Is Mead a Beer or a Wine?

It’s neither.

Mead is like a kissing-cousin to beer. Both of them are brewed and fermented in a similar way, more so than wine. But like wine and beer, mead exists in it’s own category. BUT, it is more akin to beer than wine because of it’s consistency and habits. Unlike wine, good mead is intended to be fairly consistent, from season-to-season, unlike wine which dramatically changes by vintage.

At the core, beer and mead (and cider for that matter) are brewed and fermented. Unlike wine, which really doesn’t include a brewing process.

We also seem to share many of the sensibilities of the beer fan. We think of it as an alternative to beer, when you want something very different. While we really appreciate wine, it’s just not our vibe. Wine, unlike beer, has wild variations in quality and price that make it more of an experiential product than a true consumer-friendly drink. It is very difficult for the average fan to distinguish a $20 bottle of wine from a $75 bottle of wine. It makes it difficult to know, without guidance, if it’s a “good” wine.

Mead, by comparison, is fairly economical and easily approachable for the average person. Like beer! A GOOD mead will be priced in the $20-30 range. Most of that cost is associated with the high expense of honey. It’s a mercurial agricultural product and not as accessible as, say, hops. We also appreciate the simplicity of mead with no additives. Some fans don’t respond well to the sulfites added to wine, defeating the point of drinking something purely for pleasure. Typically, craft beer and mead are both very natural, using organic ingredients which can be made the same way, every time.

We like to think of mead as beer-adjacent. Like ciders, mead becomes a favorite of the casual consumer who just wants to enjoy something without the baggage of having to learn waaaay too much about what they are trying.

You should know what you’re drinking, what went into it and what you can expect. it’s one of the reasons we keep our ingredient list simple, with pronounceable words. if it’s a blueberry mead, you know it’s brewed with blueberries. No weird, or concocted ingredients have been added.

So, next time someone asks you what mead is, you can certainly call it “honeywine,” but it’s the non-pretentious, easily enjoyed version of wine. And remind them this was the first alcohol known to humans!