for the well being of bees and the foods you love. The good news is that the more honey wine you drink, the more local beekeepers are empowered to care for the health of their hives. By helping to take honey wine into the mainstream market, you are actively contributing to the healthy balance of a planet that desperately needs bees to help sustain a rapidly growing population.

So go ahead and indulge in honey wine—after all, no other libation plays such a vital role in sustaining the planet. Honey wine producers are deeply invested in raising awareness around the plight of bees, and what

47 48 better way to raise awareness than talking with your friends about the importance of bees while enjoying a around the world. And to make matters worse, there isDisorder” no single (CCD). cause CCD for hasCCD. decimated While scientists bee populations are still grappling with the causes, three interconnected factors glass of honey wine? are clearly implicated: shrinking natural environments, The Buzz on Bees pesticides, and invasive mites.

As natural environments shrink in favor of human Helping to save the bees is just one factor that makes honey wine the most sustainable alcoholic secretingdevelopment, pollen flowerand nectar populations to sustain hives, dramatically which leadsdecrease. to bee As a malnutrition result, there are not enough flowers and disease. Moreover, beverage on Earth. Keep going.reading to find out more - and let’s keep that “buzz” withthe flowers pesticides the bees that can harmfind hives. are often tainted thrived together for Bees and flowers have millions and millions of For example, researchers years. Their harmonious have recently reported symbiotic existence gives us our most delicious and a direct link between nutritious foods, with honey wine serving as the literal CCD and , embodiment of the ancient love affair between bees a widely used pesticide that disruptsneonicotinoids the central nervous systems of and flowers.

And the relationship between bees and flowers is bees; bees gather nectar to make honey; and, in the insects. Neonicotinoids remains toxic throughout beautifully simple: flowers produce nectar to attract process, bees spread the pollen needed to produce entire growing seasons, meaning that bees are one-third of everything you eat (and drink). exposed to the pesticides while gathering nectar during flowering times. Researchers also believe But over the last two decades, environmental factors that neonicotinoids makes bees vulnerable to parasites, which might expain why recent 49 invasions of tracheal and 50 varroa mites have been have contributed to what scientists call “Colony Collapse so deadly. This is one very important reason to consider purchasing organic products. Our Drink Honey Wine, Save the Forests pollinators deserve better. Aside from the high ecological value bees provide as While all of this might sound dreadfully apocalyptic, pollinators, we should also be aware of how modern each and every remaining hive is good news for a beekeeping can help prevent deforestation in some of sustainable future. Which of course makes local our most precious ecosystems. In China, for example, the beekeepers a global treasure. While 90% of wild World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working to modernize bees have died out, beekeepers have had much better beekeeping methods as part of a plan to save panda success at protecting cultivated hives. If it were not for dedicated beekeepers and invested entomologists to logging mean more trees and happy pandas. stewarding beehives, we might already be experiencing habitats. The WWF knows that profitable alternatives food shortages.

