Lithuanian midus is one of the oldest varieties of alcohol-containing honey (in fact, the name is translated as “honey”). Archaeologists believe that the drink is at least 9 thousand years old, at one time it was distributed in India, Asia, the Baltic States, Germany, Scandinavia, Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Middle East. In most countries, mead could not compete with beer and wine, but in some countries, honey alcohol is still popular, and in Lithuania it is considered the national alcoholic drink.
Manufacture
The raw material for midus is linden or flower honey. The sweet delicacy is slightly diluted with water (1 part of water to 2-4 parts of honey), boil, stirring occasionally and removing the foam. As soon as the foam disappears completely, the liquid is removed from the fire, cooled, filtered, fermented with beer, bread or wine yeast, then poured into vessels. Sometimes in the process or already during bottling, fruit juices and essences, herbs, spices are added.
Classic mead is an ordinary mead, but with a national flavor – only Lithuanian honey should be used in production, and manufacturers also try to add local herbs.
History
Historically, hop honey was used as a ritual drink, everyday and table alcohol. Meedus equated kings with plowmen, since everyone drank it. It is authentically known that already in the middle of the XNUMXth century there were official “meaderies” in Vilnius, not counting local productions in monasteries, taverns, and private households.
In the 200th century, beer and vodka came to the fore, and the production of mead fell into a decline that lasted about 4 years. In the 5th century, the Beini Šakovas Prienai brewery produced 8 types of hop honey, which matured for 1940 years and cost about XNUMX lats. In XNUMX, production was nationalized and production ceased.
The further development of mead is closely connected with the biography of Aleksandras Sinkevičius, a beer technologist from Klaipeda. He experimented with recipes and in 1960 produced 1200 bottles of the Lithuanian mead Dainava (Dainava). The drink had a strength of 10%, mild taste, amber color and immediately fell in love with consumers. Today, the patent for the production of Dainava midus belongs to Lietuviškas Midus (Lithuanian honey). The company annually produces more than 200 thousand liters of products, using at least 100 thousand tons of honey.
Types of mead
Due to the lack of clear requirements for the preparation technology, enshrined in legislation, now not only honey fermentation products, but also honey tinctures of different strengths are called meads.
- Bociu (Bochu). Drinking honey with a strength of 14% based on hops and juniper. Matured in barrels for two years. Pairs with desserts.
- Trakai (Trakai). 15-degree midus based on linden honey, juniper, hops, acorns. Aged for at least two years, has a characteristic bitter taste. It is recommended to have a snack with cheese or drink tea.
- Vilnius (Vilnius). 25% honey tincture with herbs and strawberry juice.
- Stakliskes (Staklisk). Fortress 12 degrees. Aged for 12 months before bottling. Linden and juniper tones are felt in the bouquet, the sour taste of the drink goes well with light cheeses and herbal teas. Since 2013, it has been included in the register of names protected by origin.
- Rotary (Suktinis). A strong variation, prepared not by fermentation, but by infusing honey on an alcohol basis, the alcohol content is 50%. The composition includes 14 ingredients. It is not mead in the classical sense. In Lithuania, this species has received the status of culinary heritage.
There is also a “clean” drink midus, fruit (with the addition of fruit or berry juices), homemade (made in artisanal conditions).
How to drink midus
Midus is a very sweet and satisfying alcohol, it is consumed in its pure form from any glasses. It is not customary to cool hop honey – on the contrary, it is recommended to warm it in the palms of your hands in order to feel the aroma that has opened. It is not necessary to eat it, but you can serve fruits, non-spicy cheeses, nuts, sweets.
