What Is Mead? A Guide to the Ancient Drink on National Mead Day

📅 National Mead Day Observed: First Saturday in August

As modern consumers search for authenticity, history, and craftsmanship in their beverages, one ancient drink is quietly making a comeback. Every year on the first Saturday of August, the beverage industry takes a moment to celebrate this historic yet evolving category with National Mead Day.

For brand managers, beverage marketers, and beverage program directors, this occasion presents a compelling opportunity to align with consumer curiosity and educate audiences. In this post, we will break down exactly what mead is, why it is regaining attention, and how brands can engage new audiences with thoughtful and timely activation.

What Is Mead?

Mead is an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water. Depending on the producer, it may also include fruits, herbs, hops, or spices. While often referred to as “honey wine,” mead is its own category. It predates both beer and grape wine by thousands of years.

Across cultures, mead has been known by many names:

• “Nectar of the gods” in Norse mythology

• A royal beverage in ancient Ethiopia

• A celebratory drink throughout medieval Europe

Today’s mead producers blend tradition with innovation, offering a wide range of options including dry, sparkling meads and sweet, dessert-style pours.

Brief History of Mead

Mead predates recorded history. Archaeological evidence suggests that people were fermenting honey and water as far back as 7000 BCE in northern China. Similar early traces of mead have been found in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Mead has deep roots across many cultures:

• Vikings and Norse mythology: Mead was believed to be the drink of the gods, granting wisdom and poetry to those who consumed it. The mythical “mead of poetry” appears frequently in Old Norse texts.

• Ancient Greece: Known as “ambrosia,” mead was consumed in religious ceremonies and by the upper class.

• Medieval Europe: Mead was commonly served at weddings, and the term “honeymoon” is thought to originate from the tradition of gifting a newlywed couple enough mead to last a full moon cycle.

• Ethiopia: Tej, a traditional Ethiopian mead flavored with gesho (a bittering agent), is still widely consumed today and plays a central role in cultural celebrations.

Despite its long history, mead declined in popularity during the rise of beer and grape-based wine, which became easier and cheaper to mass produce. However, the craft beverage renaissance has brought mead back into focus.

Why Is Mead Still a Popular Drink?

Several overlapping trends are contributing to mead’s resurgence:

• Craft Culture: Consumers are increasingly interested in unique, heritage-based beverages.

• Clean Labels: Many meads are naturally gluten free and made without additives.

• Flavor Exploration: With so many style options from still to carbonated, dry to sweet, mead appeals to both beer and wine drinkers.

Data from tasting rooms and industry reports show that session meads and modern craft meaderies are attracting younger, experience-driven audiences.

Types of Mead

Mead has numerous subcategories based on added ingredients and fermentation techniques. Some of the most popular include:

• Traditional Mead: Made from just honey, water, and yeast

• Melomel: Mead fermented with fruit (e.g., berries, apples, or peaches)

• Metheglin: Mead infused with spices or herbs like cinnamon, cloves, or chamomile

• Cyser: Mead made with apple juice or cider

• Pyment: A hybrid of grape wine and mead

• Session Mead: Lower ABV and often carbonated, similar to craft beer

Notable Mead Producers

Several modern meaderies are helping to reintroduce the beverage to new audiences through innovation, transparency, and traditional methods. These producers have received acclaim for their balance, flavor complexity, and consistency:

• Schramm’s Mead (Michigan, USA): Known for bold fruit meads made from cherries, raspberries, and black currants

• Moonlight Meadery (New Hampshire, USA): Offers a wide range from sweet to dry, with clever branding and broad distribution

• Heidrun Meadery (California, USA): Specializes in sparkling varietals made with single-source honeys

• Redstone Meadery (Colorado, USA): One of the earliest American meaderies to reach national scale, including session meads

• Superstition Meadery (Arizona, USA): A cult favorite offering adventurous blends like peanut butter and jelly mead or barrel-aged cherry varietals

• Gosnells of London (UK): Known for crisp, modern meads with lighter body and a wine-like experience

These producers are not only elevating the craft of mead but are also helping to build awareness around the diversity and versatility of the category.

Final Thoughts

Whether enjoyed as a cultural artifact, an artisanal beverage, or an exciting alternative to beer and wine, mead offers a rare connection to both the past and present of fermentation. On National Mead Day, raise a glass in recognition of a drink that has crossed continents and millennia—once sacred, now sippable, and once again in demand.

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FAQ

1. What is mead?
Mead is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey with water. It may also include fruit, herbs, or spices, but honey is the key ingredient.

2. How old is mead?
Mead dates back over 9,000 years. Archaeological evidence shows early fermentation of honey in ancient China, Africa, and Europe.

3. Is mead sweet?
Mead can be sweet or dry depending on the amount of honey used and the duration of fermentation. Some modern meads are dry and crisp like white wine.

4. How is mead different from wine or beer?
Mead is not made from grapes or grains. It is fermented from honey, giving it a unique flavor profile and chemical structure.

5. Where can I find mead?
Mead is available at craft liquor stores, online retailers, and tasting rooms. You can also visit local meaderies or explore their shipping options.