As we move forward, cultivated hives might entirely farmersAnd while markets, logging stimulating provides profitsthe local for economy international in a sustain our agricultural well-being. Grape wine and balancedcorporations, and honeysustainable flows way. smoothly Similar intoefforts nearby are beer have dominated the alcoholic beverage category underway in Ethiopia, where more honey production for a long time, but even a subtle shift in purchasing means less destruction of tropical rainforests. Bees trends that favored honey wine would greatly produce the most honey when their environment is incentivize local, artisanal beekeepers to produce the quantity and variety of honey needed to supply a growing industry. By keeping honey in high demand, beekeepingclosest to its creates natural incentives state. So infor a worldlocal businesses where profit to you also help to insure the future of our greatest allies often determines environmentalmaintain pristine impact, forests profitable for in food production. And the bees will thank you with bees to do their magic. bountiful contributions to your food and drink. Ethiopia is also working to With all of this in mind, let’s all raise a glass of divine upgrade from traditional to honey wine in support of life-giving bees. Doesn’t it modern beehives. By upgrading to modern beehives, Ethiopian beekeepers are able to harvest feel good to give new meaning to the phrase “drink honey without destroying responsibly?” Cheers! the entire honeycomb. By removing honey supers 51 52 without disturbing the continuity of the hive and its natural cycles, beekeepers also achieve a greater WhileWhat otherso much growing of what industry we consume helps tonegatively bloom flowers affects importantly, the bees don’t have to waste their energy to ourand growenvironment, trees as honey a natural wine byproduct literally ofsustains business? it. recreatehoney yield new and honeycombs higher profit each margins. year. So But modern even morehives to make just one bottle of honey wine. And those two margins make beekeepers happy. With these positive Because bees will pollinate over two million flowers outcomesdefinitely makein mind, bees our happier. plan is And to grow increased the honey profit industry so that beekeeping can become a sustainable million flowers will germinate 20-40 million new seeds alternative to destructive logging in our irreplaceable that contribute to healthy forests and fields upon fields ancient forests. Happy bees. Happy forests. And happy Allof flowers. of this means that honey wine is deeply embedded in honey wine drinkers. Let’s work together to increase the cycle of nature. The ancients were on to something great when they made honey wine their drink of choice. It’s now high time to return to honey wine. The bees Inthe some happiness! places, we are already seeing the positive results of modernizing beekeeping in forested areas. Take, for example, Mama Christine, an entrepreneurial beekeeper and the earth demand it! A Beeline for Urban Renewal the lower Congo simply raided wild bee colonies in the forest,in Kavwaya, a practice Congo. that Until threatens recently, forest honey bee populations.collectors in But Mama Christine knows that modern beekeeping increased honey production. Increased attention to increases honey yields and critically important bee theAnd crucial it’s not importance only forests of bees that has are new benefiting hives popping from up in some unexpected urban locations. In addition to cultivating an 1,100 square-foot vegetable garden on exceedspopulations. the amountShe recently most harvested Congolese 75 make liters in of ahoney year. the South Lawn of the White House, Michelle Obama Andfrom thereher five are hives, thousands earning of a new single beekeepers harvest profit just thatlike has also taken to amateur beekeeping in the heart of Mama Christine in the Congo. By fostering increased our nation’s capital. And the move is much more than symbolic, as the bees pollinate her garden and provide provide alternatives to exploitative deforestation, and createprofits increased for beekeepers, biodiversity we support through localpollination. economies, Bestup to of175 all, pounds the bees of honeyare entirely per year. non-partisan, which means that neighboring politicians on both sides of 53 54 the aisle have more bountiful gardens because of busy, in the densely populated Mission District, but most presidential bees. residents are unaware that the bees are even there -

The private sector is equally invested in raising urban admitthat is, that except their for honey the locals is a bit who pricier know than where the tohoney find youthe bestbuy athoney a supermarket, in town. Bi-Rite but their market customers is the firstrealize to bee populations. The corporate offices of Google and the value in supporting local businesses and their new neighbors, the bees. Honey tastes uniquely different in every locality because each location produces unique

For San Francisco locals, the signature pleasures of Missiontaste distinctions District honey based is on worth the florathe higher around cost. the hives.

Why You Should Keep It Local

Intel each maintain hives on their roofs. And even the taste of neighborhood foodies. There are lots of reasons toBut go buying local, but local perhaps honey the is most not only valuable about consequence the refined roof of New York City’s Waldorf Astoria is home to a Thesewhopping bees 300,000 produce bees! about 800 pounds of honey a year, and believe it or not the Waldorf wants even more bees—their restaurants use about 1,000 pounds of honey a year. The Waldorf understands that young, environmentally conscious foodies appreciate locally sourced foods, and there’s nothing more making it to your French toast in the Waldorf. local than flower nectar from Central Park In San Francisco, a local organic market is also getting into rooftop beekeeping. 55 Bi-Rite Market is located 56 Moreover, by increasing pollination in the places your Disorder. Increased demand for local honey raises local pricesof buying and localencourages honey ismore to fightpeople Colony to Collapsego into beekeeping. This means that there are more bees and vitamins,food actually minerals, comes from,and dietary you get lipidsa direct could benefit be tolost your in more hives dispersed over a wider area, which helps to areasnutrition. where Researchers pollinators estimate aren’t present.that 40% So of let’s essential keep tilt the odds in favor of bees threatened by CCD. those pollinators employed in our local crops. And let’s help encourage local beekeepers to produce all the By buying honey locally, you also nsure that your honey and bees we need for a sustainable, healthy, and honey is produced in the most sustainable and healthy tasty future. way possible. As it stands today, thee United States consumes about 400 million pounds of honey a year, An Un-Industrial Revolution around the world. While the carbon footprint from shipping52% of honey which thousands is shipped of miles in from before mega-producers consumption Picture, if you will, the beauty of a grape wine vineyard is cause enough to encourage buying local, there are as it sprawls over hill and dale for miles and miles. The also growing health concerns around the international beauty is uncontestable, but it sure does take up a lot of Food Safety News investigation space. And what about reveals that foreign sourced honey from large-scale all the mechanization producersflow of honey. often A has recent a presence of lead and illegal animal required to run a antibiotics. And this is when the honey actually comes vineyard compared to from bees. Apparently, greed has driven international require irrigation systems,an apiary? Vineyards heavy honey smugglers (yep, they exist!) to concoct “honey” machinery, fuel- Theremade fromare very artificial good sweeteners.reasons to protect the high quality burning tractors, of locally sourced American honey. And the same can climate controlling be said for sustainable coops that responsibly produce turbines, and often honey around the world. The important thing is to think pesticides to control small when you purchase honey, so avoid the mega- insects. And all of these producers and seek out artisanal honey whenever it’s things negatively effect our rivers, streams, and that you owe it to yourself to consume the very best. ground water. humanly possible. Honey is so nutritionally beneficial 57 58 In contrast, apiaries are not highly mechanized Chapter V. A Beverage of Mythical operations. Because running an apiary is an artisanal craft that involves working with nature, rather than Proportions against it. And while all the mechanization of a vineyard minimizes human labor, honey cultivation demands Myths and legends look at history from a different direct human interaction with hives. More human labor means jobs that stimulate local economies. Moreover, ways, myths and legends contain more truth than can vineyards often negatively impact the environment by beangle. held Are in anythey scholar’s 100% true? book. Probably And honey not. wine But isin one some of spreading fertilizer over large areas, controlling weeds those uncontainable forces that only myth can begin to with chemicals and roto-tillers, and putting a strain on explain. The best way to experience honey wine is to our precious water resources. drink it with reverence and knowledge. To help with

