mead_potcheen

Bunratty Mead or Meade is a traditional
wine, produced from an ancient Irish
recipe of pure honey, fruit of the vine
and natural herbs. It's a medium sweet
wine, with a wide taste appeal, and
suitable for all important occasions. As
the drink of the ancient Celts, Mead
derives much of its appeal through Irish
Folklore, which is legendary of this
mystical drink with strong attachments
to Ireland.

In the days of old when knights were
bold, the drink of choice was mead. Much
more than an extraordinary legendary
drink with strong attachments to
Ireland, mead can be traced back as
many centuries before Christ. It became
the chief drink of the Irish and was often
referred to in Gaelic poetry. Mead's
influence was so great that the halls of
Tara, where the High Kings of Ireland
ruled, were called the house of the Mead
Circle. Its fame spread quickly and soon a
medieval banquet was not complete
without it.

Even the church recognised the value of
this fabulous drink. Legend has it that St.
Finian lived for six days a week on bread
and water, but on Sundays ate salmon
and drank a full sup of mead. In addition,
St. Bridget performed a miracle when
mead could not be located for the king of
Leinster. She blessed an empty vessel,
which miraculously filled with Mead.

Ever since the beginning of time, the
Irish have been dedicated distillers at
which they have a skill and
application matched only by their
own eloquence. Introduction of
excise duty in 1661 led the
authorities to seek ways of
simplifying ways of collecting tax.
Regulation by the authorities in
particular was designed to
encourage the use of large
commerical stills. These were
operated by companies which formed
the basis of the Irish whiskey
industry today. No amount of
regulation, however could persuade
the Irish to give up their virtues of
the small pot, and whilst it has been
illegal since 1661, the craft of the
small pot in Irish Poitin distilling goes
on in the remote areas of Ireland, to
this day.

Bunratty Potcheen has all the taste
characteristics of Poitin and is
produced by a unique process, devised
at bunratty Winery, for which they
have a licence from the Irish
government. The product of the
small pot is now legally available for
friends and connoisseurs to enjoy,
and this awareness; together with
illicit romanticism associated with its
name are important factors in the
marketing of the product.

Bunratty Potcheen(so called because
it was distilled in small pot stils in
remote areas throughout Ireland)
has been praised in song and story.
Since it was banned in 1661, Potcheen
has been illegally distilled, in the
mountains and valleys of Ireland for
connoisseurs and friends to enjoy. In
those mountains and valleys real
experts distilled, from grain the
Potcheen over peat fires using the
water from nearby clear mountain
streams. Taste and Savour the
Bouquet of the Mountain Heather on
the Moonbeam Edge that danced with
Leprechauns in paradise, and
recreate the Celtic magic that is
Potcheen.

Bunratty Potcheen(Clear Spirit), is
the first since it was banned to be
legally produced and bottled in
Ireland. Originally distilled for its
smooth extra strong sensation, you
can now taste and recreate this
Celtic magic with Bunratty Potcheen.
It was a truely spiritual deed of the
Irish long ago, when they trapped the
purity and magic of nature to create,
from sunshine and rain in the
mountains and valleys, the most
natural and original treasured Irish
Spirit-"Potcheen".

It's unique distinctive taste, is dry
and grainy with a delightfully
changing aftertaste that sweetens
as it develops. Also known as
Moonshine or Mountain Dew,
Potcheen is a fiery tipple. We
recommend you drink it neat as a
shot, on the rocks or with a mixer
and savour this original Irish spirit.
Now we know why Irish eyes are
smiling!

While the origin of the terms "Wedding,
Bride & Bridegroom" have been traced
back as far as the 9th century, young
men have been "wooing" young women
only since the 11th century, about the
same time that they first called each
other "dear". We've only been calling
each other sweetheart since the 13th
century and we've only been "courting"
since the 16th century. Even more
recently than that, during the 17th
century, young Irish men began
referring to their sweetheart as a
"flame". Marriage in the Middle Ages was
quite different than it is today. To begin
with when people spoke of good match,
they were referring more to what
someone could bring to the union in the
way of possessions, rather than
possibilities.

However the expression "Honeymoon"
may be older than most of the terms
above. The phrase "Honeymoon" did not
evolve from a term of endearment of a
decryption of an event. It literally
depicted the period of time during which
a particular marital convention
followed; specifically what the bride
and groom did for one full moon after
their wedding.

If not for some Irish monks in the Middle
Ages, none of us would refer to the
post-matrimonial period as a
"Honeymoon". Although it is said that the
monks originally produced Mead for
medicinal purposes, its popularity soon
proved that it could make even people
who were well, feel even better. Not to
say that weddings would have been
altered if Mead were not invented, it's
more that the nature and quality of the
celebration following the wedding
would have been affected, the
honey-based drink was the origin of the
term "honeymoon".

Even since the fame of the Irish monks'
"brew" spread throughout medieval
Ireland, it was believed that mead was
essential for sending off the bride and
groom after wedding. It was used both
as a final toast and as a proper
beginning of the marriage. Following the
wedding, the Bride & Groom were
provided with enough Mead to toast
each other after their wedding, hence
the term "honeymoon".

This delicate, yet potent drink was not
only considered the best way to start a
new marriage, it was also believed to
enhance such valued qualities as
fertility and virility. On numerous
occasions the groom laced with
generous amounts of Mead, was carried
by his friends to the bedside of his bride.
If nine months later, a bouncing baby
appeared, credit was given to the Mead.

References have been found on Mead as
early as the 5th century and it was in
wide use by the Middle Ages. So it seems
that the "Honeymoon" tradition may be
even older than our contemporary
wedding traditions. According to Irish
tradition, when it's time to bring
festivities to a close, the wedding party
gathers around the bride and groom. All
fill their glasses with Mead;