Nathan Smith remembers the first time he tried commercially produced mead, which he purchased from one of the local liquor stores.

"It tasted like cough syrup," Smith says, adding he thought there could be potential in mead. "It would taste good if it wasn’t so sugary."

Smith, of Newfields, had been making his own wine and beer at home for about 15 years and thought he might try making mead.

Armed with a few recipes and the basic ingredients for mead - honey, water and yeast - Smith began experimenting with the product, which is essentially honey wine. Three years later, he and his wife, Roberta, have built up a small home business making and selling four varieties of mead from their Piscassic Pond Winery, named for the Piscassic Pond, which they overlook from their home. They have been selling the mead to the public since January 2005.

Mead generally conjures up images of medieval times and knights tipping back a few goblets of the sweet alcohol. And in fact, mead is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks known to man. But surprisingly, mead is coming back into popularity.

"It’s not as unusual as you think," Smith says. He points out that there are about 120 mead producers in the United States. He found the drink popular among his friends who were active in various medieval and Renaissance fairs, as well as locals who participate in Revolutionary re-enactments.