Ever wondered where the term honeymoon came from? Well get ready, because we’re about to tell you.
It's often red wine and oysters getting all the aphrodisiac hype, but mead has a long history of being given to newlyweds to ‘perk things up’ while enjoying what we now know as…. a honeymoon.
Mead was the drink of choice for Kings and Queens all across the world over the past 9000 years wanting to start their marriage off with a bang (literally).
Mead was a traditional gift to the new couple from the bride's parents. It was to be drunk daily for the first 30 days of marriage, or a full moon cycle, in the hope to become pregnant, quickly. For new couples, likely part of arranged marriages, mead made things a bit lighter and was thought to encourage a bit more enthusiasm for both parties. Mead's involvement in marital or other historic ceremonies has been documented throughout Ancient Greece, in Egyptian Tombs, Viking culture and across Ancient Asia. This has been around a lot longer than the modern European tradition of a holiday.
Today, ceremonies involving mead are a little more relaxed. While mead may not be drunk by all newlyweds, the honeymoon is here to stay. With more modern meaderies opening up around New Zealand, and across the globe we think it could be time for this tradition to make a comeback.