Gin and Tonic with Blueberry Mead

The other day, I met with Ash Fischbein and Matt Trahan, the founders of Sap House Meadery in Ossippee, NH. Yeah, that’s mead, as in honey wine, the ancestor of almost all fermented drinks. These guys have done a great job building their business and getting both the word about mead out and their product distributed in several areas in the US. As you can imagine, they are totally passionate about the stuff.

We met at Hobbs Tavern, also in Ossippee, NH to talk about the business and so they could teach me about the challenges in the distribution of alcoholic products. Summary: it’s not easy. Hobbs Tavern is one of  the many restaurants that carry Sap House Meadery products.

Before we started, I asked Matt what he would recommend for a mead newbie. He recommended Hobbs’ Gin and Tonic mixed with Sap House’s Hopped Blueberry Maple mead (pictured above). It’s a great drink. It has a somewhat bitter taste initially which Matt says comes from the hops in the mead. After a few sips, the drink mellows out and tastes  like a flavorful G&T. Not sweet like a G&T with a fruit liqueur, but with a touch of flavor and dryness that makes for a unique taste. Definitely worth a try. An interesting variation on a summer classic.

Basically, make a Gin and Tonic and top with a splash or two of the flavorful mead. Easy shmeasy. Offer your friends something they haven’t tried before and enjoy.