When the cold truly sets in, what we find ourselves craving is a warm drink.
"Mead is meant to be drunk chilled." There is someone who has completely overturned that assumption.
That person is Chikara Hashira, the owner of 'Tsukiya Saketen' in Kyodo, Tokyo, whom we previously introduced in an ANTELOPE article. Chikara-san, a man to whom the word "heat" fits better than anyone, has breathed new "heat" into mead this winter.
The former teacher, Chikara-san, held a lesson on "Kan-mead" (warmed mead) for adults. Waiting there were science, romance, and a whole new delicious side of mead.
<Table of Contents>
1. The 60℃ Boundary Line
2. It’s Not Just Temperature: The Importance of the 'Chirori' Material in Making Kan-mead
3. Recommended Hot Mead Experiences
4. What to Do When You're Unsure? How to Use Your 'Intuition' for Kan-mead
5. The Easiest Way to Make 'Kan-mead' at Home
6. Editor's Note
1. The "60℃" Boundary Line
"Actually, the human tongue becomes less sensitive to sweetness once you exceed 60℃."
According to Chikara-san's explanation, "fructose" and "glucose," which create the sweetness of honey, each have their own characteristics. Fructose is perceived as sweet when cold, while glucose is perceived as sweet around body temperature.
"Between 50℃ and 60℃. This is where the depth of flavor really comes out. However, once you exceed 60℃, it passes the peak, and the general rule is that it becomes harder to perceive the sweetness."
Due to the nature of "fructose" and "glucose" derived from honey, the balance breaks if it gets too hot. That is precisely why the basis of "Kan-mead" is exploring the best temperature with a thermometer in hand.
However, he notes that there are some meads that are delicious even if you cross that 60℃ barrier. Those are exceptionally sweet ("very sweet") meads. Since they have a high absolute amount of sugar, they have high heat resistance. The sweetness doesn't lose out even if it exceeds 60℃.
It's not just about warming it up, but identifying the "sugar content" and "alcohol" personality of that particular mead to find the moment when it shines the brightest. Chikara-san's love and passion shine through here.
2. It’s Not Just Temperature: The Importance of the 'Chirori' Material in Making Kan-mead
He also taught us that the taste of mead changes dramatically depending on the material of the 'chirori' (warming vessel) used to heat the mead.
● Tin: A 'High-Performance Filter' that Removes Off-flavors
Tin (Sn), much like silver (Ag), has a high ionic effect. While silver ions are familiar in antiperspirants, just as they suppress sweat odors, the ionic effect of tin absorbs off-flavors in alcohol.
Meads with complex flavors that might have sediment at the bottom can become surprisingly smooth and rounded when warmed in tin. It’s also perfect for warming up mead that has been open for a while.
● Glass: A 'Sous-vide Cooker' that Transfers Heat Gently
In contrast, glass is characterized by not changing the composition of the contents.
Since heat is transferred slowly, it's used when you want to warm something gently, like sous-vide cooking, or when you want to enjoy the fresh aroma just as it is.
Recommended for meads that are delicious at room temperature or chilled, or when you want to warm it up without spoiling its current flavor profile.
● Copper: A 'Wok' that Tightens the Flavor
Copper uses its heat conduction power to apply heat all at once. It's perfect for when you want to tighten the flavor or bring out a sharp finish, much like stir-frying in a wok.
Delicate meads become richer when warmed in copper, while those with complex flavors gain a sharper edge.
There's a proper scientific reason for every tool choice. The more you learn, the deeper Chikara-san's classroom becomes.
3. Recommended Hot Mead Experiences
I delved deeper with Chikara-san, who has warmed countless meads, about classic meads that are delicious when warmed and seasonal limited releases.
An 'Adult Herbal Tea' that Drinks Like History
What Churchill Said × Around 60℃
"What Churchill Said," affectionately known as "Churchill." I had recognized it as a mead that is delicious when chilled, but it has an interesting side when warmed.
When warmed to about 60℃, the aroma opens up in a flash, taking on a scent that feels like it permeates the body—something like medicinal herbs or Kampo.
Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, once remarked, "Gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen's lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire." We named it with the hope that it would become a drink that saves the hearts of Japanese people, just like a gin and tonic.
This is the origin of "What Churchill Said," and it was a surprise to find that by making it into "Kan-mead," a world reminiscent of this origin expands.
When warming, please use a glass vessel, and when drinking, enjoy it from a cup as if you were drinking herbal tea.
A 'Hot Lemonade' that Overturns Common Sense
The Last Supper (Supper) × 60℃
The one that exceeded my expectations in the best way possible is "The Last Supper." Chikara-san shared that he also wasn't very keen on warming it, as he had the image that lactic acid doesn't smell great when heated (it's said that when milk is heated, proteins denature and create a "burnt" smell).
However, when warmed, a flavor like hot lemonade unfolds, and the lemon-like acidity is comfortable.
