In vino veritas! As the ancient Roman encyclopedist Pliny the Elder (1st c., c.e.) famously put it, the fermented grape possesses the power to elucidate truth and to foment joy and laughter. Join Dr. Susan Weiss (Associate Professor of Musicology, JHU) and Dr. April Oettinger (Professor of Art History and Visual Culture, Goucher College) on a lively, mead-induced, journey through the musical and visual culture of drinking in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. We will explore the theological, mythological, and social dimensions of wine- and beer- induced visions, from the songs of the troubadours to viticultural humanism in 16th-century Italian painting. To round out the reverie, participants will not only be treated to Renaissance drinking songs performed by Peabody students, but will also have a chance to join in a merry sing-a-long. Charm City Meadworks will also join in to teach us about mead and show us their unique variety - including carbonated canned meads (elderberry, wildflower, basil lemongrass, cyser) and still mead (black currant red raspberry), and demonstrate a Bourbon Black Currant Smash cocktail. We invite you to concoct your own cocktail along with us, or if you're local, pick up your own mead to enjoy throughout the event. To learn more, visit jhu.edu/hopkinsathome