Mead Spotlight!

Blacksnake Ginny Raz

$17.99 for the 750ml bottle
Melomel with Black Raspberries

Blacksnake Meadery tries as much as possible to keep things local to their home in Dugspur, VA, but sometimes agricultural realties win out. (“I canna change the laws of Nature, captain!”)

Blacksnake’s Ginny Raz is a melomel - a mead mixed with fruit. In this case, the fruit is black raspberries, which, it turns out, are not raspberries at all (assuming you define raspberries as red raspberries).

First of all, black raspberries and red raspberries are different species of plants. Black raspberries are native to Europe and are a hybrid of the red raspberry and the blackberry. In comparison with the red raspberry, they are sweeter, the plants produce half as few berries that are half the size. Also, though black raspberries grow in the wild across the eastern U.S., they have a hard time growing well without intervention. Therein likes Blacksnake’s rub. They tried but just couldn’t grow enough black raspberries for their needs, so they had to turn towards Oregon, which is responsible for over 90% of black raspberry cultivation in America. (!!)

The color of Ginny Raz surprises as you’re expecting the amber-gold of mead. Instead, the drink is taken over by the deep, sable-like purple of the black raspberry. On the tongue, you get the sweetness from the black raspberries, allowing Blacksnake to pitch down the sweetness of the mead in contrast. The berry juiciness is cut by the herbaceous tang of the off-dry mead.

Use this melomel as an after dinner drink or call us crazy and have it during your brunch. It should go very well with French Toast and pancakes and crepes or with plates of fruit.