SpeedRacer 1 #1 May 31, 2003 Is Mead an aphrodisiac? CNN story Honeymooners test sweet sex brew By CNN's Jane Chattoe Friday, May 30, 2003 Posted: 8:52 AM EDT (1252 GMT) -------------------------------- LONDON, England (CNN) -- A group of scientists has been inundated with requests after calling for newlyweds to test the legendary aphrodisiac effects of an ancient honey-based drink. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) wants one couple to drink honey mead -- a fermented mixture of honey and water -- every night for 30 days after taking their vows in June and to keep a diary of their honeymoon relationship. The UK's professional body for chemists has received more than 100 phone calls from couples who want to take part in the experiment following a media appeal. The results will be published later in the year. "The response has been overwhelming. We want one couple to write a diary to tell us how they feel generally during the honeymoon to see the effect it has on love," Brian Emsley, a spokesman for the RSC told CNN on Friday. Mead, first brewed in Babylon more than 4,000 years ago making it one of the world's oldest alcoholic drinks, has long been believed to increase fertility and sex drive. In ancient Persia couples were expected to imbibe the sweet mead every day for one "honey month" -- hence honeymoon -- after they tied the knot to achieve the right frame of mind for a successful marriage. If a son was born nine months later the mead maker was congratulated on the quality of its produce. Twelve bottles of mead have been specially brewed for the RSC's test by a winery in Sussex, southern England. "The concocotion includes a secret ingredient," said Emsley. "We've followed the ancient recipe closely. "I had some the other day and had to rush home," he joked. Honey is blended with wine fruits and spices to create the mead drink. The drink -- a blend of honey, wine, fruits and spices -- is believed to reduce sexual anxieties including fears of inadequate performance. It is also rich in B vitamins that help to maintain reproductive health, amino acids that are the building blocks of protein for increased fertility and nitric oxide that is good for male sexual health. The aphrodisiac properties attributed to mead may therefore be well deserved, said Dr. Clare Mcloughlin of the RSC. "Legend and myth has a scientific basis." But while mead may help couples get that loving feeling, the newlyweds would be best advised to drink in moderation, as one sex therapist pointed out. "One of the biggest causes of problems is stress from outside the relationship. The healthier we are, the happier we are. Anything that helps is great, however, alcohol is also linked with problems in the relationships," said Paula Hall, from the UK-based relationship counselling service Relate. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #2 May 31, 2003 Newlyweds are gonna go like bunnyrabbits regardless, if they really want to test the stuff they should have couples who've been together ten or twenty years try. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #3 May 31, 2003 I'm considering brewing a mead. There's a mead-brewing class that meets at the homebrew store in my town. ......I'm thinking a nice mead might come in real handy..... Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #4 May 31, 2003 Quote I'm considering brewing a mead. A guy I work with brewed (I think made is more accurate since he didn't use heat at all) a mead that turned out wonderfully. It was a sweet, still, mead with nothing but honey, water, yeast, and a very little bit of acid blend. I've considered whipping up a mead myself, but I don't enough equipment to tie up a fermentor for 6 months or so. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stacy 0 #5 May 31, 2003 I happen to be a fan of mead. mmmmmmead! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #6 May 31, 2003 Quote I happen to be a fan of mead. mmmmmmead! Wow! There's a surprise! - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robskydiv 0 #7 May 31, 2003 Ditto thrown. They wasted their suvey on the wrong group. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #8 June 1, 2003 I've never brewed a mead so I don't know much about it. But couldn't you age it in bottles instead of the fermenter? Maybe do one month in the fermenter, then "rack" it to bottles, but don't add any cornsugar. I have an extra fermenter, so I might go for it. Question: should I do just a straight mead, or add fruit?? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #9 June 1, 2003 QuoteBut couldn't you age it in bottles instead of the fermenter? Problem is that a mead requires multiple rackings in order to clear. Additionally, honey doesn't ferment nearly as vigorously as grain. QuoteQuestion: should I do just a straight mead, or add fruit?? I think that it's difficult to make a pure mead, there aren't any additional flavors to hide mistakes. That doesn't mean it's impossible though, the mead I had was my coworkers first shot at it and it was perfect. Fruit or not? I suppose that depends on what you like. I'm something of a purist, but I'm intrigued by the Barshack Ginger Mead in Papazian's first book. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #10 June 1, 2003 I had two meads at the Maryland Celtic Festival last month. They were both pure honey meads, no fruit or spice added. One was dry and the other was sweet. The guy who had made it said that the trick to getting all (or nearly all) of the sugars to ferment is to use champagne yeast (as opposed to chardonnay yeast which most people use). Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #11 June 2, 2003 I bought 2 gallons of honey at the Flying Barrel a couple weeks ago. One gallon of clover and one of orange blossom. I was going to do something (fruit, spiced or with maple syrup) with the clover and do the orange blossom straight. Another idea I have is getting some smaller (3 gallon?) containers, so I can split batches into two somewhere in the fermentation process and get two kinds going. When I was at the brew store, the guy who owns the apiary and teaches their mead class was there. I picked his brain while I had the opportunity, since it is hard for me to get there for classes or B.O.P. on a regular basis. There is a good amount of info at gotmead.com. One thing I've read is that a lot of people start the primary fermentation with Wyeast liquid mead yeasts, then after it seems to stop, they hit it with a fresh yeast starter from dry champaign yeast. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FliegendeWolf 0 #12 June 2, 2003 I tasted a mead at my brewer's guild meeting two or three months ago that had been aged for seven years. The experience was unbelievable. It was like drinking ambrosia.A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiverbob 0 #13 June 2, 2003 I just brewed a Strong Scotch Ale, very smooth, very nice and finished out at about 10.1 % alcohol. The nick-name of the recipe was "The pantie dropper". I bottled it in 24 oz flip top bottles, should be very nice in a couple more weeks.Who Dares Wins Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
