Steel Bender’s DebaucherMead returns with Mulled Spice twist

Though mead is perhaps the world’s oldest known alcoholic drink, it isn’t commonly found at establishments throughout the Duke City.

Made by fermenting honey, water and yeast, mead is also commonly referred to as honey wine. Various fruits, spices and hops can be added to provide additional flavor. At Steel Bender Brewyard, mead became a part of the menu when Scott Cesarz joined the brewery’s production team approximately two years ago. Cesarz, who is a “self-professed hobbit obsessed with fermentation,” already had a decade of recipe development and mead fermentation to his credit when he arrived.

“Scott’s enthusiasm about this product was immediately contagious, our leadership group asked him to roll with getting a first batch going,” Shelby Chant, Steel Bender co-owner/marketing director, said. “It’s already proving to be a great addition to our beverage offering alongside our beer and cider.”

Steel Bender’s mead journey began with its original DebaucherMead, a name, which according to legend, arose from a play on words of “debauchery” from one of the brewers. The latest iteration, the Mulled Spice DebaucherMead, released earlier this month and infuses the base mead with cinnamon, orange peel, allspice and cloves — with an alcohol by volume of 13.3%. The Mulled Spice DebaucherMead is Steel Bender’s sixth mead batch overall.

“Since honey is the primary sugar source, we can either leave the base mead as is, which we’ve done (in the past) or we can add adjuncts — fruit, spices, herbs — during fermentation,” Chant said. “This gives our production team so much room for experimentation to make a batch for an event or something seasonal, like the current Mulled Spice DebaucherMead. A good mead will have a balance between sweetness and dryness, with a smooth mouthfeel free from solventy/alcohol aromas and flavors.”

Steel Bender has produced three-and-a-half barrels and put it in more than 500 bottles (750 mL), making the Mulled Spice DebaucherMead the biggest batch yet, according to Chant.

“We wanted to do this specifically with the Mulled Spice version because this one is the first that we are also making available to purchase in bottles to go,” she said. “So these beauties can be cellared just like wine — we recommend storing upright at room temperature.”

Steel Bender has also partnered with Sage Valley Pottery in Corrales to make specially-branded tumblers to commemorate the release. It’s the third such partnership between the two businesses, and Chant says each tumbler release sells quickly as a collector’s item. Customers can purchase a 750 mL bottle of mead plus one or two tumblers for $70 or $95. At the taproom, they can enjoy a 10-ounce pour and take a tumbler home for $40.

Whether as a gift or for personal consumption, the Mulled Spice DebaucherMead is proving to be an ideal release for the season.

“Spiced notes of clove, cinnamon and allspice linger on the palate, with honey rounding out the body, I imagine this one will hit the mark as a winter sipper for sure,” Chant said.

“They’ve all been very well received, and it’s wonderful to hear guests curious about mead, how it’s made, and learning about the oldest alcoholic beverage.”