Mead Vs Cider: How The Ancient Brews Are Adapted In Modern Mixology
What are an integral part of the repository of some of the oldest alcohols through time, both mead and cider have a very fascinating history that can be traced back to the ancient ages.
Mead was once a very popular spirit that is crafted by blending fermented honey and water and infusing this mixture with fruits, spices or grains.
Cider, on the other hand, is a fermented beverage prepared by using unfiltered apple juice and can take on many styles such as sweet, dry, or carbonated and non-carbonated. Both spirits are versatile in character and can accommodate different mixers in the preparation of several classic and signature cocktails.
Read on below to know more about some of the mead and cider cocktails that can be prepared in modern mixology using these ancient brews:
Bourbon And Apple Cider Fizz
One of the more complex blends that can be prepared using carbonated apple cider is a blend along with lemon juice and simple syrup of this spirit with quality bourbon. Bring together an intense, smoky rye whisky or bourbon with apple cider to introduce a light bitterness and zest into what is an otherwise sweet toned spirit.
If the apple cider is non-carbonated, add club soda to the recipe to generate the fizz that elevates the texture of this cocktail. Garnish with a lime wedge for a tangy finish.
Apple Cider Sangria
Another drink that can be prepared using a sparkling apple cider is a sangria enjoyed as a pre-dinner tipple. A key garnish in sangrias is chopped up fruits that most often than not comprise apple slices.
You can elevate the fruit’s flavours in the drink by doing away with the red wine and instead adding generous quantities of apple cider to a brandy and orange liqueur mix for celebrating these sweet and juicy notes.
Add a dash of white wine to the finished recipe to introduce a touch of refreshing and fruity flavours into the sparkling cocktail.
Spiced Rum Cider
An interesting way to incorporate cider into your modern cocktails is to blend the sparkling apple-infused spirit with spiced rum for a mix of sweet, earthy and savoury notes.
The intensity of a spiced rum sharply contrasts the sweet and refreshing touch of apple cider to lend your drink a thoroughly invigorating quality. Add a dash of lime juice for a zesty kick and sip on this drink at cocktail hour with an accompaniment of small bites like caprese salad and crispy nachos.
Honey Bee’s Knees
Swap the gin in this classic cocktail recipe with a delicious, sweet and fruity mead to incorporate the spirit into your mixology craft. Add fresh lemon juice and a touch of syrupy honey to this drink before garnishing it with a lime wedge. You can savour honey bee’s knees as a sweet cocktail that enunciates the flavours of an ancient spirit like mead, the next time you are hosting a themed party marking the renaissance or the ancient ages.
Spiced Mead Hot Toddy
Come winters, introduce a bit of warmth into your cocktail game by preparing hot toddy with a twist. Along with brandy or bourbon, add a splash of mead to your spiced hot toddy cocktail prepared by pouring warm water over the spirits.
Blend this with star anise, peppercorns and a cinnamon stick to introduce the heat of the spices into the cocktail. The sweet notes of the mead will counteract some of the kick induced by the spices to make for a balanced drink.
Apple Mead Punch
One of the most delightful cocktails to prepare using this honey-infused spirit is the apple mead punch. You can bring together mead and cider in a rare fusion of these ancient spirits to prepare a spiked punch that is sure to induce a buzz.
Add to the mix a dash of lemon juice, simple syrup and thin, crispy apple slices to finish off a very festive drink.
