Science is Fun Fridays!

 It's been a boozy week, so let's look at the science of fermentation, which is the chemical process that converts sugar found in fruits or grains to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Wine, beer, and alcohol all begin with sugar and yeast, which provides the necessary enzymes for the chemical process.  Spirits take the extra step to distill the alcohol, removing excess water until the desired proof is obtained.

Many believe that mead is the oldest alcoholic drink, sometimes referred to as honey wine.  Residual samples found in ceramics date it from 2800 to 1800 BC, and the ancient Greeks considered it "the nectar of the gods," since bees were seen as messengers of the heavens.

Mead is also referenced in literature throughout history, such as in Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales.

Some histories suggest it originated in the African bush in the hollowed out portions of Baobab and Miombo trees where wild bees would nest.  During the rainy season, the hollows would fill up with water and, with all the ingredients present, mead was created and then collected by tribesmen.