Mead Alcohol Content (ABV), Like Beer, Varies Widely

Like many consumers, you may make your beverage choice based on alcohol content, whether that be lower so you can have a bit more or stronger so you can, well, you know.

You will see the term ABV used when describing alcohol content. ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume. This means if you drink a 15% ABV mead, then that mead is 15% pure ethanol. ABV and “alcohol content” are often used interchangeably.

If you are a mead drinker or potential mead drinker, you may be wondering what options you have with mead alcohol content? While mead has previously been made commercially on the high end more closely with the alcohol content of wine(10%+ ABV), a new wave of lighter mead is finding their way onto the market, some as low as 3% ABV, which puts mead right in competition with big name hard seltzer, light beers, or kombucha.

BJCP guidelines break up mead into three categories based on alcohol content: hydromel (3.5-7.5%), standard (7.5-14%), and sack (14-18%).

What Gives Mead Its Alcohol Content?

Like all fermented beverages, mead gets alcohol from yeast metabolizing sugar into ethanol. For beer, that sugar comes from grain. For wine, it comes from grape juice. In mead, the sugar comes from honey. Since honey does not naturally ferment due to its low water content, meadmakers dilute honey to a desired sugar concentration for fermentation. Controlling the starting sugar concentration is one of several stages in the meadmaking process where meadmakers determine the potential alcohol content of a final mead.

Mead is not considered a liquor since the alcohol is not a distilled spirit, even if it has a high ABV.

What do low alcohol content meads taste like?

Lower alcohol meads, called “hydromels” by the BJCP, are 3.5%-7.5% ABV. “Hydro” means “water” and “mel” means “honey.” You may also hear these meads called “session meads” or “seltzer style meads.” The mead industry has struggled with relatable terms for the general public, which is why you see terms borrowed from beer and wine communities.

The challenge of lower alcohol content meads is flavor. Many honey varieties, even very robustly flavored honeys, become fairly dilute in flavor at sugar concentrations needed to make a mead in the hydromel category, particularly at the lower end. These meads are typically more like hard seltzer in style, particularly if they have been carbonated. Some sweet hydromels, meaning more residual sugar in the final mead, impart additional flavor. Meadmakers also utilize fruit in these meads for added body and flavor.

In our opinion, low alcohol mead tastes best served chilled, preferably carbonated, and on a hot day. Our mead repertoire contains many lower alcohol content meads, typically in the 4-7.5% range. We love how light and refreshing they are. We think they could compete with your favorite hard seltzer any day. Check out our BZZ Liquid Gold line of low ABV meads.

What do high alcohol content meads taste like?

Higher alcohol content meads, either in the high end of “standard” or “sack,” as categorized by the BJCP, are more intensely flavored. Why? More alcohol means more honey was used in the fermentation process and more honey means more flavor esters from the honey pass into the final product.

The challenge of higher alcohol content meads is balancing alcohol and sugar on the pallete. Many higher alcohol meads are very sweet, which makes them perfect for an after dinner sip but can become overwhelming (and pricey) if you want a full glass.

The best time to drink a high ABV mead is highly dependent on the actual mead itself. You will need to experiment around with different styles to determine what you like best. Don’t like one? That’s perfectly OK. There are many more meads out there that we know you will love.

Can you make REALLY high alcohol mead?

Yes! Since mead falls into the “winery” designation in the United States, the alcohol limits actually go all the way up to 24% ABV! Most yeasts are unable to ferment mead must mixtures to that level due to the high level of starting sugar and the high alcohol content towards the completion. But, there are a few that are able to do that. We are currently experimenting with this style of mead and yeasts to create new cocktail-strength meads for those that want an extra touch of class. Stay tuned for our discoveries here.