How to Drink Mead

Temperature, glass and serving size explained

You’ve been gifted a delicious bottle of mead and you’re now wondering, “how are you actually meant to drink mead?” You’re not alone.

Mead is one of the longest established tipples in history. While Hive Mind meads are designed for the modern drinker, the format of the drink does not fit neatly into our modern drinking habits. It isn’t beer, it isn’t wine, and it definitely isn’t something most people grew up seeing poured at the table (unless you have lived for hundreds of years, in which case, please tell us your secret.)

As a result, bottles can end up tucked away on the “open one day” shelf and quietly forgotten. This guide is here to fix that and to help you get stuck into your boozy nectar, whatever the moment and whatever the occasion. It is a clear, modern explanation of how to drink mead properly and enjoy it.

What Is Mead?

Mead is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey with water. That is the foundation. From there, everything depends on the honey, the fermentation, and how the mead is finished.

Hive Mind Traditional Mead is 14.5% ABV, placing it much closer in strength to fortified wines such as sherry or port than to table wine or beer. That detail matters, because it tells you how to approach drinking it.

What Is the Best Way to Drink Mead?

The best way to drink mead depends on its style and strength. Traditional meads are best approached slowly, in a smaller pour, with a bit of intention.

That said, meads are versatile. For example, Hive Mind sparkling mead cans sit at 3.4% ABV and are flavoured with fruit extracts. These are designed to be enjoyed by the can, much like a cider or beer. Wye Valley Traditional Mead, on the other hand, is still and sits at 14.5% ABV, where the fortified wine mindset is the right one.

How Much Mead Should You Pour?

In bars, Hive Mind Traditional Mead has historically been served as a 75ml (the equivalent of a UK triple) or a more indulgent 175ml measure.

This size works well because it gives you enough to explore the flavour, suits the alcohol level, and encourages sipping rather than rushing. 

At home, you can treat it exactly as you would a glass of port after dinner. One pour is often plenty. If you want another, it will be because you enjoyed it, not because you poured too much the first time.

What Glass Should You Use for Mead?

You don’t need specialist glassware to enjoy mead, but the best options reflect the level of ABV. For our Wye Valley Traditional Mead, these are:

• A sherry or port glass, which is ideal
• A small wine glass
• A tumbler for a more relaxed pour

The key is a glass that suits a slower drink. Traditional mead benefits from a moment in the glass, both for enjoying the honey aroma and for pacing.

What Temperature Should Mead Be Served At?

For traditional mead, aim for cool room temperature or lightly chilled.

If the bottle has been sitting on a shelf, twenty to thirty minutes in the fridge is perfect. You do not want it ice cold, as too much chill dulls the honey character. Think cellar cool rather than fridge cold white wine.

Can You Drink Mead Over Ice?

Yes, and you won’t offend anyone sensible by doing so.

Traditionally, mead is served neat and we’d recommend trying it that way first. That said, a single ice cube can soften the alcohol warmth and open it up, particularly if you prefer a gentler sip. As with most things worth drinking, personal preference beats rigid rules!

Having mead over ice adds an extra element of flavour as the cool liquid meets the warm. Different flavours from the honey appear at various temperatures. So if you do add ice, don’t leave it in the glass too long.

How Does Traditional Mead Taste?

A well made traditional mead should be rounded rather than sickly or syrupy, honey forward without being sticky, and warming but clean on the finish. Take a small sip, let it sit briefly, then swallow.

How to Drink Hive Mind Wye Valley Traditional Mead (14.5% ABV)

To bring it all together, here is the simplest starting point:

• Pour: 75ml
• Glass: sherry, port, or small wine glass
• Temperature: cool or lightly chilled
• Style: neat to start, ice optional
• Repeat: as necessary
• Sit: in your comfiest armchair
• Pair with: Good company, or cheese. Ideally both.

If you’re familiar with fortified wines, this will feel immediately intuitive.

Common Mead Drinking Mistakes

A few gentle pitfalls to avoid:

• Pouring a full large wine glass. It’s stronger than it looks! A large glass of mead would sit more sensibly at around 175ml, which is conventionally a small glass of wine.
• Serving it ice cold straight from the fridge, which strips out some of the honey flavour.
• Saving it endlessly for a “special occasion”. Mead doesn’t need special permission to be opened. 

Final Thought

Mead has been around for thousands of years and has appeared independently across countless cultures, from the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians to the Mayans and the Norse. It has endured throughout history precisely because it’s adaptable. It’s hard to believe that people separated by continents, climates, and centuries all drank mead in exactly the same way.

That is the point.

Mead rewards tradition and ritual, but it doesn’t demand them. It’s a decadent, real and authentic drink with history, depth, and a sense of occasion, but the conventions around it are yours to create. Whether you sip it quietly after a long day at work, share it with friends, or build your own small rituals around opening a bottle, there is no wrong way to enjoy it.

If you have had a bottle waiting since Christmas, that’s fine. Mead is patient.

Pour a sensible glass, take your time, see what you think.

That is how mead is meant to be drunk.

Cheers 🍯