The beauty of apiaries is that they thrive harmoniously That will come naturally. in small spaces without negatively impacting the the knowledge part, read below. As for the reverence? environment. In fact, honey is just a byproduct of bees making the world bountiful with wholesome foods and Honeymoon in Babylon

Did you know that the Honeybeautiful wine flowers. is without a doubt the most sustainable alcoholic beverage in history. What made it great in the from the ancient tradition past, makes it an even greater option for a sustainable ofword giving “honeymoon” the gift of comeshoney future. that’s what legend tells us, Now we just need to get our message out. So don’t just anyway.wine to It’s newlyweds? said that newly Well, married couples in ancient news about the role honey wine can play in giving us a Babylon were given gifts of moredrink sustainablehoney wine! future. You’ll also want to spread the good golden honey wine on their wedding day. And as if this wasn’t awesome enough, the newlyweds were directed to drink honey wine every night for a full 59 60 moon cycle to celebrate their vows—hence, the word many cultures think of the libation as erotically

Hindu Sanskrit hymns, honey wine is described as “honeymoon.” Pretty cool, huh? havingstimulating. the power In the to Rig-Veda, give wedded a gathering couples of ancientstrong, behind every ritual lies a purpose, and the purpose healthy sons. And there A full month of honey wine? A great time for sure! But are uncountable Old remember that elder family members arranged most Norse tails in which ancienthere was marriages, probably meaningabout making that newlyweds babies. You had have to get to honey wine is the means by which Drinking honey wine for a moon cycle would sort of amorous gods convince smoothto “know” things each over,other if pretty you knowquickly what after we the mean. wedding. But unwilling partners to let’s not be too practical about all of this. The ancients dally in love. saw real power in honey wine, so let’s indulge in the magic. In medieval North Africa, the Moors gifted honey wine at Honey Love weddings, believing that fermented honey The Babylonians weren’t the only ones to believe that is a love stimulant that honey is liquid love. Before Bacchus was known as produces bountiful families. The Greeks of course had honey wine honeythe “God wine of Wine”likely predates the ancient grape Greeks wine. called him “The drenched festivals that Honey-Lord,” which makes perfect sense given that The Honey-Lord was the god of ecstasy, ritual madness, and fertility. He carried a staff dripping with honey to descriptivelyconcluded in on wild how orgies. local Welsh And ahoney prominent wine gave Roman him represent the intoxicating effect of fermented honey vigoroussoldier servingsexual powers under while Julius serving Caesar in writes the British very and the sexual potency it was supposed to bequeath on Isles. But we may need to hear more from his alleged imbibers.

