History and mythology

Alcoholic beverages as a whole have had a sanitary role for long: in the antiquity water generally was not drinkable and alcohol having antibacterial properties made beverages safe for drinking. The bible does not give water a beverage, and only a few Greek texts talk about it. In the east, on the other hand, water was boiled to make tea, which killed pathogens [hist 7].

• Etymology of the words 'mead' and 'honey'
  
  
• Mead in mythology
  
  
• Mead history
  
  
• historical tastes
  
  
• Bees and honey history

References

• Gayre G. R. : Wassail ! In mazers of mead, Brewers publications (1986) (published with [H1] in a single book). Very complete.
• SCA brew
• ménagier de Paris: Bochet Recipe from the end of the XIV th century. Bilingual. Note the quantity of honey used.
• Sir Kenelme Digby: The closet Recipes written in 1669. The spelling of the name is loose: looking for more about him, also look for "Digbie".
• archbishop of Würzburg: Daz buoch von guoter spise (Das Buch von guter Spise) (1345-1354)
• Hackwood F. W.: Inns, ale and drinking customs of old England (1910)
• Enright M. J.: Lady with a mead cup, Four courts press (1996)
• Levi-Strauss C.: From honey to ashes (1966)
•   Vallee B.: L'histoire des boissons alcoolisées, Pour la science n°250 (1998)
•  Vannier P.: Au pays du miel, Flammarion (1998)