One of the oldest alcoholic drinks; see under mead.
Honey wine is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks. The origin of the name goes back to prehistory. The root of the word occurs in all Indo-European languages and is also the root word for "intoxication". In Sanskrit, "madhu" stands for a sweet and intoxicating drink, but also for honey. The Germanic tribes in particular cultivated the art of mead making 3,000 years ago. They used it as an intoxicating drink at ritual festivals, and as they did not understand the effects of alcohol, many myths and legends grew up around the strange brew. They attributed the change in their senses to a secret spell, which is why mead soon became a gift from the gods.
In addition to mead, the Romans also favoured the sweet honey wine...
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