The Honey-Lord apparently did a great job at sharing Whilelovers tohoney confirm wine this apparently bit of boastful has information.awesome powers the aphrodisiac qualities of honey wine, because so for inspiring passion, you’ll want to use moderation

61 62 while tapping into this advantage. Take, for example, forget the ancient party boy Hippocleides oderation the plight of Hippocleides, an infamous Greek bachelor is a vital ingredient for success. who lost his chance for love by enjoying too much . M honey wine. Poetic Inspiration As the story goes, Hippocleides was on the verge of marrying a beautiful (and rich) young girl before he Love and poetry drank liberal amounts of honey wine at a party hosted have been tightly intertwined throughout history, standingby his fiancée’s on his headfather. while Apparently, kicking hisHippocleides legs furiously went in which makes it no thefrat-boy air. crazy on the dance floor, which included him surprise that love inducing honey wine is also a traditional metaphor for divine, poetic inspiration. Listen up, aspiring poets. Because our greatest bards have long known that honey wine leads to the heights The father of his fiancée was not impressed. So he of poetic expression. said,οὐ φροντὶς “Oh son Ἱπποκλείδῃ of Teisander,,” which you have translates just danced roughly away to your marriage.” Hippocleides blithely responded, Long before Frances Meres referred to our most worried—at“ least not on that night. The next day, however,“No worries his bachelorhood for Hippocleides.” was not And in maybe doubt. he wasn’t the prime sourcecelebrated of poetry. poet In asNorse “mellifluous mythology, &anyone honey-tongued who drank theShakespeare,” legendary honeyMead of wine Suttungmjaðar was considered would become honey wine inspires ardent romantic passion, while an eminent poet and scholar. Those who were lucky The moral of the story? It could be said that a little enough to partake in the Mead of Suttungmjaðar enjoyed been warned. a famous batch of honey wine with a complicated past. too much honey wine results in the opposite. You’ve Before you go chalking up the aphrodisiac powers of Legend tells us that there was a long war between two honey wine as pure myth, consider this: honey wine is factions of Norse Gods called the Æsir and the Vanir. rich in B vitamins, nitric oxide, and amino acids that After the war, the rival gods sealed a truce by spitting in have been proven to support reproductive health. But a vat. From their intermingled saliva these gods created while testing the link between myth and science, don’t posed to him. a man named Kvasir who could answer any question 63 64 This legendary wise man travelled the world answering Chapter VI. ‘Must’ Knows about questions, but along the way he ran into some evil dwarves who murdered him and then mixed his blood Fermentation into a batch of honey wine. This mixture resulted in the Mead of Poetry, believed to imbue the drinker with It’s so simple. Take water, great wisdom. mix in honey, add optional herbs, hops, spices, and To make a long story short, a giant named Suttungr was then...wait. The resulting about to kill these evil dwarves, but was convinced to concoction is called the spare them in exchange for their magical honey wine. Suttungr then tried to hide the powerful potion away, must, all you have to do is but in short time Odin (the Norse god of wisdom, poetry, wait“must.” for Oncenaturally you occurring have the and magic) stole the golden elixir away by transforming yeasts in the air to mix with himself into an eagle. Suttungr also took the shape of an your creation, and voila eagle to pursue the thieving god, but he only managed to make Odin spill a portion of honey wine that has made honey wine, and what! worked for them, will also since You’ve got honey wine. This is how the ancients first probably waiting for a little more information, so here been knownmagical as the “rhymester’s share of honeyshare.” wine is goes…work for you. So what are you waiting for? Okay, you’re responsible for inspiring our greatest poets. It’s Thisentertaining small yet to imagine Dante, Chaucer, and Shakespeare getting their poetic genius by taking Flowers Live in the Bouquet of Honey precious sips of divinely sourced honey wine.

Andthe of traditional honey wine: honey and yeast. Much like samewhile pleasure you might that not initiated be lucky thousands enough toof years find the grapeTwo core appellations ingredients distinguish influence thethe charactertaste and ofbouquet grape legendary “rhymester’s share,” you can indulge in bottle of honey wine to the right occasion - the poetryof used will determine the distinct taste of your own willmyth surely and legend.happen. All you need to do is fit the right honeywines, winethe floral creations. origins of honey and the type of yeast

One of the purest joys of honey wine is that honey

65 66 absorbs the fragrance of blossoming flowers. So if your wine is based in sage honey, hints of sage will dance that depends on how sweet you like your honey wine. you choose to use jasmine honey, you’ll be taken on ButHow keep much in honey mind should that the you more use forhoney your you must? use, Well, the on your palate when you first taste your wine. Or if blooming jasmine bush. In this way, honey wine comes is because more honey means more food for the yeast withan olfactory a distinct journey memory—a to the memorytime you of first life walkedin bloom. by a (thisstronger is true the up alcohol to the content point when in your the final alcohol product. becomes This so strong that it kills off the yeast).

