The Styles of Mead: Exploring the Full Spectrum

Mead is often introduced as “honey wine,” but that simple phrase barely hints at the diversity found within this ancient beverage. From light, refreshing session meads to bold, high-gravity creations shaped by innovative processes, the styles of mead span an impressive spectrum.

Understanding the styles of mead not only helps drinkers find what they love—but also reveals how meadmakers use honey, alcohol strength, ingredients, and technique to craft wildly different experiences from the same core ingredients.

In this guide, we’ll explore the three primary ways mead is classified, break down classic and modern styles, and help you navigate the ever-growing world of mead.

How the Styles of Mead Are Classified

Most styles of mead fall into one—or more—of three main categories:

• Alcohol Strength (ABV)
• Flavoring & Additions (fruit, spices, herbs)
• Production Process

A single mead can belong to all three categories at once, which is a big part of what makes mead such a flexible and expressive beverage.

Understanding these classifications gives you a clearer picture of how the styles of mead are defined and why no two bottles are ever quite the same.

Strength-Based Styles of Mead

One of the most straightforward ways to categorize the styles of mead is by alcohol content. Strength affects everything from mouthfeel to aging potential—and even how mead is regulated and taxed in the U.S.

Hydromel: Light & Sessionable

Hydromels are low-alcohol meads, typically under 7% ABV, and are designed to be refreshing and easy to drink.

• Lightweight body
• Crisp, approachable profiles
• Often compared to beer or cider

Because of their lower alcohol level, hydromels are regulated by the FDA rather than the TTB. Among the styles of mead, this is often the entry point for new drinkers.

Traditional Mead: The Middle Ground

Traditional meads usually fall between 7% and 14% ABV, which is where most commercial still meads land.

• Balanced alcohol
• Wide range of sweetness levels
• Ideal base for fruit or spiced meads

When people think of classic styles of mead, this category is usually what comes to mind.

Sack or “Great Mead”: Bold & Age-Worthy

These meads push beyond 14% ABV, often requiring longer fermentation and aging.

• Full-bodied and rich
• Commonly barrel-aged
• Higher production and tax costs

Among the strength-based styles of mead, sack meads reward patience with complexity and depth.

Infographic Opportunity:
Insert Strength Spectrum Infographic (Hydromel → Traditional → Sack Mead)

Fruit-Based Styles of Mead: Melomels

When fruit enters the picture, the mead is classified as a melomel—one of the most popular and widely recognized styles of mead today.

Any fruit added before or after fermentation qualifies, creating endless combinations.

Common melomel substyles include:

• Cyser: Made with apples or apple cider
• Pyment: Made with grapes or grape juice
• Berry & Stone Fruit Melomels: Blueberry, cherry, peach, plum, and more

If it contains fruit, it’s considered a melomel—making this category one of the most expansive styles of mead.

👉 Learn more about ingredient choices in mead:
Selecting the Best Ingredients for Your Mead

Spiced & Botanical Styles of Mead: Metheglins

Metheglins are defined by herbs, spices, roots, or botanicals rather than fruit. Historically, these styles of mead were brewed as medicinal tonics.

Common metheglin variations include:

• Capsicumel: Chili pepper mead with balanced heat
• Braggot: Mead-beer hybrid brewed with grains or hops
• Tej: Traditional Ethiopian mead brewed with gesho
• Acerglin: Mead brewed or sweetened with maple syrup
• Rhodomel: Mead made with rose hips or petals

Where melomels celebrate fruit, metheglins explore spice, florality, and earthy complexity—making them some of the most expressive styles of mead.

Experimental Styles of Mead: Process-Driven Creations

Beyond strength and additions, some styles of mead are defined by how they’re made. These experimental approaches push mead into new territory.

Bouchet: Caramelized Honey Mead

In a bouchet, honey is caramelized before fermentation.

• Creates toffee, roasted sugar, and deep caramel notes
• Loses original blossom character
• Often made with neutral wildflower honey

This method produces one of the most dramatic process-driven styles of mead.

Fortified Mead

Fortified meads are strengthened after fermentation.

• Sweetness preserved by stopping fermentation early
• Commercial fortification must use alcohol derived from mead itself
• Results in dessert-like, high-ABV meads

Freeze or Heat Distillation

Rather than adding alcohol, water is removed.

• Intensifies flavor and aroma
• Produces ice meads or meadshine styles
• Bold, concentrated expressions

These techniques represent the most adventurous styles of mead currently being explored.

Infographic Opportunity:
Insert Process Flow Infographic (Traditional → Bouchet → Fortified → Distilled)

Explore Mead Styles in the Glass

Understanding the styles of mead is one thing—tasting them is another. Sampling across categories is the best way to discover your personal preferences.

👉 Dive deeper into modern mead culture:
The Rise of Mead in the 21st Century

👉 Curious about brewing your own?
How to Make Mead at Home

Featured Mead: A Taste of Style in Action

If you’re looking for a delicious introduction to the sweeter, dessert-leaning side of mead, Golden Butter Bee Mead showcases how honey character and balance shape different styles of mead.

This mead highlights rich honey notes, smooth texture, and careful craftsmanship—perfect for anyone exploring how style influences flavor.

Ready to Explore Your Favorite Mead Style?

Now that you’ve seen the full spectrum, the next step is tasting across categories. Whether you’re drawn to fruit-forward melomels, spiced metheglins, or experimental styles of mead, there’s something for every palate.