A lot of people seem to believe that mead (also known as honey wine) is an expensive beverage compared to other alcohol on the market like beer or cider. Is mead expensive? Read on to find out! (...Why do people need to write that?)
First, what is mead?
Mead is any alcoholic beverage where the primary sugar source (also known as "fermentable") comes from honey. Generally speaking, mead falls into three categories: Craft mead, honey wine, and strong mead.
Craft mead is just what it sounds like, a mead that drinks like a craft beer or a craft cider. Craft meads are usually dry and sometimes have other flavors like fruit or spices. They can also be 100% honey like our classic mead Valkyrie's Choice. We have a longer article about the definition of craft mead if you'd like to learn more.
Honey wine is also what it sounds like, a mead that is much more wine-like. They tend to be clarified and come in wine bottles. We don't really make anything that falls into this class, but some people might include Bragi in that category even though it isn't clarified. (Incidentally, we don't clarify or filter any of our meads.)
Strong meads are similar to honey wines, but they're, well, stronger. They have higher alcohol content and more intense flavors whether those flavors come just from the honey or from fruit or spices. That's what you'd find in our Ancient Collection.
Is mead expensive to make?
If you've seen the price of honey at the grocery store recently, you might think that mead is a particularly expensive beverage to brew. While the primary ingredient, honey, is obviously much more expensive than the grain that makes beer, you need far less equipment and energy in order to brew with it.
Once it's in the fermenter, craft mead takes the same amount of time to be ready to package as beer, so unlike a wine, you're not forced to sit on the product for months or even years before you drink it.
Most people don't realize it, but the most expensive thing in your hand when you're holding a can of craft beer is often the can, label, case, and all of the rest of the packaging, not the beer itself.
Valkyrie's Choice Classic Craft Mead by Groennfell
$19.99
Valkyrie’s Choice is the Original Craft Mead. Based on Viking-era ceremonial meads, Valkyrie’s Choice is fermented completely dry and comes in at an outrageously drinkable 6.9% abv. Like a Valkyrie, this drink is both beautiful and powerful, a beverage worthy… read more
Is mead expensive to buy?
Because it's brewed so much like craft beer, craft mead is usually priced right in-line with what you'd expect to pay for a craft beer. That said, with our meads at least, you have the added advantage that it can be shipped right to your home in most of the United States!
In a similar vein, our strong meads are priced similarly to a good, local wine since they take longer to brew and require much more honey to get to the higher alcohol levels.
Where did the rumor come from that mead was so expensive?
Good question.
The answer is that some meads on the market are extremely expensive, topping $100 per bottle. The fact that there are innumerable wines in this price category doesn't give wine the same reputation. That's because there are also vastly more extremely affordable wines on the market.
When the modern mead movement really got going in the 90s, most of what was available was on the very expensive end of the spectrum. It wasn't until nearly two decades later that craft mead really hit the scene.
What if I want to make mead myself instead of buying it?
Good news! We're an Open Source company and all of our recipes are free online!
What if I want to just buy some mead to try?
We sell several different sampler packs so you can try a whole variety. You can check them out over here.
Well, we hope this clears up the myth that mead is expensive. It should be pretty easy to Google and compare, but since so few bars and restaurants are carrying mead these days, most people haven't gotten to see beer and mead side-by-side on a menu.
So, now you know that you can enjoy a pint of mead without having to dip into your 401(k)!
Old Wayfarer Oaked Amber Mead by Groennfell
$19.99
Brewed with a custom blend of amber honey, dark natural sugars, and German brewer’s yeast, all aged on toasted oak, Old Wayfarer is a complex beverage with notes of Bourbon, molasses, and spice.Fans of Old Wayfarer, you will find that… read more