adventurous honey wine The recommended range for crafting successful honey A wide range of floralmaker, pleasures including: awaits acacia, the wine is anywhere from 2½ buckwheat, eucalyptus, each gallon of water. Unless of course you’re interested clover, mesquite, orange- in making Polish Dwójniak. toThis 5 poundstraditional of honey beverage per blossom, sage, and even sports a strong alcohol content resulting from using pepperwood. If bees are equal parts honey and water. The Poles drink more honey wine than most other cultures—maybe the secret is in the Dwójniak. We’ll leave that for you to integralattracted part to of a your flower, wine. that investigate. flower can become an Be sure to do your research while experimenting with Holy Yeasties! honey types. For example, every culture favors a certain type of honey over others, which probably has as much We should all pause a moment to worship the all holy yeasts. Without them, there’d be no wine or beer of any In Poland honey wine is a staple drink, and the Poles loveto do using with culturaldark buckwheat values as honeyit does withwith afloral robust, ubiquity. stout from the thought of life without yeast, rest assured character. Buckwheat is readily available for bees in thatsort. there Yes, youare more heard yeast that cells right. in Asthe you world try than to recover can be humanly comprehended. The future is secure. of the region it hails from. This means that honey wine hasthe area,a terroir making (or sense the local of place) honey in wine just thea true same reflection way as The sole job of the yeast is to digest sugars. Wouldn’t grape wine does.

byproductit be nice ifof youyour too eating could produced find a jobalcohol that and just carbon asked you to eat? Actually, you could secure such a job if the 67 68 dioxide—at least, that’s what yeast do. And we are all greatly beholden to the digestive habits of these busy non-alcoholic beverage is called berz. and nhabitants starts producing of faiths alcohol. in Ethiopia Recall berz, that hard to pass on good yeast humor. this To be little fungi. And what “fun guys” they are—sorry, it’s sure, i all enjoy. As we mentioned earlier, but it is an especially welcome alternative to honey yeast occur naturally wine for devout Muslims and teetotalers alike in our environment, so Good Chemistry Means Good Wine fermentation can happen without any human For the chemists out there who still know their assistance. But with the molar weights, here is the reaction that occurs in invention of select strains of honey wine fermentation (the reactions within yeast yeast in the late 18th century, cells are quite complex, so this is the easy version):

pitching yeasts into must has C6H12O12 2(CH3CH2O2) + 2(CO2) + Energy become a common practice. Sugar Alcohol Carbon dioxide Over the years, hundreds of → yeast strains have been distributed under numerous The sugar is digested and converted to alcohol and the brand names. The way that Champagne yeasts interact byproducts are carbon dioxide and heat generation. with honey have given them prominence in honey wine There are also a host of other production, but there are some yeast strains created fermentation. For example, favor and explore the possibilities. issues specific to honey wine specifically for fermenting honey wine. Do yourself a honey is low in naturally occurring yeast nutrients But not so fast. Ethiopians have maintained the ancient (what yeast eat), so you practice of producing honey wines at home with might have to add additional naturally occurring yeasts. This means that almost nutrients to keep the yeast every family has an ensera (a clay keg) tucked away in a on a balanced diet that keeps dark corner of the house. A wide range of the population enjoys these homemade honey wines— duty. consume the must them fit for fermentation before the yeast kicks in some even , essentially honey water, (no gesho is added) 69 70 Another issue to look out for is acidity. Honey water traditional beehives and did not extract the honey from can get acidic very quickly, which dramatically inhibits the honeycomb prior to fermentation, as is the practice fermentation levels. Since fermentation is the key, today. By fermenting the honey comb-and-all, the you’ll need to closely monitor acid levels throughout overall product had a much higher pollen content. If the process. you have the opportunity to drink t’ej made in Ethiopia, you’ll quickly appreciate what a high pollen count does to the color and taste of honey wine—it’s as if you’re cause cloudiness in homemade honey wines. If you wantAnd finally, that brilliant, naturally gemlike occurring hue proteins of a superior in honey glass can of honey wine, you’ll want to boil the honey/water drinking nectar straight from the flower. mixture prior to fermentation so you can skim the traditional yellow tones, and there are those that set a proteins off the top. But take heed, boiling will take highThere price are on honey golden wine clarity. aficionados In the end, this that is appreciatea personal away some of the fragrant properties of the honey. Or preference. But in terms of modern production, the

toinstead make. of boiling you can always rent a filter from your theextent ratio to of which honey honeyused proportionate wine reflects to golden water, and hues the is local brewery supply store. You’ve got some decisions durationdependent of onfermentation. the level at which the wine is filtered,

Got Gesho?

