2-12-2019 Dan McFeeley on the History of Mead and Mead Legends –...

2-12-2019 Tonight at 9PM EST, we’re talking with long-time mead history buff Dan McFeeley. Dan has been on the Gotmead forums for almost as long as Gotmead has *had* a forum. He was a regular poster in the Mead Lovers Digest email list before Gotmead even existed, and you can find his posts in the MLD archives on Gotmead. He hasn’t been super active lately, life and parenting has kept him busy, but his interest in history, and mead history, is still keen.

Dan has written several articles (linked below) on mead and mead history over the years. Back when he was actively making mead, he won a number of medals (and there weren’t all that many comps then!) in the Indy International, the International Mead Festival (the predecessor to the Mazer Cup) and the AHA Midwest Regional.

Dan is going to talk with us about mead in history and legend. One of the discussions we’re planning on is an examination of the ‘honeymoon’ legend, often talked about. We’ll delve into mead in Africa and Europe, examine some of the sources used by Morse. We’ll delve into indigenous culture, bees and beekeeping, and explore the cultural attachments of honey and mead.

Click the chat link to join us in the live conversation during the show.

This player will show the most recent show, and when we’re live, will play the live feed. If you are calling in, please turn off the player sound, so we don’t get feedback.

Click here to see a playable list of all our episodes!

If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323) or send us a question via email, or via Twitter @GotmeadNow and we’ll tackle it online!

9PM EDT/6PM PDT

Join us on live chat during the show

Bring your questions and your mead, and let’s talk mead! You can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323), or Skype us at meadwench (please friend me first and say you’re a listener, I get tons of Skype spam), or tweet to @gotmeadnow.

Show links and notes

- Articles by Dan:
  - Honey in History. Dan McFeeley, Bee Culture: February 2002 Volume 130 Number 2.
  - The Taste of Mead: Acidic Properties and Flavor. Dan McFeeley, Zymurgy: September/October 2006 Volume 29 Number 5.
  - Those Olde English Meads. Dan McFeeley, Repast: Quarterly Publication of the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor Fall 2010 Volume XXVI Number 4.
- Roger Morse in Review: Contributions to Mead and Meadmaking, Dan McFeeley
  - Meads and Their Lactones: A Cautionary Tale for Mead Makers by Dan McFeely, “Bee Culture”, September 2002
- Books:
  - The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore, Hilda Ransome
  - A Sip Through Time, A Collection of Old Brewing Recipes, Cindy Renfrow
  - Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created, Dr. Patrick McGovern
  - Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer, and Other Alcoholic Beverage, Dr. Patrick McGovern
  - Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers, Keith Pepperell
  - Ale, Beer and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, Judith Bennett
  - Lady with a Mead Cup: Ritual, prophecy and lordship in the European warband from La Tene to the Viking Age, Michael J. Enright
  - Wassail: In Mazer of Mead, Robert Gayre
  - Mead: The Libations, Legends, and Lore of History’s Oldest Drink, Fred Minnick
  - Making Mead (Honey Wine): History, Recipes, Methods and Equipment, Roger Morse
  - The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting, Eva Crane

Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff
The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff

Upcoming Events

February 14 – Wild Blossom Meadery – Make Your Love Wine for Valentines
February 16 – Honnibrook Craft Mead – Grand Opening – Castle Rock, CO
February 16 – Black’s Fairy Meadery – Brazos Fest of the West
February 16 – Rushford Meadery and Winery – Live Music by Skipper Jack
February 23 – Valhalla Meadery – Mead-Ieval Fund Raiser
March 2 – Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery – Mardi Gras Silent Day Party
March 3 – Heidrun Meadery – Crabfest
March 12-14 – American Mead Makers Association MeadCon and Trade Show
March 14-16 – Mazer Cup International Mead Competition and Mead Mixer Mead Tasting
March 30 – Starrlight Mead – Intermediate Mead Making Class
March 30 – Southern California Mead Alliance – Off Flavors Sensory Training
July 27 – Orcas Island Cider and Mead Festival

Got an event you’d like us to mention on GotMead Live? Send us an email at gotmeadlive@gotmead.com and tell us about it!

Author
Recent Posts

Follow me

Vicky Rowe

Owner at Gotmead.com and Craft Beverage Marketing

Vicky Rowe has been active as a promoter and supporter of the mead industry since the mid-90's with Gotmead.com, and is totally serious about seeing the mead industry take its rightful place as a popular craft beverage on the world recreational drinking stage.

She is also an experienced marketing coach and consultant who has recently decided to focus her marketing expertise exclusively on the craft beverage market to help meaderies, cideries, breweries and distilleries expand their business and get more customers while doing what they love.

Follow me