Thanks to Terri at Liquid Alchemy, we are happy to share with this simple guide on the various kinds of mead;
Traditional or “Show” Mead
Traditional mead generally describes mead made only with hone, yeast and water. This is how the purists describe a traditional mead. The Mazer Cup, which is America’s mead competition, used a distinction made in some European mead competitions and designated the “Show” mead as a category in which no additional flavoring can be added.
Our Show mead is made with the finest Orange Blossom Honey producing wonderful, citrus notes.
Sack Mead is extra sweet
A sack mead is a strong, sweet mead achieved by adding extra honey creating more fermentable sugar — think of a late harvest ice wine or a barley wine. This can be the dessert wine of meads.
Mead fermented with fruits or spices
A Melomel is a mead fermented or flavored with fruit while a Metheglin is a mead that has been fermented or flavored with herbs and spices.
Hydromel Mead packs less of a punch
A Hydromel is typically a weaker mead. The majority of our meads range in similar range to that of grape wine — 10-13% ABV, a Hydromel would clock in about half that percentage. ABV less than 8-9% is considered a Hydromel for competition purposes.