Ah, the elusive pleasures of gesho. But the question is

To answer this question you mustthis: to consider gesho or how not (and to gesho? if) you want to balance the natural Follow the Yellow Brick Road sweetness of unadulterated honey wine. Gesho comes from the stalks of a buckthorn Ancient honey wine was probably more yellow than bush (Rhamnus prinoides), the more golden tones we’ve become accustomed to and it works in honey wine in the modern era. This is because the ancients used much the same way that hops

71 72 do in beer. Gesho offers a way to retain traditional honey honey wine has been legal since 1978. And hey, nobody wine techniques while also providing a sophisticated will ask you to verify your age while you’re buying balancing effect to the sweetness of honey. Best of all, the whole process is fool proof. After all, in There are many ways to get gesho into your mix: some honey and yeast (you’re making a French loaf, right?).

in cigarette papers, people). But most what other craft can you drink all of your mistakes? boil it first, othersEthiopians smoke itjust prior toss to handfulsfermentation of gesho (not right into the ensera. In Ethiopia, most see gesho as a catalyst for fermentation, and while modern chemists scoff at this belief, it could be that the ancient tradition got it right. Because gesho naturally boosts the nutrients yeast

Anyway, a nation of 90 million devoted honey wine you’re going to make your batch in the bathtub. It’s a require to ferment honey efficiently. matterAs a final of court note,es avoidy, people. bathing for at least a week if

Ethiopiansdrinkers can’t are be so allwild wrong, about right? gesho they even dedicated For now, just make a beeline to your local bookstore for a stamp to the bitter, little shrub. And you’ll have trust these three excellent books: us: the plant has a much more appealing look than the stamp would suggest. - Making Mead (Honey Wine) - The Compleat Meadmaker by Roger Morse Do Try This at Home - Mad about Mead! by Pamela Spence by Ken Schramm While this has been a fast and furious introduction to fermenting honey wine, there are a number of great websites and books devoted entirely to making homemade honey wine—part of the pleasure is learning, and there are some great resources available.

Thanks to President Jimmy73 Carter, making your own 74 Chapter VII. The Rebirth of Honey Wine The real point is this: people want to enjoy the

sometimes the historic past can teach us how to do As you now know, honey wine is deeply imbedded in this.finer Farmer’s things of markets life in aare socially one example responsible of an old way, world and our global history, mythologies, and cultures. And yet tradition returning as a hip, responsible lifestyle. But all that came before is mere prologue to the vibrant farmers markets did need a bit of a makeover to make rebirth honey wine is enjoying in modern culture. As Michael Sanders puts it in a recent article in The New cheese at ye’ olde farmers market). York Times this happen (you probably couldn’t get truffle goat , honey wine is “so old, it’s new.” If you’ve been following our story, you know that every culture reinvents honey wine to suit the respective through our culture in other forms, as well. For example, needs, desires, and tastes of its people. From honey heightenedThe “so old, it’sawareness new” phenomenon about how has food been distribution sweeping wines that occurred naturally in the nooks of baobab impacts the environment has inspired foodies to seek trees, to honey wines infused with bacon, the story of out locally sourced foods whenever possible. This honey wine is one of evolution and transcendence. awareness has led to farmers markets But there were dark times when it took monks to keep springing up in almost the tradition alive. And there were times of scarcity every local community. And lest hip, young all. But in the end, we’re very lucky that our Ethiopian foodies think they andwhen Polish the common friends took man care could of nota honey find honeywine tradition wine at invented organic that we can all learn from today. And hey, after 200,000 farmers markets, years of glorious honey wine tradition, a 300-year we’ll have to remind decline in consumption is equivalent to just one bad them that these open marketplaces are as old as, well, honey Sofinancial today quarter!we proudly proclaim an end to The Great wine. In fact, maybe polished, modern styles of honey wine for a new age of cultural phenomenon imbibers.Honey Wine We can Recession! now enjoy Becausedry-hopped we varieties now havethat thatwe’ve actually finally predates found a honey wine. honey wines that provide a celebratory alternative to rival any aridly refined Sauvignon Blanc, effervescent 75 76 champagne, and to-die-for dessert varieties that bring new meaning to after dinner indulgence. Where’s your favorite place to drink honey wine? Is it Even the liquor industry sees a future in the blissful Nowreally is an your aphrodisiac? chance to create history. Bring it back and relationship between honey and alcohol. The great

make it epic! American distillers at Jack Daniel’s recently launched nosea whiskey and tasting called notes “Tennessee of praline, Honey,” caramel, which butter, is and, an “undeniably smooth” liquor that boasts “a honeysuckle getting in on the honey craze, having concocted a home of course, wild honey.” White House chefs are even Obama. Our inside sources describe the home brew as brew called “White House Honey Ale” for President

