Nectar of the Gods coming to Alberta

Alberta beekeepers can now make mead, a honey wine that is the oldest known alcoholic drink.

The wine was approved last week for production and sale in Alberta after a year of lobbying by the province's honey industry.

The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Board is allowing farmers to get a cottage winery licence to produce and sell mead. Fruit growers have been able to make wine for more than a year.

Alberta has 250,000 bee colonies, more than any other province.

Cherie Andrews, a member of the Alberta Beekeepers Association, said beesare big business, with the province producing 43 per cent of the honey in Canada.

However, in the last few years, the demand for honey has fallen, she said.

"What they're finding is that wholesale prices have declined dramatically and we have a lot of beekeepers looking for other ways to use their honey," she said.

The basic ingredients of the "Nectar of the Gods"includes honey, water and yeast.

Mead usually requires two to three years of aging. Approximately 1.35 kilograms of honey produces 4.5 litres of medium-sweet mead.

Albertans can expect to be able to purchase the product in about a year.