Meaderies

Meaderies are facilities that produce mead, an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water and often additional fermentable ingredients. The simplest mead, or traditional mead, uses honey, water, and yeast, while many meaderies produce specialty variants such as melomel (honey with fruit), metheglin (spiced or herbal), cyser (with apple or cider), pyment (with grape), and braggot (with malt).

Production begins with diluting honey into water to form the must. Nutrients and yeast are added to support fermentation. Yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. After primary fermentation, the mead may be aged in stainless steel or oak and may be carbonated or still. Clarification and filtration are used for some products, and some meaderies age blends or single-harvest vintages for additional depth.

Meaderies range from small craft operations with tasting rooms to larger production facilities. They often source honey locally and may emphasize sustainable beekeeping and seasonal ingredients. Many meaderies operate on-site taprooms, offer tours, and distribute locally or regionally, with some exporting internationally.

Historically, mead is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages, with evidence across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its modern revival has grown since the late 20th and early 21st centuries, led by artisanal producers in North America and Europe.

Regulation and labeling vary by jurisdiction; in some countries, mead is treated as wine or a beer-like beverage, affecting taxation and labeling requirements. The term meadery denotes the production facility rather than a brand, and products are often named to reflect their style (traditional, melomel, metheglin, cyser, pyment, braggot).