Nowa “lovely that auburn honey wine brown” and ale honey-based with floral libationsaromas. are all you. We can only bring you the honey wine story. It’s nowthe rage, up to what’s you to left write to do?the Well,next chapter.friends, thatSo call is upyour to the oldest, new drink on the scene. It’s good for our friends and neighbors! And invite them over to enjoy time to rewrite the story of honey wine. bees! It’s good for our planet! And it’s simply the right With this in mind, we ask you to take over the story of honey wine. Because only you can drive the rebirth of the most noble beverage in history. Along the way, send us your pictures.

Tell us your honey wine stories. Where did you first try honey wine? What do you serve honey wine with? 77 78 Acknowledgements How to Order Honey Wine in Any Land

Language “Honey Wine” Country

This book was born from the collaboration of Aari s’ajji Ethiopia six talented professionals living in California, Afar malb, gohoyu (honey beer) Ethiopia Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Porto, Portugal. Alaaba daat’a Ethiopia Amharic t’ej, berz (non-alcohol) Ethiopia Anfillo bita Ethiopia Anuak ogool, ocatha (honey beer) Ethiopia Arabic nabidh Middle East Randy Johnson – Script & North Africa [email protected] Arbore d’aadi Ethiopia Argobba t’ej Ethiopia Awngi mishi Ethiopia Lindsey Bugbee – Illustrations Baiso t’ejji Ethiopia [email protected] Baka njambu Cameroon Bamana diji, dikolen Mali (Mande group) Suzanne Musikantow – Audiobook narration Bambassi bit’ Ethiopia [email protected] Banda-Banda duma Central African Republic Barbaig (d. Datooga) gesuda Tanzania Diogo Lando – Cover design Basketo t’ej Ethiopia Bedawi adarha Sudan [email protected] Bemba mbote/imbote Zambia Bench es Ethiopia Jane Shaffer – Layout and book design Berta baas’a Ethiopia Bilin mes/miys, mid Eritrea [email protected] Birale koronko Ethiopia (nearly extinct) Bobo básè Burkina Faso Harry Kloman – Proofreading and editing Bodi gema, gemade boorini Ethiopia [email protected] Bomu so Mali Boni bo’or Tanzania Boro bito Ethiopia Breton chouchen France Bulgarian medovina Bulgaria Burji boka/booka Ethiopia Bussa t’ayye Ethiopia Chaha dagye, dege Ethiopia Chai gimáy, t’acc Ethiopia Chara eesa Ethiopia 79 80 Cheyenne hahnomâhep - U.S.A. Inor dag’a, t’ej Ethiopia ano’êhaseo’o tseve’keeno’e Italian idromele Italy Chinese mì jiû, mat zau China, Taiwan Japanese hachimitsu sake Japan (Mandarin, Cantonese) Kadaru (Kafir) i-qilika Sudan Czech medovina Czech Republic Kafa bito Ethiopia Daasanach thaaniti, t’ej Ethiopia Kambaata daat’a Ethiopia Dahalo mola Kenya Kaonde mbote/imbote Zambia Danish mjød Denmark Karo ala, sia Ethiopia Dime tajj Ethiopia Kikamba, Kikuyu, Dinka dhum, dhumo Sudan Imenti uki/uuki Kenya Dirasha t’ajjet tanket Ethiopia Kirundi ubuki Burundi Dizi t’ej Ethiopia Kistane/Soddo t’ej Ethiopia Dogon bédji Mali Komo biti Ethiopia Dorze t’ej Ethiopia Komso taadita, tajjeeta Ethiopia Dutch mede Netherlands Koorete t’eje, shida dana, sh’ádzhe, Ethiopia English mead, meodu (historical) Britain & other caje countries Korean kkul sul Korea Estonian mõdu Estonia Kunfal mishi Ethiopia Falashan miz Ethiopia Kwama biti Ethiopia Finnish sima Finland