A week or so ago, I found a post about a thirteenth-century European mead recipe on the Historical Cookery site. Needless to say, it caught my attention. For some years, in fact, mead has held a special place in my heart. Like most sugar fiends, I like my drinks sickly sweet: creamy pina coladas, cloying Rieslings, and yes, pineapple cider. Which is why I am perhaps overly fond of meads. Like most of you, I had assumed that mead was a European drink. So imagine my surprise w