Lithuanian Mead is a world's oldest alcoholic drink - the recipe of which finds mention in the ancient Indian text Rig Veda 6000 years ago.

Honey is used in small number of alcoholic beverages, either as a base ingredient or a sweetening flavor enhancer. Until the discovery of cane sugar, honey was one of the very few sweeteners available, and was considered an indulgent luxury. Only the rich and powerful could spare honey for use in the production of beer and wine, and even then it was used primarily to improve the flavor of weak ales.

Mead is the most prominent example of a product fermented from honey. The honey is first mixed with water and sometimes grain mash (from which it is separated following fermentation) and the resulting liquid is then allowed to ferment. The alcoholic strength of mead varies from 8-17 percent ABV, unless fortified with grape spirit or grain spirit.

More in the Baltic Review: Culinary heritage: Lithuanian Mead - The world's oldest alcoholic drink