Chikara-san's recommendation is actually pairing it with "Tempura."
"It's a waste to harden the fat of piping hot tempura with cold alcohol. It's better to cut through it with warm acidity!" says Chikara-san. It's like the sensation of washing down fried food with hot lemonade.
Please do give this a try as a new combination for this winter.
When warming, use tin; if you want to enjoy the crispness, use a shallow cup. If you want to feel the richness, use a vessel with a narrow mouth.
'Kanzamashi' (Cooling Down from Heat) to Savor the Passage of Time
Deep Seek × 57℃ → 40℃
For this mead, here is a bit of a connoisseur's way to enjoy it. The best temperature Chikara-san proposed is, surprisingly, "about 40℃ when drinking."
When I asked, "Wouldn't it be better to just warm it to 40℃ from the start?" Chikara-san shook his head.
"It's mysterious, but it tastes significantly better if you've once heated it to a higher temperature."
The peak he aims for is "57℃." He wants to let the aroma open up without making the alcohol sensation stand out. 57℃ is apparently the absolute, narrow threshold for that.
You bring it to 57℃ all at once and then wait for the temperature to drop slowly. This is called "Kanzamashi." As the temperature drops—50℃, 45℃...—the sharp flavors round out, and the moment it hits 40℃, the gentle richness inherent in the honey and the aroma of the oak barrel bloom open.
It's a mead where you can savor the passage of time itself, along with the change in temperature.
An Overwhelming 'Grand Cru' Feeling
Shuka - Seed & Fruit × 60-65℃
"This one is just incredibly delicious," says Chikara-san about the new release, Shuka - Seed & Fruit.
He raves that its flavor transcends the category of mead, feeling almost like a Grand Cru wine from Bordeaux or Burgundy. He says it’s so complete that if a wine lover were to drink it blind, they might not even realize it's mead.
The recommended temperature is surprisingly high—up to about 65℃ is fine. Think of it like a Christmas staple: "Glühwein" (mulled wine). "Since this mead uses blueberries and plums, applying firm heat causes the fruitiness to boil down, creating a concentrated feeling, just like jam."
On cold winter nights, I want you to enjoy it slowly, just as you would an exceptional red wine.
For those who would like to enjoy these meads at home, please try it out with our great-value set.
■ Mead Set Delicious When Warmed: https://antelopemeadery.com/products/hot-mead-set
4. What to Do When You're Unsure? How to Use Your 'Intuition' for Kan-mead
"If I have a mead other than the ones mentioned above, how should I decide whether it's okay to warm it up?"
When I put this question to him, he told me to "imagine how it looks when cooking."
For example, if it's a berry-based mead, you'd turn it into jam if you boiled it down, right? If it's herb-based, it becomes herbal tea. Things with an oak barrel aroma see their scent open up like whiskey or red wine enjoyed in a warm room. The best way to use your 'intuition' is to imagine how it might change if you warmed it up, as if you were cooking. Chikara-san believes that intuition is likely spot on. Incidentally, drier meads with less sweetness can sometimes have their sweetness evaporate when warmed, making them feel spicy. In such cases, one way to enjoy them is to add a little 'extra honey.' It's a secret technique called 'self-backsweetening' where you adjust the sweetness yourself.
Perhaps the secret is not to overthink it, but to trust your own instincts and just try warming it up.
5. The Easiest Way to Make 'Kan-mead' at Home
But measuring and warming it while at home sounds difficult.
When I consulted him about this, Chikara-san brought out a single bottle. It was an empty bottle of the Japanese sake 'Kenbishi'.
He says it's the perfect shape for warming in the microwave. The unique shape of the Kenbishi bottle apparently allows microwave energy to pass through evenly, so anyone can easily reach a delicious temperature by just heating it for about 1 minute at 500W.
6. Editor's Note
My fixed idea that "mead is a cold drink" was brilliantly melted by Chikara-san's fervor. During the interview, Chikara-san's profile as he warmed the sake in the chirori looked genuinely happy.
"Believing in the potential of the ingredient and bringing out the most delicious aspects." That might be the very attitude Chikara-san has when facing producers and customers alike.
Chilled mead is delicious, but this winter, why not grab a thermometer (or a Kenbishi bottle) and explore the new expressions of mead?
Because there are subtle changes depending on the temperature, try various things and find your own best Kan-mead. If you have any questions, please contact ANTELOPE or Chikara-san at Tsukiya Saketen!
〈Tsukiya Saketen〉
- Address: 3-3-19 Kyodo, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0052
（Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PnBgSU2iuu2T4sVF6） - Access: 5-minute walk from Kyodo Station on the Odakyu Line
- Hours: 10:00 - 21:00 (Kaku-uchi standing bar: 15:00 - 21:00, Sat from 13:00)
- Closed: Sundays, Mondays, and Holidays
※ Please check Instagram for the day's business hours and event information.
シェアする: