i grew up in a teetotalling household when i was a kid. it never became a part of my life habits. now that i'm old, i have found that i love mead. i purchase it, put it in the basement in a rack, and forget that i have it. a "flood" recently required a cleaning and reorganizing. i found about 20 bottles of mead in the basement that i've accumulated over the years...and forgotten to drink. so, i told my kids that when i turn 65, i'm going to start drinking. when i'm 85 i'll take up smoking. and when i'm 95, i'll smoke a joint. maybe. i still have a couple of years before i "have" to drink the mead. it should be nice and mellow by the time a get to it. if i remember...