Mead Cocktail Recipes
- Apr 26, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 19
Mead is an excellent choice for mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts for several reasons, making it a standout mixer in today's craft cocktail scene.
Why Mead Makes an Exceptional Cocktail Ingredient
1. Natural Sweetness
Mead's primary ingredient is honey, which not only provides a natural sweetness but also adds a depth of flavor that can't be replicated with artificial sweeteners or syrups. This allows bartenders to create more nuanced and sophisticated flavor profiles in their cocktails.
2. Versatility
Mead comes in various styles, from dry to sweet, still to sparkling, and even flavored with fruits, spices, or herbs. This range makes it incredibly versatile for mixing with different spirits and ingredients, allowing for endless creativity in cocktail design.
3. It's a Healthier Option
Compared to many commercial mixers that contain high fructose corn syrup or artificial additives, mead is a healthier choice. It is typically gluten-free, has no added sugars if made traditionally, and the natural fermentation process can enrich it with probiotics.
4. Unique Selling Points
Bars specializing in mixology can leverage mead as a unique selling point. As mead is less common than other mixers, it can attract customers looking for new and unique drinking experiences, setting a bar apart from competitors.
5. Sustainability Many meaderies source their honey from local beekeepers, which supports local agriculture and promotes sustainability. Using local and sustainably sourced ingredients is increasingly important to consumers, making mead an attractive option for eco-conscious patrons.
By incorporating mead into their offerings, bars and mixologists not only enhance the complexity and appeal of their cocktails but also cater to a growing segment of consumers seeking artisanal, natural, and sustainably produced drinking options. This positions mead as a top choice for those looking to elevate their cocktail experience both at home and in specialized bars.
Mead, a traditional honey-based beverage, is finding new life in the cocktail scene, appealing to modern palates with its natural sweetness and versatility. Here are some innovative ways to integrate mead into cocktails using various spirits:
Mead & Whisky Cocktails
Blackberry Mead-Fashioned
A fresh take on the classic Old Fashioned, combining mead's sweetness with the robust flavor of bourbon and fresh blackberries.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey (rye will give more spice to balance the sweetness)
1 oz blackberry mead (semi-sweet works best)
1/4 oz rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water) — adjust to taste depending on your mead’s sweetness
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters (optional, but brightens the blackberry notes)
Orange peel for garnish
Fresh blackberry for garnish (optional)
Honey Bourbon Sparkler
Mix sparkling mead with bourbon and a dash of bitters for a refreshing twist.
Ingredients (per glass)
1.5 oz bourbon (a smooth, honey-forward bourbon works best)
4 oz sparkling mead (chilled — preferably a honey-focused variety, like traditional or semi-sweet)
2 dashes Angostura bitters (or orange bitters for a brighter twist)
Lemon twist, fresh mint sprig, orange twist or lemon wheel for garnish
Mead Whiskey Sour
Traditional whiskey sour ingredients blended with mead instead of simple syrup for added depth.
Ingredients (per glass)
Instructions
Prepare your shaker: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add ingredients: Pour in whiskey, mead, lemon juice, and bitters (plus honey syrup if your mead isn’t very sweet).
Shake: Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until well chilled.
Serve: Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube, or into a chilled coupe glass for an up-style presentation.
Garnish: Add a lemon wheel or a cherry on a cocktail pick.
Mead and Gin Cocktails
Negroni Mead Cocktail
Mead replaces some of the sweet vermouth, adding a honeyed sweetness to the gin and Campari mix.
Ingredients (per glass)
1 oz gin (a bold London Dry works best to stand up to the sweetness)
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3/4 oz mead
1 oz Campari
Ice
Orange peel for garnish
Bee's Knees
A classic gin cocktail with lemon and honey, using mead to amplify the honey flavor.
Ingredients (per glass)
1.5 oz gin (London Dry for crispness, or a floral gin for a softer profile)
1 oz mead (traditional, blueberry or apple)
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz honey syrup (2:1 honey to water — optional, depending on the sweetness of your mead)
Ice
Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
Prepare honey syrup (if using). Stir together 2 parts honey and 1 part hot water until dissolved. Let cool.
Shake in a cocktail shaker, combine gin, mead, lemon juice, and honey syrup (if desired for extra sweetness). Add ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until well chilled.
Serve: Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish: Express the oils from a lemon twist over the drink, run it around the rim, then drop it in.
Gin and Mead Martini
Stir gin with dry mead and a splash of dry vermouth for a botanical-rich martini variant.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz gin (London Dry for classic structure, or a botanical gin for more floral notes)
1 oz dry mead
1/4 oz dry vermouth
Ice
Lemon twist or thyme sprig for garnish
Mead and Vodka Cocktails
Mead Mule
A variation of the Moscow Mule, substituting mead for the ginger beer for a smoother, sweeter profile.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz vodka or light whiskey (vodka for classic, whiskey for more depth)
3 oz mead (traditional or blueberry mead)
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Ice
Lime wheel and fresh ginger slice for garnish
Optional:Â splash of soda water if you want extra fizz
Vodka Mead Lemonade
Vodka, mead, and lemonade combined for a refreshing summer drink.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz vodka
2 oz mead (traditional or fruity)
3 oz fresh lemonade
Ice
Lemon wheel or fresh mint for garnish
Berry Mead Vodka Spritz
Mix vodka with berry-flavored mead and a splash of soda water for a fruity, effervescent cocktail.
Ingredients (per glass)
1.5 oz vodka
3 oz berry-flavored mead (blueberry, blackberry, or mixed berries)
1 oz soda water or sparkling water
Ice
Fresh berries and a mint sprig for garnish
Mead and Tequila Cocktails
Meadarita
Replace some of the lime juice in a classic Margarita with mead, adding a unique sweetness that complements the tequila.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz tequila (blanco or reposado works best)
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz mead (traditional or blueberry)
1/2 oz orange liqueur (Cointreau or triple sec)
Ice
Salt for rimming (optional)
Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the glass: Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip it in salt (optional). Fill the glass with ice.
Shake in a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, lime juice, mead, and orange liqueur with ice. Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.
Serve: Strain into the prepared rocks glass over ice.
Garnish: Add a lime wheel for a classic presentation.
Tequila Mead Sunrise
Layer tequila, mead, and orange juice for a stunning visual and delicious twist on a Tequila Sunrise.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz tequila (blanco or reposado works best)
3 oz fresh orange juice
1 oz traditional mead
1/4 oz grenadine or 1 oz cherry mead
Ice
Orange slice and cherry for garnish
Instructions
Fill the glass: Use a tall highball or Collins glass and fill it with ice.
Add tequila and orange juice: Pour tequila and orange juice over the ice and stir gently to combine.
Layer the mead: Slowly pour the mead over the back of a spoon so it floats on top.
Add grenadine: Slowly drizzle grenadine down the side of the glass. It will sink and create a sunrise gradient.
Garnish: Add an orange slice and a cherry on the rim for presentation.
Agave Mead Paloma
Mix grapefruit juice, mead, tequila, and a splash of soda for a honeyed version of the Paloma.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz tequila (blanco works best)
1 oz mead (semi-sweet or honey-forward)
3 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz lime juice (optional, for extra brightness)
Splash of soda water or sparkling water
Ice
Salt for rimming (optional)
Grapefruit wedge for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the glass: Rub a grapefruit or lime wedge around the rim of a highball glass and dip in salt (optional). Fill the glass with ice.
Mix ingredients: In the glass, combine tequila, mead, grapefruit juice, and lime juice if using. Stir gently.
Add fizz: Top with a splash of soda water to add light effervescence.
Garnish: Add a grapefruit wedge or twist for aroma and presentation.
Mead and Mezcal Cocktails
Mead-Mezcal Margarita
Combine Mezcal, mead, lime juice, and orange liqueur. Served over ice with a salt rim.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz mezcal (for a smoky backbone)
1 oz traditional meadÂ
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz orange liqueur (Cointreau or triple sec)
Ice
Salt for rimming
Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the glass: Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip in salt. Fill the glass with ice.
Shake: In a cocktail shaker, combine mezcal, mead, lime juice, and orange liqueur with ice. Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.
Serve: Strain into the prepared glass over ice.
Garnish: Add a lime wheel for a classic presentation.
Smoky Mead Sour
Mezcal, lemon juice, and a splash of mead shaken with egg white for a smoky sour cocktail.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz mezcal
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2–3/4 oz mead (semi-sweet or traditional)
1 egg white (or aquafaba for a vegan version)
Ice
Angostura bitters for garnish (optional)
Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
Dry shake: In a cocktail shaker, combine mezcal, lemon juice, mead, and egg white without ice. Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to emulsify and create froth.
Shake with ice: Add ice to the shaker and shake again for 10–12 seconds until chilled.
Serve: Strain into a chilled rocks glass or coupe glass.
Garnish: Optional: add a few drops of Angostura bitters on top of the foam and swirl with a toothpick for visual appeal. Add a lemon twist for aroma.
Honeyed Mezcal Old Fashioned
Mezcal stirred with a touch of mead and Angostura bitters for a smoky-sweet Old Fashioned twist.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz mezcal
1/2 oz mead
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ice
Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the glass: Place a large ice cube in a rocks glass.
Mix: In a mixing glass, combine mezcal, mead, and bitters with ice. Stir gently for 20–30 seconds until chilled and slightly diluted.
Serve: Strain into the rocks glass over the ice cube.
Garnish: Express the oils of an orange peel over the drink, rub it around the rim, and drop it in.
Honeyed Mezcalita
A fusion of mezcal, mead, lime juice, and triple sec, served in a chili-salt-rimmed glass.
Ingredients (per glass)
2 oz mezcal
1 oz mead (traditional or fruit mead)
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz triple sec or Cointreau
Ice
Chili salt for rimming
Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the glass: Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks or Margarita glass and dip in chili-salt. Fill the glass with ice.
Shake: In a cocktail shaker, combine mezcal, mead, lime juice, and triple sec with ice. Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.
Serve: Strain into the prepared glass over ice.
Garnish: Add a lime wheel for a classic presentation.
These recipes show mead's adaptability and how it can enhance cocktails with its natural, subtle sweetness, making it an excellent choice for creative mixology.
Author: Isaac Pruna, Mead Maker, founder of Valkyrie's Kiss Mead