Even Santa has gotten in on the Mead Trend…
Stardust Cellars Honey Buzzed Mead
Stardust Cellars, located about an hour away from Charlotte, is a Winery, Wildcraft Meadery & Biodynamic Vineyard. Nestled in the picturesque landscape of N. Wilkesboro, they have carved a niche for themselves in the world of mead-making. They offer an authentic taste of the region by using local honey with indigenous microorganisms. Stardust Cellars partners with the NC Mead Alliance to bring together beekeepers, hobbysists and commercial meaderies that work together to sustain growing trends in NC Mead.
But what is Mead exactly? Mead is a unique class of alcoholic beverage characterized by three ingredients: fermented honey, water and yeast. It is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages, with a history that may date back 20,000–40,000 years and is said to predate wine by 3,000 years. It’s thought that mead was discovered when early people accidentally drank fermented honey. One theory is that bees made hives in hollowed-out trees, and when it rained, the honey and water mixed, became stagnant, and natural yeast introduced itself. The key difference between mead and wine is the use of honey rather than grapes as a source of sugar. Like wine, mead can be aged for a period of months or years, typically contains 10-14% alcohol and is traditionally sold by the bottle. With the exception of braggot meads, the beverage is made without grains and is gluten-free.
This Honey Buzzed Mead is made by hand-stirring raw honey and spring water sourced on-site, allowing the indigenous honey microbes to ferment each batch spontaneously. The result is a tart and complex mead that offers a one-of-a-kind tasting experience. This refreshing mead balances the tartness of lemon with the raw sweetness of honey, all enhanced by a distinctive wild fermentation funk. The addition of complex ginger spice adds depth to each sip.
Drink by itself, use it as a mixer in your vodka drink (wink, wink) or pair it with raw oysters, a baked sweet potato or anything white chocolate / raspberry.
Best served cold – straight out of the fridge!