Way back at the beginning of the summer, when we were in Vermont and New Hampshire, my wife bought a bottle of mead. She thought it would be a fun New Thing to try.

She was right...except we didn't drink it right away.

In fact, we didn't touch the bottle we bought at the beginning of the summer until the last day of the summer. (Well, one of the last unofficial days - the day before Labor Day.)

I had no idea mead was still a thing. Isn't that what people sat around long wooden tables drinking from goblets in medieval days?

This was actually made in a meadery in New Hampshire (we bought it in Hanover, New Hampshire). It's honey wine fermented with vanilla beans...and it's pretty strong.

I described it as "wine for men." My wife called it "a combination of wine and scotch."

(And yes, I know men drink wine. But I don't love it. If wine tasted more like mead...well, maybe I'd drink it more.)

I couldn't have mead every night. (I'd either need to be living on a street corner near a convenience store or be the king of a 1300s nation for that to be socially acceptable.)

But I could mix it in as a rare alcoholic treat - especially around the holidays.

And to complete the experience, maybe next I'll work on getting a moat.