DRINK
the BEE’S KNEES
Uncovering an ancient honeyed wine in modern-day North Carolina
H
by CATHERINE CURRIN photography by TAYLOR MCDONALD
ave you ever drunk mead? Outside some sort of Renaissance festival? I found myself asking this question to anyone who would listen when the editors at WALTER asked for a piece on the “nectar of the gods.” And like me, most of my friends had only heard of it in their history books. Mead was a mystery, at
least for my palate, which is more often frequented by a fizzy pét-nat, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, or hazy IPA. “Mead has such a rich history, and there are numerous accounts of its origin,” says Diane Currier, founder of Honeygirl Meadery in Durham. “I know it to date back to at least 9,000 B.C. when there were traces of early fermentation found in beverage con-
tainers in China.” Presumed to be the world’s oldest alcoholic drink, there are also early tales of mead from Egypt and India, and everyone from Vikings to Romans to modern-day drinkers have enjoyed the beverage, which is also known as honey wine. Amid the craft-beverage boom — from funkier wines to beers of all colors, strengths, and infusions — mead THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 47
