Needs ideas for food for a mead tasting

[Rhianni]

I have some friends who have never drank mead before. They are coming into town and they plus others who have drank mead will be getting together to hangout and drink mead.

I will be having an orange blossum mead, peach melomel,and a cherry vanilla melomel. I am planning on having them taste in that order. My question is what to server as far as food. The cherry by far has the most mouthfeel and is the heaviest flavor.

I am thinking of the obvious choice: cheese and bread. Would a light mild cheese go best? What about an herbed flavorful brie that might contract sharply with the sweetness of the mead? None of them are dry and all ended at 1.008 or higher. Also this wouldnt be during dinner itself.

Any ideas would be very appreciated.

 

[Oskaar]

I will be having an orange blossum mead, peach melomel,and a cherry vanilla melomel. I am planning on having them taste in that order. My question is what to server as far as food. The cherry by far has the most mouthfeel and is the heaviest flavor.

Can you give me an idea of each of the mead overal flavor profiles? Relative sweetness to each other, tartness, and alcohol levels alonw with aroma and such.

I am thinking of the obvious choice: cheese and bread. Would a light mild cheese go best? What about an herbed flavorful brie that might contract sharply with the sweetness of the mead? None of them are dry and all ended at 1.008 or higher. Also this wouldnt be during dinner itself.

Any ideas would be very appreciated.

Brie is always a good choice in my opinion. I also like a good Maytag Bleu Cheese vinigrette drizzeled on a nice charred (on a gas grill or charcoal, your choice) Belgian Endive. You can also take some uncharred endive and fill each leaf with different fruits like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or grapes and even grape tomatoes or small cherry tomatoes. Belgian Endive is very versatile so you can make a smoked salmon, dill, caper and cream cheese filling for them as well.

I like charcoal grilled salmon with with my oaked traditional sweet meads, dried meats and sharp hard cheeses with them too. Think aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago (Asiago d'Allevo is the aged), Romano, Locatelli (Pecorino), or even Gruyere, Fontina, Gorgonzola, etc.

I also like pate (goose or duck liver if you can find it, cognac-pork works well too if you can't find the fowl) spread on some roasted baguettes brushed with garlic infused olive oil (just simmer the garlic in the olive oil for a half hour or so and brush the baguette, then place on a roasting pan and sprinkle with some grated romano or parmigiano.

Ham, prosciutto, melon and apples or pears work well with the heavier stuff. The peach I would try with the ham or the proscuitto, and the cherry sounds like it's begging for the smoked salmon/cream cheese/dill/caper mixture in the endive leaves to me.

but let me know what's up with the flavors if you wish some more precise matches.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar