The word "mead" appears in literature with a fascinating duality, serving both as an ingredient in culinary texts and as a symbol rich in myth and celebratory tradition. In ancient cookery manuals such as those by Apicius ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5]) mead is discussed in practical contexts, often mixed with other ingredients for both food and drink. Meanwhile, in epic and mythological texts—from the mythic mead of poetry in The Younger Edda ([6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18]) to its role as a festive beverage in Beowulf ([19], [20], [21], [22], [23]) and Scandinavian sagas ([24], [25], [26], [27])—mead is imbued with symbolic importance, evoking images of divine feasting, heroic banquets, and the transformative power of art and song. Even in later literary works such as those by Thomas Hardy ([28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34]) and James Joyce ([35], [36]), mead serves as a nuanced metaphor, highlighting moments of both communal warmth and introspective melancholy. This broad usage underscores mead’s enduring presence as an element that bridges tangible sustenance with the lofty realms of myth and human experience.