Homemade mead (honey wine) is probably one of my favorite fermented beverages to make. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to produce your own tasty homebrew. I put together this awesome list of easy mead recipes so that you can have access to all of them in one place!
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Mead Making for Beginners Ebook
If you want to learn more about making mead, I have a Simple Mead Making for Beginners eBook just for you!
It has ingredient and equipment checklists and detailed instructions for brewing and bottling your mead. Be sure to check it out if you’re new to the mead making process and want a more detailed guide!
Getting Started with Mead Making
Before you begin making mead you will need to get some special ingredients and equipment. Don’t worry, nothing is too expensive and the equipment can be reused to make more mead later on!
I also want to talk about mead terminology. Technically mead is just honey, water, and yeast.
When fruit is added it is called a melomel, which is what many of the following recipes are. I still like to call them mead to keep it simple, though.
Likewise, mead made with herbs, spices, and flowers is called metheglin, and mead made with maple syrup is an acerglyn.
You can also make cyser, which is mead made with apple cider instead of water. So many choices!
15 Easy Mead Recipes for Beginners
Simple Mead Recipe (one gallon)
I’m starting with this one because it is the most basic one gallon of mead recipe that I have and it explains all of the steps in detail.
If you are new to making mead I would read this recipe first as it is the basis for most of the other recipes here.
Simple Mead Recipe (five gallons)
If you want to make five gallons of mead, then this is the recipe to follow.
The basics are the same as the one gallon recipe, but it is scaled for five gallons and is brewed in a fermenting bucket rather than a one gallon jug.
Bottling five gallons of mead is a bit different than one gallon, so I have instructions on how to do that as well.
Strawberry Mead
Similar to blackberry mead, this strawberry mead is also super yummy!
I like making it in the springtime when strawberries are abundant. It would be extra delicious with the addition of some fresh mint leaves!
Blackberry Mead
Blackberry mead is one of my most favorite mead recipes.
It’s a simple and delicious way to use up all of your foraged blackberries!
Elderberry Mead
I use a bit of a different process than normal to make this elderberry mead, but it still has an excellent result!
I love how it turns a dark purple color and is reminiscent of a dry red wine. It’s perfect to make in the fall with all of your foraged elderberries!
Lilac Mead
This lilac mead is perfect to make in springtime when lilacs are in season!
It’s a delicious floral treat that you will love.
Vanilla Bean and Chamomile Mead
Oh my, I love anything made with chamomile, and this vanilla bean and chamomile mead from Pixie’s Pocket sounds extra wonderful!
Dandelion Mead
This dandelion mead recipe is a favorite of mine in the springtime when dandelions are everywhere! Just be sure that you are foraging in areas that aren’t sprayed.
This is a delicate tasting mead that lets the sunshine flavor of the dandelion petals come through!
Hawthorn and Rose Hip Mead
I’ve heard that rose hips are a great addition to mead, and hawthorn berries have multiple health benefits.
This hawthorn and rose hip mead would be perfect to make in the fall to drink later in the winter!
Maple Mead
This maple mead recipe (acerglyn) is awesome because it replaces part of the honey with pure maple syrup.
It is great to make in the wintertime for drinking in spring!
Elderflower Sparkling Mead
This elderflower sparkling mead is perfect to make in the summertime when elderflowers are abundant.
It is a sparkling mead that uses less honey so therefore has a slightly lower alcohol content than most of my other mead recipes.
Wildflower Mead
Along the same lines as the dandelion or elderflower mead is this amazing wildflower mead!
It uses a mixture of dandelion petals, lavender blossoms, and yarrow flowers. I was afraid that the yarrow would make it bitter, but it actually turned out wonderful!
Wild Rose Petal Mead
Now this wild rose petal mead sounds right up my alley!
I have never brewed mead with rose petals (yet) but it is definitely something that I need to try. I’m sure it’s amazing!
Cyser (mead made with apple cider)
I would love to made a spiced cyser someday as it sounds so delicious and festive!
Make it in the fall with freshly pressed apple juice and you won’t regret it!
Rhubarb Mead
This recipe for rhubarb mead sounds lovely, and it’s a little different because it’s made in a small batch using only a quart sized jar!
This is perfect for the absolute beginner who wants to start small.
Well there you have it, 15 awesome mead recipes for beginners that you can make today!
Happy mead making!
What GREAT recipes. I’ve never made mead but this site and the recipes have inspired me to give it a try. It helps that I already have most of the equipment from fermenting other things. It’s Fall here in New York and the apples are nice and ripe. I assume you can add apples to the honey mixture. How many apples would you add to a 1 gallon recipe?
Hi Ben. Thanks for your kind words about my recipes. To answer your question, it really depends on the apples and their flavors. You may have to experiment to find a ratio that works for your mead.
I am making my first Meade and there are so many different kinds of champagne yeast. Which one is best?
I typically use this brand: Red Star Champagne Yeast
For mead, because of its delicate flavor, Lalvin EC1116 is best. It’s also a reliable champagne yeast that kills other pathogens, and it ferments dry. So any sweetness you want would be added once fermentation is complete.
Hello, i love your website, i always find out new ideas and things to try!
Today i was looking for a rose hip mead recipe, have your ever tried?
Hi there. No, I’m sorry, I’ve never made mead with rose hips, but I’m sure it would be good!
I am making my first mead. Can I use grapes.
Hi Violet, yes, you can use grapes. A grape mead is a called a pyment and there are tons of recipes for them all over the internet.
Concord, or wild grapes are really good. The mead smells like grape candy…otherwise if you can get a hold of Shiraz or Zinfandel grapes, you would get a nice fruity profile to your mead. You can also experiment with darker honeys with red grapes, for a heftier flavor. Goldenrod makes a lovely mead with earthy caramel notes.
Was looking for a wassail recipe to make and gift to my coven this year, the one on this page is perfect! Thank you so much for compiling and posting all of these here!
You’re welcome. I”m so glad you found what you were looking for!
What is the best way to store the mead after fermentation?
Mead will not go bad if kept in a sealed jar or carboy. I have meads that have aged for 20 years and they are still very good! Melomels will lose some of their brightness over time, but the honey notes stay…metheglins will also mellow nicely over time. If you want your meads to last a looong time, you can fortify them with brandy or another stronger alcohol. I have a rose petal mead from 1991 that is still delicious. It tastes more like a sherry now.
Made a batch of chocolate mead-best yet
Fresh roasted /rough chopped cocoa nibs and a couple vanilla beans
Takes a LONG time to clear-think 6 months to 1 year
But its our all time favorite mead
You can also get the chocolate and vanilla flavour by making a tincture with vodka first…then you add the tincture to the mead after fermentation. You can even use the cocoa husks…they have a strong aroma that persists, without the fatty foam that sits forever in your mixture.
Hiya! I just started dehydrating fruits and juiced a whole watermelon for it’s pulp to make fruit leathers. I have 2 quarts of watermelon juice in the fridge. Can I make this in to a meade or do I need the whole fruit?
I am assuming mead has alcohol in it. How much?
Depending on the amount of honey and the type of yeast, 10 – 18%
You can use beer yeast and less honey if you want lower alcohol. It will poop out at around 6-8 percent.
From the first time I tried Mead at a Cidery, I was hooked.
I am a Cinnamon junky, and would love to have a recipe for a Apple/Cinnamon Mead
You can follow the cyber recipe and add cinnamon to the brew, or if you want a fresher cinnamon note, make a small tincture of cinnamon steeped in vodka or brandy first, then add this to the brew, to taste, once it’s completely fermented.
I also made a coconut mead. Fresh coconut water with honey.