Mead: “The nectar of the gods and the world’s oldest fermented beverage.”

Meads, or honey wines, are the oldest fermented beverage in the world. There are almost 200 commercial meaderies in the U.S. The finest meads are often made at home, however, and we are excited to make some of these. Here are a few of the more common names for different types of mead:

Traditional still mead: is made from fermented honey and water. There are over 300 varietal honeys from which mead is made. Mead can be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. The alcohol level usually ranges from 8 - 18% ABV.

Sparking Mead: is a carbonated version of traditional mead.

Metheglin: is a mead mixed with herbs or spices.

Melomel: is a mead mixed with fruit. Depending on the fruit used, certain melomels may also be known by specific names. A few of these are listed below.

Cyser: is a fruit mead made with apples.

Pyment: is a fruit mead made with grapes.

Tej: Is a mead made with hops, originally from Ethiopia.

Braggot: Is a mead made with at least 25% honey and malt, a half-way house between beer and wine which may or may not include hops.

1. Traditional semi-sweet, still mead: Made with Orange Blossom honey.

2. Sparkling mead: Same as above but chilled and carbonated.

3. Berry Melomel: Made with Tupelo honey and a mixture of blackberries, raspberries, black currants, tart cherries, strawberries and blueberries.

4. Strawberry-Banana Melomel: Made with Tupelo honey and a mixture of bananas and strawberries.

5. Reisling Pyment Fermented with Orange blossom honey and Riesling wine grapes.