Exploring the Different Types of Mead: A Guide to Making Your Own Honey Wine

Mead, often referred to as "honey wine," is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. It's made by fermenting honey, water, and yeast, but what really sets mead apart is the endless variety of flavors and styles that can be created by adjusting ingredients, fermentation techniques, and flavor additions. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced brewer, understanding the different types of mead can help you craft the perfect batch for your taste.

In this post, we’ll explore the various types of mead and explain how each one is made—from the classic traditional meads to the more complex melomels and metheglins.

1. Traditional Mead

What it is: Traditional mead is the simplest and most basic form of mead. It's made from just three ingredients: honey, water, and yeast. The honey used will influence the flavor of the mead, with different varieties of honey lending unique characteristics to the final product.

How it's made:

• Ingredients: Honey, water, yeast.

• Process: Dissolve the honey into warm water, add yeast, and allow it to ferment. The fermentation process typically takes several weeks to a few months.

• Flavor: The flavor profile depends largely on the type of honey used, from light and floral to rich and robust.

Why you’ll love it: Traditional mead highlights the natural sweetness and complexities of the honey used, offering a pure and simple experience that showcases the beauty of this ancient beverage.

2. Melomel (Fruit Mead)

What it is: Melomel is a type of mead made by adding fruits, such as berries, citrus, or tropical fruits, to the basic honey-water fermentation mixture. The fruit adds natural sugars and flavors, resulting in a sweeter, fruitier mead.

How it's made:

• Ingredients: Honey, water, yeast, and fruit (fresh or frozen).

• Process: After preparing the basic must (honey and water), fruit is added either at the beginning of the fermentation or during secondary fermentation. The fruit ferments with the honey and yeast, imparting its flavors to the mead.

• Flavor: Fruity, with the specific flavors of the fruit used—such as raspberry, apple, or peach—blending with the honey for a sweet, aromatic beverage.

Why you’ll love it: Melomels are perfect for those who love fruity beverages, as they can be made with any number of fruits to suit your flavor preferences.

3. Metheglin (Spiced Mead)

What it is: Metheglin is mead flavored with spices and herbs, often including ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, or even more exotic additions like cardamom and vanilla. The spices add depth and warmth to the mead, making it a cozy, flavorful option.

How it's made:

• Ingredients: Honey, water, yeast, and spices (such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, or nutmeg).

• Process: The spices are either added during the brewing process or in the secondary fermentation stage. They infuse their flavors into the mead as it ferments.

• Flavor: Spicy, aromatic, and often warming, with the spices complementing the sweetness of the honey and adding complexity to the flavor.

Why you’ll love it: Metheglin is perfect for cold-weather sipping and offers a comforting, aromatic drink. The spices can be tailored to your taste, whether you prefer a classic cinnamon flavor or something more adventurous.

4. Cyser (Apple Mead)

What it is: Cyser is a type of melomel made with apples. It's a cross between mead and cider, combining honey and apple juice or cider to create a fruity, slightly tart mead with a higher acidity.

How it's made:

• Ingredients: Honey, water (or apple juice/cider), yeast, apples (optional for extra flavor).

• Process: You can use fresh apple juice or cider as the primary liquid, adding honey and yeast. This can be made as either a sweet or dry mead, depending on the type of apples and how much honey is used.

• Flavor: A blend of honey sweetness with the tartness of apples. It can range from sweet to dry depending on the apple variety and the fermentation process.

Why you’ll love it: Cyser is a delicious hybrid between mead and cider, perfect for those who love the crisp, refreshing flavors of apples with the richness of honey.

5. Pyment (Grape Mead)

What it is: Pyment is mead made with grapes or grape juice. It’s similar to a wine, but the addition of honey creates a different flavor profile. This mead can be made with red or white grape juice and can be sweet or dry, depending on your preference.

How it's made:

• Ingredients: Honey, water (or grape juice), yeast, and sometimes additional fruit or spices.

• Process: Like other fruit meads, you add the grape juice to the must and allow it to ferment. The yeast ferments both the honey and the natural sugars in the grapes.

• Flavor: A blend of honey sweetness and grape flavors, ranging from tart and dry to sweet and fruity, depending on the type of grape used.

Why you’ll love it: Pyment combines the elegance of wine with the complexity of honey, creating a refined mead that pairs wonderfully with many foods.

6. Braggot

What it is: Braggot is a historical style of mead that combines malted barley with honey, creating a mead with more body and a beer-like quality. The malted barley contributes additional sugars for fermentation, and the result is a stronger, richer mead.

How it's made:

• Ingredients: Honey, water, yeast, and malted barley.

• Process: After boiling the malted barley to extract the sugars, honey is added, and the mixture is fermented as usual. The barley’s residual sweetness and flavors will influence the final product.

• Flavor: Rich and malty with a blend of honey sweetness. Braggot often has a beer-like character with a higher alcohol content.

Why you’ll love it: Braggot is a great option for those who love the taste of both mead and beer, offering the best of both worlds in one drink.

7. Honeywine (Plain Mead with Variations)

What it is: Honeywine is another term for mead, often used interchangeably with traditional mead. It is a simple mead made with just honey, water, and yeast, but it can be flavored with various additional ingredients like fruits or spices, much like other types of mead.

How it's made:

• Ingredients: Honey, water, yeast, and optional flavorings.

• Process: The basic fermentation process is the same as traditional mead, but additional fruits, spices, or herbs may be added to enhance the flavor.

• Flavor: The flavor will depend on what additional ingredients are used—floral, fruity, or spiced variations are common.

Why you’ll love it: Honeywine is a versatile type of mead that can be customized to your taste preferences, whether you prefer it traditional or with added flavors.

Conclusion

Mead is a wonderfully diverse beverage that can be made in numerous ways, offering something for everyone—whether you prefer sweet, fruity, spicy, or even malty flavors. From the simple and pure traditional mead to the more complex melomels, metheglins, and braggots, the possibilities are endless when it comes to crafting your own honey wine. Experimenting with different fruits, spices, and herbs allows you to create a mead that’s uniquely your own.

So, whether you're just starting your brewing journey or looking to expand your mead repertoire, the wide variety of mead types ensures you'll find something that suits your taste. Cheers to your next mead-making adventure!