Imagine Thor the Norse God of Thunder returning to the golden splendor of Asgard from a victorious raiding mission to one of the nine realms.

Does he celebrate his homecoming with a glass of pinot grigio? No. The drink they made in the northernmost regions of ancient Scandinavia was mead, a powerful honey wine as mysterious as a waif and as powerful as a Norse god.

Many have heard of mead, but few know what it is or what it tastes like. Mead in its normal form is simply honey fermented into a wine. Mead recipes are all over the Internet — it is actually pretty easy to make at home. Honey, water, and yeast are about all you need. But to make it good is a true art form.

Mead in ancient times was often given to newly wedded couples to enjoy over their honeymoon. The word honeymoon is believed to come from the tradition of giving the bride and groom enough honey wine to drink for one full moon — a month — after their wedding.

Mead is fast becoming a trendy drink among the millennial cognoscenti. In the last five years, there has been an explosion of new mead producers around the country. There are more than 200 registered meaderies around the country, with more coming every day.