What is distilled or freeze-concentrated mead called?
I brewed a 10 gallon batch of mead for my wedding/honeymoon last year. It's a sack mead, so it tends to be more on the sweet side, like a cordial. I've decided to freeze concentrate (as opposed to destill; one is legal, the other isn't) it to both fortify and up the flavor and alcohol levels.
However, for life of me I can't seem to find out what this type of beverage would be called. Freeze concentrated apfelwein/cider is called applejack. Destilled or freeze concentrated grape wine is brandy. Distilled or freeze concentrated beer makes whiskey or an eisbock depending on your technique. But I can't find what the proper term is for a mead. Any thoughts?
Best Answer
It's called honeyjack when freeze distilled. I haven't seen any specific name for steam distilled mead, so it's likely fine to use the same name for both products.
Mead can also be distilled to a brandy or liqueur strength. A version called "honey jack" can be made by partly freezing a quantity of mead and straining the ice out of the liquid (a process known as freeze distillation), in the same way that applejack is made from cider. Wikipedia: Mead: Varieties
Unfortunately there are a number of "honey brandies" and "honey liqueurs" that are simply other liquor bases with honey added for flavor and sweetness.
Also, see the discussion on Homebrewing Stack Exchange
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What is freeze distillation?
Freezing distillation, or better yet, 'freezing concentration' is a process in which a drink is frozen and then allowed to melt, removing excess water from it. 'Distillation' is a bit of a misnomer, because nothing is heated\u2014one might say it's rather the opposite.Can you freeze mead?
An opened bottle of mead can also be stored in the freezer. If you choose to freeze your mead to make it usable longer, it can be stored in the freezer but make sure it is in an expandable bottle, so it does not explode in your freezer.Does mead need to be distilled?
In addition to being distilled, mead can also be made strong enough to be used as a brandy or liqueur. As with applejack, honey jack can be created by partially freezing a quantity of mead and straining out the ice from the liquid (a process known as freeze distillation).Tasting My Distilled Mead \u0026 What It Means
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