Mead, Irish honey wine, tradition revived in Northern Ireland

Kilnasaggart Mead, a new Irish honey wine, has been developed by a small batch producer in Northern Ireland.

Thomas O'Hagan has recently revived the tradition of mead production in county Armagh with the launch of the Kilnasaggart Mead (ABV 14%) in 750ml bottles which are now on sale at around £12 in retail outlets in Northern Ireland.

The new mead, developed on the family farm near Jonesborough, which is close to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, is the outcome of research over two years to develop a recipe for a beverage once popular in Ireland.

"We use traditional wine-making techniques to produce small batches of premium mead, by fermentation of raw unprocessed honey. Our mead is bottled medium-sweet to sweet, still and at 14 percent," Mr O'Hagan, a medical researcher, says.

"Making wine from honey is one of the oldest ways to make alcohol in Ireland and was once used during wedding celebrations - hence the term honeymoon. A married couple was given a moon's (month's) supply of mead.

"Our fermented mead starts life by dissolving honey in water and introducing our yeast and white grape juice, which under a watchful eye produces a pleasantly sweet and rich wine that's probably best used along with desserts and cheese. The mead is fermented slowly over four months to develop its distinctive and fuller flavour," he adds.

The mead is brewed on small batches and named Kilnasaggart in honour of Celtic and monastic traditions.

He continues: "Our operation is located close to Kilnasaggart, the site of an ancient monastery and Ireland's oldest surviving Christian monument, an inscribed stone dedicated to St Peter dating from the 8th century AD.

"In fact, medieval records show that our local St Brigid, who was born and reared on the hill overlooking our meadery, turned water to mead. Mead is probably the world's oldest alcoholic drink," adds Mr O'Hagan.

"Mead was popular with the Vikings and consumed widely in England in Tudor times. Game of Throne's, the hit TV series partly filmed in Northern Ireland, has featured mead and has contributed to the growing interest in the beverage especially in the US," he explains

The small batch producer is now seeking to develop sales in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. As well as growing sales with consumers on the island of Ireland, the company sees opportunities from the growth among tourists, especially from the US, where interest in mead is increasing.