Kwegu ítire Ethiopia Flemish mede Belgium Kxoe dini-caca Namibia French hydromel France & other Lamba mbote/imbote Zambia countries Libido dik’aasa (non-alcoholic) Ethiopia Gafat (extinct) s’aj Ethiopia Lithuanian midus Lithuania Galila s’ajji Ethiopia Luchazi bingundo Angola Gamo-Gofa-Dawro t’ej, ‘ees (Gamo) Ethiopia Lunda kosolo/kasolu Zambia Gawwada t’ayye Ethiopia Luvale ndoka Zambia Ge’ez (liturgical) s’ajj, mes/miys Ethiopia Maa (Maasai Maa) enaisho olotorok Tanzania, Kenya Gedeo boka/booka Ethiopia Maale dago Ethiopia German met, medu (historical) Germany Majang ogool Ethiopia Gogot/Dobi dag’a, t’ej Ethiopia Mamara Senoufo se cunahara Mali Greek ydromeli Greece Mande group liji/diji Benin, Burkina Gula duma Central African Faso, Mali & Republic Nigeria Gumuz ke’e’-ka’tsha Ethiopia Mayan balche, pitarilla Mexico & other Gurage t’ej Ethiopia countries Hadiyya dik’aasa Ethiopia Mbunda migundo Angola, Zambia Hamer-Banna zia (Hamer), ant’si (Banna) Ethiopia Me’en gima, boké Ethiopia Harari t’ajji, gohoy (honey beer) Ethiopia Melo ‘ess, ‘eesa Ethiopia Hebrew temad, yeyin dvash Israel Mesqan dag’a, t’ej Ethiopia Hozo bit’ Ethiopia Moru duma Sudan Hungarian mézbor Hungary Muher dagye, dege Ethiopia Icelandic mjöōur Iceland Mursi gimma Ethiopia Igbo mmanya anyu Nigeria Indonesian padang rumput Indonesia 81 82 Nandi kipketinik Democratic Spanish aguamiel Spain & other Republic of countries Congo Swahili mvinyo/pombe, ya asali East African Ndebele mbote/imbote Zambia Swedish mjöd Sweden Ndogo pili Sudan Tagalog idromel, agwamyel Philippines Nguni group amambawu South Africa, Tigrinya mes/miys Ethiopia & Eritrea Swaziland, Tirma gimáy, t’acc Ethiopia Zimbabwe Tsamai xoronko Ethiopia Nkoya mbote/imbote Zambia Tsonga vhinya/wayeni/ya vulombe South Africa, Norwegian mjød Norway others Nuer koang twaar Ethiopia Tswana khadi Botswana, others Nyamwezi wanzuki Tanzania Turkana epurot a aowu/aoo Ethiopia Nyangatom a-tede Ethiopia Uduk t’ej, asum ayin Ethiopia Nyanja kachasu Malawi Ukranian med Ukrain Opuuo biti Ethiopia Vietnamese mâtruou Vietnam Oromo daad’ii Ethiopia Welsh meddeglyn or myddyglyn Britain Persian mey Iran Wolane t’ajay Ethiopia Polish miòd Poland Wolayta ‘essa Ethiopia Portuguese hidromel Portugal, Brazil, Wolof sibah/sibarrh/sibax Senegal & other Xamtanga miz Ethiopia countries Xhosa iQhilika Botswana, Pulaar Fulfulde bese/besu, kokoni Mali Lesotho, South Qabena tajjita Ethiopia Africa Qimant miz Ethiopia Yemsa éésa Ethiopia Russian medovukha Russia Zande, Lingala duma/dumu Democratic Rwanda funguro Rwanda Republic of Saho mees, bathce, malah Ethiopia Congo (honey beer) Zergulla c’ajj Ethiopia Sango duma Central African Zigula wischa Tanzania Republic Zulu uhlobo, lotshwala, iwayini loju South Africa Sanskrit madhu India Zway sexär, t’eje Ethiopia Serbo-Croatian medovina Serbia & Crotia Seze bit’ Ethiopia Shabo oo Ethiopia Shekkacho bito Ethiopia Source Sheko taka Ethiopia www.pitt.edu/~kloman/tej.html Sidama malawo/malabo, t’ajje Ethiopia Silt’e tajji Ethiopia www.solorb.com/mead/ Slovak medovina Slovakia Slovenian medica Slovenia Somali khamri malabeed Ethiopia Songo quingundo Democratic Republic of Congo

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