Nidhoggr

In Norse mythology, Nidhoggr is a dragon who gnaws at the base of Yggdrasil, the 'World Tree'. Mead is a drink often associated with Norse history, although the drink itself can be dated back to around 2000 BCE in terms of written reference, although there is evidence a similar drink existed a few thousand years before that.

Mead itself is made from fementing honey mixed with water, and while it's different to wine the techniques are similar - indeed, wine yeasts are often used for the fermentation process. Fruits and spices can also be added to take the flavour profile in new directions, but mead in its purest form does indeed have sweet and sour notes that can be considered 'wine-y'.

Mainstream mead - as with most other mainstream alcohol brands - tends to overdo the sugar content in order to make it more palatable to as wide a taste as possible, but 'old-school' mead looks to get that balance of sweet and sour just right. Nidhoggr is made not far away from the shop in York, a city with deep links to the Vikings, and uses honey and other ingredients sourced only in Yorkshire.

There's a delicious tang to the Traditional Mead, which has rich honey sweetness but a citrussy bite to lift the flavours. It's incredibly refreshing when chilled, but wonderfully warming at room temperature.