By Kat Tancock

The thought of mead conjures up images of times gone by, of dark, firelit castles and perhaps a summertime picnic in the forest, all clothing styled à la The Tudors. One look at a bottle of Médiéval Mead from Intermiel, a Quebec bee farm and meadery (also maple grove and distillery), and you know that that’s precisely the feeling they were going for.

It’s a heavy bottle, a serious bottle, and you’ll want to make sure you have room in your luggage to take it home. It’s worth the extra weight. The mead is sweet, with a honey flavour and a kick from the 16 per cent alcohol content. “Full-bodied and floral like they drank at the time of knights”, says the Web site.

A little goes a long way: serve it as an after-dinner something sweet instead of dessert.

Intermiel Medieval Mead – 750 mL bottle, $25
Buy it at at La Marché des Saveurs du Québec at Jean-Talon Market, Montreal.