It might surprise you to discover that mead, a drink most easily associated with vikings and period drama characters on the wrong side of life’s lot, saw its revival driven by New World tastes. Not content with the ever growing number of craft breweries, North America sought out new challenges in mead production. It was a trip to one of these new meaderies on America’s East Coast that piqued Tom Gosnell’s interest in the product that would later bear his name.

A lot has been written about Gosnells since they went into large scale production only a few years ago. Having opened their first tap room in September 2015 in one of South East London’s cultural hotspots, Peckham, Tom and his team of three have sought to diversify their Spanish honey-based mead to both drum up local support, and to support the local area. From brewing smoked mead in support of community initiative, the Peckham Coal Line (South London’s answer to the New York Highline), to seasonal mulled mead, the regulars who greet Tom by name seem happy that he has such diverse interest in his own product.

The method, it won’t surprise you to know, doesn’t vary too far from standard brewing processes, with honey, water and yeast at its core. Gosnells find UK honey too inconsistent to be regularly used in a product which requires consistency of taste, regardless of scale of production. But the mead having won Gold at the Sommelier Wine awards in the ‘other’ category and a Young British Foodies award, Spanish honey seems to be the flavour of the moment. At 5.5% Tom’s mead is a far cry from the standard 10-15% of old. It’s moderated for modern palates, but a richer blend of honey adds flavour to an under-the-bar selection of sturdier stuff served by the wineglass – to those who know to ask.

The tap room itself is no more or less grand than those inhabiting arches and industrial units across the country; branded boxes are piled up behind the bar while silver vats attest to the science behind the drink. Expanding to a commercial location was a big step for the former Project Manager with what was previously the equivalent of a homebrew obsession and spreading the enthusiasm was initially hard-won. “It was quite hard sell to alcohol stockists. Most of the interest has come from groundswell, and barmen as advocates.” Its longevity seems secure with stockists across the UK, although mead has also grabbed the imagination of many a hipster bar and pop up venue. Now most of their customers are bars and restaurants who have sought them out independently, considering it perhaps a palate cleanser or the grown up sister of the much remarketed cider.

“It was quite hard sell to alcohol stockists. Most of the interest has come from groundswell, and barmen as advocates.”

The subtle taste of Gosnells modern mead has allowed for more than just a modern take on a vintage taste, but also on the subtle art of self-promotion. Relying largely on word of mouth and the grassroots enthusiasm of a community already entrenched in brewing (South East London alone has 20+ breweries of London’s estimated 74), the buzz soon reached English chocolatier Paul A. Young, leading to the creation of Gosnells London Mead truffles, a Soho store staple. Known for zeitgeist pairings with popular British brands – Brewdog brewery, Pizza Pilgrim and the Rare Tea Company have all had the chocolatier’s treatment – this additional fusion pairing dark chocolate with sweet mead is a masterstroke. Up for discussion is the idea of mead-cured charcuterie with the sweetness of the honey creating a unique flavour for what could be another string in Tom’s bow.

Gosnells ‘yes is more’ attitude has resulted in only delicious outputs so far, and whatever the future holds for London’s only meadery one thing’s for certain: it’ll be subtle, sweet, and well worth sampling.

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