Somehow during one of excursions in cold winter day we came into small restaurant to be warmed. On a bar counter the announcement hung: «On sale there is a mead». Many people think that it is vodka with the honey addition, after all now many producers sell strong alcohol under such name. But actually the real mead is a low alcohol drink which prepare a sbrazhivaniye method. 
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The mead was widely adopted on our lands since Kievan Rus’. Though historians argue that intoxicated honey drinks were known for some thousands years B.C. When carried out excavation of Scythian burials, archeologists found the corked amphoras with honey wine. Probably, people put them died in a grave as a sacral product which will be necessary to it in the next world.
Honey drinks drank in the most significant days – on weddings, burials, big religious holidays. Consider that the phrase "honeymoon" occurs from that during time and after wedding the newly-married couple drank honey drinks. Soldiers before fights also drank a mead, it gave them forces. In the Middle Ages the medovareniye was a priority of monasteries, and they often established monopoly for its production.
At the time of Russia a mead prepared in oak barrels by natural fermentation and dug in to the earth for 5–20 years. But since the XI century it started to cook that accelerated production process. The fortress of drink makes from 5 to 13-14 degrees, the main structure – honey, hop or yeast, water. Taste depends on what is used honey – grechishny, akatsiyevy, lime. Special smack give birch and kalinovy sap.
The most important in mead preparation – a honey choice. The most qualitative drink turns out from the natural honey collected in a non-polluting place. It is considered the best honey from a linden and an acacia, and also wood herbs, after all them do not process chemicals. Note that more tasty mead turns out from light grades of honey.
Now many beekeeping farms make this drink, spill in bottles and sell, having pasted a small label, having specified, it is made of what honey also phone of the producer. And sometimes and simply offer on flood from barrels. In it the big problem because it is not always clear, what expiration date and quality of drink consists. The mead is made generally by small farms, and plants not always want to be engaged in its industrial production. It is simpler to them to make low alcohol drink, having mixed honey components and juice with alcohol. The substitute, unhealthy thus turns out. Many producers prepare also a strong mead from 40 to 70 degrees. But preparation process absolutely another, after all there is mixed by honey and alcohol.
How it is correct to drink a mead? Drink it in the small portions in 20-30 minutes prior to food not to mix with food. Thus, it normalizes digestion, after all honey possesses strong anti-inflammatory and anti-bactericidal effect. Drink also increases immunity, calms nervous system, normalizes a dream. The mead is useful at catarrhal diseases and quinsy, heart troubles, an anemia. But it is necessary to remember quantity. Many note that after a mead the head remains clear, and feet start to be braided.
The real mead in moderate quantities is considered very useful drink. Honey contains a large quantity of vitamins, minerals and microcells. It gives health, cheerfulness, fun. The main thing, that it there was a qualitative drink therefore to buy a mead it is necessary only at the checked beekeepers. It is possible to prepare a mead and in house conditions to be sure of quality of a product.
It is necessary to remember and contra-indications. As it is low alcohol drink, it do not recommend to children till 18 years, to pregnant women and feeding women. With care need to drink at whom an allergy to honey.
Mead – one of the most ancient drinks. Some time it was a little призабыт, but in recent years the tradition of a medovareniye again revives.