RECORDS SHOW THAT mead was made as long ago as 8,000BC, and some sources believe it may have originally occurred naturally, when honey and rainwater mixed in the hollow of a tree and fermented, later to be spotted and sampled by curious humans.
Since then, production techniques have become more sophisticated, and yeast is added, to supplement the natural yeasts in the atmosphere. Simple yet versatile, mead can vary widely, from deep caramel to pale lemon in colour, from dry to sweet, still or sparkling. And its alcohol content can range from around four per cent, on a par with beer, up to 20%,
