Redstone Black Raspberry Nectar

Saturday, August 4, 2012 was the 10th Annual Mead Day.    Mead Day was established by the Homebrewers Association of America to heighten awareness to this age old beverage.

Mead is believed to be the oldest fermented beverage in the world . . . possibly 40,000 years.  In it's simplest form, it is made with honey, water and yeast. Mead makers add a plethora of ingredients to their brews; fruits, herbs, spices, etc.

So, how did we celebrate Mead Day?  By drinking mead, of course!  The dilemma is which mead to choose . . . it's a difficult decision because we have several in our collection and we love them all.  

I settled on Redstone  Black Raspberry Nectar for one reason . . . and one reason only . . .  it was the first mead I ever drank and my introduction to this beverage that is truly the nectar of the gods.  

I first had this mead a couple of years ago at one of my favorite Connecticut breweries, Willimantic Brewing Company.   They had it on the menu as a "guest tap" and so I tried it . . . and loved it.  I always have a bottle or two on hand.  

Redstone Meadery is based in Boulder, Colorado.  Their slogan . . . honey wine . . . feel the love . . . catch the buzz.  Redstone makes a variety of flavored mead but, the  Black Raspberry Nectar remains my favorite among their offerings.

Black Raspberry Nectar was the first mead produced by Redstone in 2001 and is their best seller. It is made with with 5 parts Clover honey, 1 part Wildflower honey and black raspberry puree.  It's light and slightly effervescent.  I like it especially because it is not overly sweet.  It's fairly heavy in the alcohol department, however, coming in at 8% ABV.  

Best served chilled, it makes a nice cool beverage on a hot day.  It also goes well with a variety of foods; such as meat and cheese or a big honkin' rack of barbecue ribs.  It can also be used as a mixer but I prefer it just the way it is.

Obviously, I highly recommend Redstone's Black Raspberry Nectar.  Give it a try and enjoy!

Cheers!

For more information on Redstone Meadery visit their website or check them out on Facebook.