How to Drink Mead (Honey Wine)

To truly appreciate mead, start by choosing the right type for your taste—whether that's a sweet, semi-sweet, or dry variety. Serve it chilled or at room temperature, depending on the style and your personal preference. We recommend drinking meads that are sparkling at 45 degrees and from a wine glass if it's over 8% ABV. If the mead is still and fruity, we recommend drinking at 45 degrees (slightly chilled). If the mead is still and barrel aged or aged on oak, we recommend drinking at 65 degrees (similar to a red wine). Pour it into a wine glass to fully appreciate its aroma and color, much like you would with a fine wine. Take a moment to smell the mead before you sip, letting the unique fragrances prepare your palate. When you take your first sip, let it linger in your mouth to catch all the subtle flavors. Mead pairs wonderfully with food, so consider matching it with dishes that complement its sweetness or acidity. From sipping slowly to enjoy the complexity of flavors to finding the perfect food pairing, drinking mead is about savoring the moment and the craftsmanship that goes into each bottle.

It's really up to your preferences, but cold and warm will bring out different flavors in the mead. If the mead is sparkling, we recommend drinking at 45 degrees (refrigerator temperature) so it doesn't overfoam. You wouldn't drink a beer warm (usually!). 

As for still meads (no bubbles) you can drink either cold (45 degrees) or room temp (65 degrees) or warm (80-90 degrees). You don't want to heat a mead too hot, or it will burn off the alcohol and can start to boil the residual (leftover) honey which will change the mead flavor. At each temperature you'll be able to pick out different notes, spicy meads typically have more heat if it's warmer, same with barrel aged notes. 

Heck yes, you can drink mead all by itself! We recommend drinking from a wine glass, so you can get all the aromas and the mead hits your tongue in the right spot. 

We have many ideas for the best ways to enjoy mead! Don’t worry – we’re in this together. And in the spirit of overcoming isolation adversity (and doing so in the most mead-friendly way), we’ve provided you with 10 mead-related activities.

1. Get your mead-ucation on

Did we really just say that? Yes. And are we now going to shamelessly self-promote? Even more yes. See, this blog has become a deep batch of mead-related content. Interested in learning more about mead’s history, the mead-making process, its health benefits, etc.? Give these posts a browse and learn something new while you sip on earth's oldest alcohol!

2. Watch Game of Thrones (and notice how little mead they actually consume)

We’re not throwing shade on Game of Thrones, just disputing the claim that it is responsible for mead’s resurgence. Doesn’t it seem like they drink a lot more wine in that show than mead?

Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a binge-worthy show to share with a glass of mead, Game of Thrones might be a worthy option.

3. Explore mead’s extensive literature

For the book worms of the world, mead’s literature collection is exhaustive. If you’re interested in mead-based books, consider works like Ken Schramm’s The Compleat Meadmakeror Rich Gulling and Pattie Vargas’s Making Wild Wines and Meads. 

4. Conduct a virtual mead tasting with friends

Okay, this one requires a certain amount of coordinated effort. Gather your friends online, make sure everyone has the same collection of mead, and then conduct a tasting session. It’s as close to the real thing as we can get right now…why not try it out?

5. Brew your first batch!

Hey, now here’s an idea. Looking to take your mead-dom to the next level? Why not try brewing a batch yourself? We have a brief How-to guide here. You’ll find everything you need to get started on your first godly creation.

6. Pair movies with mead

Starting to learn more about mead and its many varieties? Why not try pairing mead with certain movies or characters? For example, if you’re doing a Lord of the Rings marathon, what mead might Gimli enjoy? Aragorn? Legolas? Sauron? Better get something dark and filled with spice for him!

Need help? See our post about different types of mead right here.

7. Make a mead-ening out of it

Clearly we’re not planning to stop with the puns, so why not make a mead-ening out of it? That’s right – bust out the mead, the charcuterie board, the fine china, and enjoy an evening of elegant sampling.

8. Brew your second batch!

If it feels like years since you brewed that first batch (even though it might have only been a day or two) and you have the materials, why not get a second batch going?

You’ll only be doing yourself a favor when things are done fermenting and you have two meads to enjoy instead of one!

9. Figure out the exact origin of mead

Listen, you might need a lifetime of quarantines to figure this one out. We’ve done a couple posts on this subject and, along with other mead enthusiasts and historians of the world, have emphasized mead’s antiquated origins.

It’s been around seemingly forever, surpassing even that of beer and wine. However, there’s still not an exact time of origin for this delicate beverage.

Challenge accepted? Good luck.

10. Order mead from us and have it delivered for free!

Then, of course, you can always let Batch Mead help fulfill your mead needs.

Currently, we’re offering a free bottle with every purchases over $99 and free shipping on purchases over $149.

Check out our offerings here.

Above all, we hope that you and your family stay safe during this troubling time and hope to be able to see you again soon in the Batch Mead tasting room!