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CONTENTS "

Preface ix
Int rodu ction xiii

1: The Mythological Origins

of the Magic Mead of Poetry 1
2: Mead in the Viking Age 17

3: Honey and the Bees We Have to Thank for It 35

4: Preparing for Battle: Basic Equipment,

Ingredients, and Planning Strategies 50

5: Brewing the Drink of the Gods:

Techniques for Making Wildcrafted Mead 67

6: Basic Mead Recipes and Some Variations 102

7: Herbal, Vegetable, Floral, Fruit,

and Cooking Meads 121
8: Bragots, Herbal Honey Beers, Grogs,
and Other Oddities 146

9: How to Drink Mead Like a Viking:

Viking-Era Games and Rituals 174

Ac kn owle d g m en ts 195
Trou b le s ho oti ng 197
Brewi ng G lo s s ary 201
Re s our ce s an d In s p ir ation 205
Note s 209
Inde x 214
 ! RECIPE LIST "

Ginger Bug 77
Semi-Sweet/Medium Show Mead 104
Sack/Dessert Show Mead 105
Dry Show Mead 105
Basic Small Mead 106
Spiced Orange Mead 107
Traditional T’ej 109
Banana-Coffee T’ej 112
Ethiopian Fire Mead/T’ej 114
Appalachian Viking T’ej 117
Mushroom and Garlic Mead 122
Squashed Pumpkin Mead 124
Medieval Metheglin 128
Chai Metheglin 129
Cinnamon-Vanilla Metheglin 131
Peach Horehound Mead 133
Berry Melomel 136
Cabin Fever Cyser 139
Flower Mead 143
Simple, Hoppy Extract Bragot 147
All-Grain Beer and Bragot 151
Big Yeti and Little Yeti Bragots 161
Booby Bragot: A Lactilicious Bragot 164
Herbal Sorghum Beer 167
Horehound Ale 170
Sima: Finnish May Day “Mead” 172