During the continent’s dry season, feral bees would collect wild yeasts and build hives in the hollows of Baobab trees. Then, during the wet season, the hollows would fill with water and dilute the honey to a level that the wild yeast could ferment the liquid mixture into mead. This natural process is now being recreated by the Balog family in New South Wales, which also produces Artemis wines and Sunshack Cider.

Australia’s first sparkling mead, BEE Mead is made from Australian Clover Honey and New Zealand Manuka Honey, sourced from local bee-loving apiaries. The honey is fermented for five weeks with wild yeasts and pure water from a natural sandstone spring that runs 30 metres beneath the Southern Highlands meadery. Additional honey is added after fermentation for natural sweetness and depth of flavour. The resulting nectar sees floral characteristics with a medium-to-dry sweetness, delivering the natural health-giving benefits of six teaspoons of honey per 500 ml. You can find this nectar of the gods at selected BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores.