Carlis Mead

Although named for its city of origin, Carlis-style beekeeping, and the honey mead produced by it, can be found throughout Estalia. Due to the premium on land within the city from the surrounding swamps, mead brewers developed a method where the entire process is completed within a small hut. These huts are typically only one room large, and are slightly raised above the ground on stilts. The roofs of these huts contain one or two bee boxes, and are surrounded by a rooftop garden. These gardens are curated by the beekeeper to produce specific notes within the mead, with Juniper being the most common traditional ingredient. Care is taken when constructing these huts to spread them out a bit, so that the gardens at other huts have a minimal impact on the taste. After the honey is collected, it is taken downstairs and brewed in the single room of the hut.   Carlis-style mead-making can now be found throughout the republic, as it's become particularly popular in the larger cities, such as Estalia, Verstallis, and Metis. Many new beekeepers see it as an efficient way to produce part of their food without requiring wide swaths of land. By building a rooftop garden and converting their attic to a brewing space, they achieve a reasonable facsimile of the huts they take inspiration from.   Although its originally produced just for the beekeeper and their family, there are enough beekeepers producing enough honey that mead ends of being served with many meals across Estalia. Those who have had it describe it as a fairly sweet drink, with notes of citrus and pepper.