MEAD DEFINITION

Mead takes many forms and has a rich history of names. Mead definitions have come from many places. That was to be expected when a beverage has evolved on every continent since the beginning of time. This list will continue to grow as we discovery new mead definitions from history. Mead is older than written history, yet remains one of the last frontiers of our day. The definition of mead may never truly be pinned down but that is what makes it so exciting.

MEAD DEFINITIONS

Acerglyn: Fermented honey and maple syrup
Balche: A native Mexican version
Black Mead: A name often used for a blend of honey and black currants.
Bochet: The honey is caramelized or burned. Toffee, caramel, smoky, malty and toasted marshmallow flavors
Bochetomel: A Bochet with added fruit
Braggot: of Welsh origin (bragawd). Honey and Malt, with or without hops.
Capsicumel: flavored with chili peppers. Heat is determined by the mazer’s choice of peppers.
Chouchenn: A varietal from Brittany, FranceCyser: A blend of honey and apple juice fermented together; see also cider.
Dandaghare: from Nepal, combines honey with Himalayan herbs and spices. It has been brewed since 1972 in the city of Pokhara
Gverc or Medovina: Croatian mead prepared in Samobor and many other places. The word “gverc” or “gvirc’ is from the German “Gewürze” and refers to various spices added
Hydromel: Literally “water-honey” in Greek. It is also the French name for mead. It is also used as a name for a light or low-alcohol mead.
Medovina: Czech, Croatian, Serbian, Montenegrin, Bulgarian, Bosnian and Slovak for mead.
Melomel: Melomel is made from honey and any fruit. Depending on the fruit base used, certain melomels may also be known by more specific names like Cyser and Pyment.
Metheglin: The traditional name for mead when herbs or spices are added.
Morat: honey and mulberries.
Myod: Traditional Russian mead, also see medovukha.
Omphacomel: A medieval mead recipe that blends honey with verjuice; making this a type of pyment
Oxymel: honey with vinegar
Pitarrilla: Mayan drink made from a fermented mixture of wild honey, balché-tree bark and fresh water
PymentPyment: Pyment blends honey and red or white grapes
Rhodomel: honey and roses. Can include rose petals, rose hips and rose attar
Sima: Finnish variety, low alcohol and traditionally for the Vappu festival
Tej: Ethiopian variety with gesho added, which imparts bitterness