Mead by Many Other Names

Mead may seem like a one size fits all and the name only changes based on the brewer’s branding, however, mead is just as flexible as any other drink. Just like wine, cider, or beer, there are different mead flavors and categories that can fit a person’s palate, occasion, or event. While we won’t cover all the possible terms and categories, we will cover a few of the more popular options that you may not realize you’ve already tried. 

Show, Short, and Sack Mead

While mead flavors can vary by being amended with different ingredients ie. fruits, herbs, spices, some of the finest expressions of mead are those that have no adjunct ingredients. These basic meads are typically called ‘show meads’ and can be further broken down into different categories such as short mead and sack mead.

A show mead is a mead that has the very basics; water, honey, yeast and is left to ferment. It typically doesn’t have the flavor one would come to expect with other spiced or fruit brewed meads but what it does have is the capacity to better showcase the nuanced flavors of the specific honey varietal. The category of a ‘short mead’ comes from its short fermentation process. Short mead typically has less honey in it, and less alcohol, so the fermentation process is quick. Short mead is usually dryer, and will likely have an ABV of 10% or below. Sack mead, on the other hand, tends to have more of a sweet flavor because it calls for a higher ratio of honey, as a result, sack meads will likely have a higher alcohol content than most show meads. Sack mead can take longer to ferment, and may require more attention than short mead because the yeast can become overwhelmed or stressed resulting in “off” flavors. 

Pyment, Cyser & Melomel. 

A Pyment is a mead where grapes and honey were used in conjunction during fermentation. Pyment doesn’t require a specific type of grape to be used, however, the type of grape and the ripeness of the grape will impact the final flavor and profile of the mead. Green grapes tend to give a sweeter flavor, mixing well with the honey, and red grapes can give a fuller flavor. However, they can be tricky, and according to some mead makers, you’ll need to pick your grapes carefully if going with a red grape. 

A Cyser is a mead in which both honey and apple are fermented at the same time. This mead also provides a great base mead in which other spices can be used to create distinctive flavor depending on what the brewer is looking for.

A Melomel is a type of mead that incorporates fruits other than just apples or grapes. Here is the tricky part though, a melomel CAN have apples or grapes included in the recipe, but would need another component (ie. berries, stonefruit, melon…) included in order for it to technically qualify as a Melomel mead. . 

Braggot

If you’re looking for a unique blended drink, Braggot might be for you. Braggot essentially is a blending of beer and mead. That said, a Braggot is not simply mixing beer and mead together but instead, finding the right balance between the honey, grain, hops, and any other adjunct ingredients desired, then it is all fermented together. Safe to say, this style can turn out to be amazingly complex or amazingly bad.

In a nutshell, just like beer or traditional wine, meads come in many different flavors, and those flavors can fall under many different categories. It’s truly one of the most versatile drinks out there not only when it comes to production, but with flavor and ingredients. Whether you prefer a sweet or dry flavor, you’re likely to find something you enjoy if you venture into one of these categories of mead flavors.

 If you have a hard time deciding which is right for you, come by for a tasting or to ask questions, we’re happy to point you in the right direction!