New Zealand: Christchurch duo creating a buzz around mead

From stuff.co.nz

Mead is “having a moment” and a Christchurch duo is making the most of the medieval drink’s resurgent popularity.

Made from fermented honey, mead is thought to be one of the world's oldest alcoholic beverages and was particularly popular in the Middle Ages.

Its popularity began to wane in the 14th century but, thanks to Game of Thrones, mead is “having a moment,” according to Buzz Club founders Edward Eaton​ and Wilbur Morrison​.

The lifelong friends launched their mead-making business in 2021 and said there were common misconceptions about the drink.

“Both the mead of medieval times and the mead we produce today use fermented honey as its base, but that’s where the similarity ends,” Eaton said.

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                                      Edward Eaton, left, and Wilbur Morrison say there are common misconceptions about mead

In its simplest form, mead is a mixture of yeast, water and honey. But unlike the syrupy concoction sipped from goblets on Game of Thrones or by Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Buzz Club’s modern mead is crisp and light.

“We use modern brewing techniques to perfect our mead, adding a dash of water ahead of fermentation to balance the weight and flavour profile of the finished product.”

Most of the duo’s mead has an alcohol content of 5.5%. Tart and perfumed fruit like feijoa and strawberry are used to offset the sweetness of native kāmahi, rātā, and pōhutukawa honey.

Morrison, a beekeeper himself, said New Zealand was fortunate to have varied landscapes, incredible forests, and rich environments for beekeeping.

“It’s a huge shame to see some keepers forced to walk away from their hives because there hasn’t been enough demand to continue producing these unique native honeys.

“When I spoke to Edward about the problem facing some of our best beekeepers, we became determined to help find a solution.”

Eaton said it was important to him to create a market for honeys other than mānuka, which has commanded global attention over the last 10 years. 

“There are so many beautiful honeys native to Aotearoa that deserve the spotlight just as much,” he said.

“The kāmahi, rātā and pōhutukawa honeys in our sparkling mead support not only bees and their beekeepers, but the integrity of our native forests.

“Bees are critical to the pollination process within our ngahere [forest] and encourage continued biodiversity.”

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                                                     Unlike the syrupy medieval drop, Buzz Club’s modern mead is light and crisp

The Buzz Club operation, which began in Morrison’s dad’s back office, recently moved to Two Thumb Brewing Co’s state-of-the-art solar-powered brewery.

And with their mead already stocked in supermarkets nationwide, the duo have plans to crack the Australian market this year.

“It feels amazing to have come so far in such a short space of time,” Eaton said.

“We’re really only getting started – mead is having a moment and we’re thrilled to be able to shine a spotlight on the great native honeys that make Buzz Club sparkling meads what they are.”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131421082/christchurch-duo-creating-a-buzz-around-mead