Mead is the world’s oldest alcoholic drink, with a glorious, global history over 9,000 years old. Kate and Denis Dempsey opened Kinsale Mead Co, Ireland’s first new
Meadery in many years this past summer, rediscovering the ancient art of mead-making.
There are many styles of mead including meads with fruit, spices and herbs but once most of the fermentable sugars come from honey, then it’s Mead. Handcrafted in small batches in Kinsale, the mead matures to a refreshing, off-dry drink that can be enjoyed with food. They produce two varieties of mead.
The first is Atlantic Dry Mead which is a traditional style, made using aromatic orange blossom honey and is described as “
Citrus with ripe apples and a touch of softer pears and white fruit.”
Their second variety, Wild Red Mead, includes sweet cherries and tart Wexford blackcurrants. It’s delicious at room temperature with
“a lovely clear, clean red fruit aroma with subtle honey notes, refreshing with good length of blackcurrant tones and a smooth finish.”
Their first two products are bottled and on the shelves, causing a buzz in foodie circles in County Cork and specialist off licences.
