Where is the secret decoder ring for mead style names?

[ReverseApacheMaster]

It seems like every time somebody brings up an idea for a mead or adds some flavor or whatever, somebody strolls in and is like, "oh that would be a [insert name]".

How are those derived?

 

[bob1852]

It's easy!

Fruit mead = melomel
unless it's apples than it's cyser
or unless it's grapes than it's pyment
but if the grapes are unripe than it's omphacomel

add spices? metheglin

or a spiced grape mead (pyment and metheglin) is a hippocras

add malt and you've got a braggot

add maple syrup? acerglyn

peppers? capiscumel

sea water? thalassiomel

vegetables? rhizamel

In short, mazers are just weird.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

So what if you added Belgian candy sugar?

 

[huesmann]

Belgosucromel?

 

[KevinM]

Most of it is based off of greek and latin I think. Then you have the words from all the other european languages too. Welsh and similar localities. Some of it could just be mashups of our own making because it sounds good.
Hydro (water) mel(honey). For a mead that has more water and isn't as strong.
Ayser (latin name for maple) for example, not sure of the glyn. There's a forum post that says they couldn't find anything on this predating 2003, and could have been based off the welsh term meddyglyn (medicine in a sweet mead), thus using glyn as a sufffix. But who knows for sure. (Looks like a bunch is taken from welsh words actually).

I have a feeling that it's done simply because of the history of mead and that we somehow like using words based off of old mead locations. Why we don't use Norse words for some of them surprises me, except it's really hard on our english tongues. mjaðarlögr or mjöð anyone?

 

[sidboswell]

Belgosucromel?

Lulz

 

[Pith]

So what if you added Belgian candy sugar?

Candimel. Invertomel. Melobelge. Morethanenoughtofermentomel. Waymorethantheyeastcanhandomel.

Ayser (latin name for maple) for example, not sure of the glyn.

Wikipedia says: "metheglin" derives from meddyglyn, a compound of meddyg, "healing" + llyn, "liquor."

I guess people thought the word split into meddy + glyn (mead + "glyn"), which was of course an easy and understandable mistake to make. Therefore, "Ayserllyn" (maple liquor) might technically be more correct, but in the end we're bastardising languages anyway, and it's silly to think you can define an arbitrary acceptable level of bastardising, so bastardise away. I personally am considering making a "taraxacumel". And I have a "mulberry hydromelomel" (2gal mulberry wine with an extra kilo of honey dumped in) in primary at the moment.

And also, why say "rhizamel"? If it's based off "rhizomes", then why didn't people consider calling it "rhizomel". Seems logical to me. Also rhizomes are root vegetables, so we should find a different name for meads made with above-ground vegetables.

 

[seabass07]

Zombithreadeglyn!

 

[Pith]

Zombithreadeglyn!

Recipe?

1. Boil together honey and water, scrape off gunk.
2. Slice thinly one old thread, add, stirring.
3. Cool to room temp, pitch yeast.
4. Forget about it for 6 months.
5. Add a pinch of new post.

 

[seabass07]

Lol!

 

[Devo9]

I tell you, I wouldn't mind getting a secret decoder ring for my mead making! So I can say stuff like, "I'm off to make mead, where is my decored ring?"! lol

 

[KevinM]

That works, I don't recall if the statement of the glyn/lyn was out there or not when I had looked that part up, but the big part of the origin is that the names tend to stem from Welsh, Celtic, Latin and even Nordic. Perhaps a way of using some of the traditional mead origins to create the categories, even with new world fruit and spices.

 

[MedsenFey]

A hoary GotMead thread on taxonomy of mead.

 

[zentr]

This is from the "Mead Making FAQs" sticky at the top of this forum: mead types

This list may not answer your question about using sugar though.....

 

[OneCerebralSamurai]

OP - the Wikipedia page has a decent list.

Mead - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia