Let me come out and say that I am a huge fan of mead. To give you a basic idea of what mead is, think of it as “honey wine.” While that may or may not be a gross simplification, that is indeed what it tastes like to me. Like wine, it is created through a process of fermentation, the difference being that mead is made by fermenting honey rather than grapes.
Unlike wine, mead goes down very easily, much like flavored rum. So I suppose I should warn you to be a bit cautious when choosing to imbibe this particular beverage. While it is easier to drink than your average wine, it also packs nearly twice the amount of alcoholic content.
With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s begin shall we? Below are a few mead recipes that piqued my interest, and indeed, I definitely plan on making a couple of these in the near future.
Note: these aren’t ranked, so don’t feel like the mead I have listed at #1 is inherently better than the one listed at #10.
1. Joe Mattioli’s Ancient Orange and Spice Mead
Ah, what better way to start off this list than with a mead made for the holidays?
This mead recipe calls for the use of all of your wintry favorites, like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Its creator suggests making a batch in April if you want it to be ready-to-drink in December, so now is the perfect time to whip up your own version!
Click here for the full recipe!
2. Sir Michael of York Mead
This mead has the distinction of being created by an expert in the brewing industry, so it’s a safe bet that you’ll like it.
What also caught my eye here is that this mead ages pretty quickly, at least in comparison to Joe Mattioli’s mead. Indeed, you can drink it about a month after first mixing the ingredients together.
As the source recipe notes, you need to place it in a refrigerated area as it ages, else the mixture can become “explosive.” Guess that’s why they made us all take chemistry in high school!
Click here for the full recipe!
3. Cyser Apple Mead
This recipe notes that “cyser” is a combination of honey and apple cider, which to me sounds like a match made in heaven. And, ironically enough, this just happens to be a drink that was supremely popular during Biblical times.
Click here for the full recipe!
4. Elderberry Mead
Elderberries are thought to have powerful medical effects, and have been known to be used in a variety of homemade cold and flu remedies.
The creator of this recipe states that the beneficial attributes of elderberries remain within the mead even after the brewing process, and thus you can drink this tasty creation whenever you feel like you are coming down with something nasty.
Click here for the full recipe!
5. Cherry Mead
We add cherries and cherry flavor to countless other beverages, so why not mead?
What’s great about this particular brew is that the ingredients required to make it are inexpensive and easily attainable. My suggestion would be to buy your cherries when they are cheap and in season. Then, make this mead, and you’ll have access to a cherry-based beverage that will last you until the fruit is in season again!
Click here for the full recipe!
6. Vanilla Bean Chamomile Mead
Vanilla lattes are incredibly popular amongst coffee lovers. If the flavor works so wonderfully with espresso, why not add it to mead? That’s exactly what this brilliant recipe allows you to do.
It’s made even better by the fact that it’s accompanied by chamomile, an ingredient you will often find in tea (it’s usually quite calming).
The creator of this recipe states that this mead “rolls over the tongue like a dream.” I’m afraid I can’t give it any better of an endorsement than that!
Click here for the full recipe!
7. Fire Mead
As the name would suggest, this mead is brewed using a variety of spicy, tongue-tingling ingredients.
If you’re a fan of foods that make your mouth burn, then this might be the alcoholic beverage for you, as it incorporates chili peppers to provide a nice kick.
Click here for the full recipe!
8. Classic Mead
I’ve listed a bunch of fanciful and flavorful mead recipes, but what if you just want to make some of the original, basic stuff? Don’t worry, I haven’t forgot about that!
This is a great mead to make if you’re just starting out as a home brewer. Once you’ve mastered something like this, it will be easy to try out all sorts of crazy flavor combinations.
What I also like about this recipe is that its creator wrote it with novices in mind, providing clear step-by-step instructions. This is a huge help if you have never brewed anything before.
Click here for the full recipe!
9. Blackberry Mead
According to the author of this recipe, blackberry mead is the perfect beverage to brew during the summer. This is mainly because summer is, depending on where you live, the season when you’ll be able to go out and pick your own blackberries.
Additionally, this mead is noted as being sweet, but not overly sweet. If you like balance in your brews then this one might be for you.
Click here for the full recipe!
10. Maple Mead
What happens when a mead-lover finds a bottle of maple syrup in their cupboards? They use it to create an entirely new kind of mead of course!
This one is for you pancake and waffle lovers. If you love the taste of maple syrup on your breakfast foodstuffs, this mead just might be the best drink you’ve ever tasted.
As the creator of this recipe notes, it can be a tad sweet. If you would like to change that, you can always cut down on the amount of honey you use.
Click here for the full recipe!
Conclusions
Hope you all enjoyed this list of magnificent mead recipes! Remember: mead is chock full of alcohol and it goes down easy, so pace yourself. Also, if you are just starting out, I highly suggest attempting the classic mead recipe first. It really lays out the brewing process in a straightforward and easy-to-grasp manner. Happy mead-making folks!
Have you tried brewing alcoholic beverages in the past? Were they successes? Tell us your stories in the comments below!
Featured photo credit: Mead/ Paul Joseph via flickr.com
