To Make Mead

This recipe comes from a manuscript attributed to Dorothy Stone and dates from around 1725, a time when home-brewing was not only common but necessary in many English households. Honey-based ferments like mead were widespread because sugar was expensive and honey was a readily available sweetener. Recipes like this reflect both the practical know-how of 18th-century domestic life and a taste for spiced, nourishing beverages shared among the gentry and larger households. The addition of spices such as nutmeg showcases both culinary fashion and the influence of international trade, while the use of malted barley reveals a bridge between mead and beer brewing traditions in early modern kitchens.

In the early 18th century, mead-making called for large copper kettles or cauldrons, wooden stirring paddles, and coarse muslin or linen for straining. Fermentation was managed in large wooden barrels or stoneware crocks, sealed with linen, leather, or wooden bungs. Open hearths or clear coal fires provided the heat, while the fermentation relied on fresh ale yeast harvested from local brewers or previous batches—added by the pint rather than packaged as today. Modern cooks would use stainless steel stockpots, food-grade fermenters with airlocks, and reliable heat sources like gas or electric stovetops.