Beyond the Horn: Mead Mixology & Pairings for the Bold Drinker
Mead Mixology
At Vinland Meads, we’ll be the first to say that mead stands tall all on its own. But for those who like to experiment, mead is also one of the most versatile ingredients you can bring to your bar. With its honey backbone, bold fruit, and spice-driven styles, it can play the role of base spirit, modifier, or accent—depending on the drink and the strength of the mead.
Because our meads clock in at 16% ABV, they sit comfortably in the “sipping strength” range—closer to a fine port or brandy than beer or wine—which means they can hold their own in mixed drinks without losing their unique character.
MIX IT!!!
“Vinland Meads Harvest Blackberry Mead is a perfect MELOMEL that Mixes well with everything!”
Why Mix Mead?
Dry meads behave like crisp wines or ciders—perfect in spritzers or light cocktails.
Sweet meads can step in for dessert liqueurs, adding depth without cloying syrupiness.
Spiced meads work like infused syrups, adding complexity without extra sugar.
Mead can be:
The base spirit – for bold, high-ABV meads like ours.
A modifier – in medium ABV or blended styles.
A flavor accent – in sparkling hydromels or light session meads.
Classic-Style Mead Cocktails
Mead Mule (Hydromel or Light Melomel)
3 oz chilled mead ( or Vinland Meads - Harvest - Blackberry Mead)
2 oz ginger beer
½ oz fresh lime juice
Ice, lime wedge garnish
Fill a copper mug with ice. Add mead and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir.
Mead Sangria (Fruit Melomel)
1 bottle chilled berry or citrus melomel (or Vinland Meads - Crimson Dusk - Black cherry Mead)
½ cup brandy
¼ cup honey syrup (1:1 honey to water)
Fresh sliced fruit (orange, lemon, berries)
Sparkling water
Combine mead, brandy, honey syrup, and fruit in a pitcher. Chill 2–4 hours. Top with sparkling water before serving.
Highland Royale (Sack Mead) ( Any of Vinland Meads Mead)
2 oz chilled sack mead
2 oz Champagne or sparkling wine
Lemon twist garnish
Pour sack mead into a flute, top with Champagne, garnish with lemon twist.
Hot Viking Toddy (Spiced Metheglin) (or Vinland Meads - Vixon - Cinnamon Mead)
4 oz warmed metheglin
1 oz rye or Scotch whisky
½ oz honey syrup
Lemon wheel, cinnamon stick garnish
Warm mead gently, add whisky and honey syrup. Pour into mug, garnish with lemon and cinnamon.Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Modern Craft Mead Cocktails
Golden Hive Margarita (Cyser)
2 oz cyser
1 oz tequila reposado
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz triple sec
Honey-salt rim
Rim glass, shake all ingredients with ice, strain into rocks glass.
Smoky Bochet Old Fashioned (Bochet)
1 oz bochet
1 oz bourbon
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Orange peel garnish
Stir over ice, strain into rocks glass with large ice cube, garnish.
Mead Collins (Dry Traditional)
2 oz dry mead
1 oz gin
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz honey syrup
Club soda
Shake with ice, strain into tall glass, top with club soda.
Alcohol Pairing Guide
Mead & Whisky
Spiced Metheglin + Rye – Warming, peppery, and complex.
Bochet + Peated Scotch – Toffee and smoke in harmony.
Mead & Brandy
Sack Mead + Cognac – Rich and dessert-like.
Berry Melomel + Armagnac – Fruit depth meets warm oak.
Mead & Beer (Braggots)
Dry Traditional + IPA – Floral hops and honey balance.
Bochet + Stout – Coffee, chocolate, caramel layers.
Mead & Wine
Cyser + Dry White – Crisp, refreshing aperitif.
Pyment + Sparkling Wine – Elegant and celebratory.
Whether you sip it neat, shake it into something new, or pair it with a favorite spirit, mead rewards curiosity. And with Vinland Meads’ bold ABV, rich honey character, and natural ingredients, every experiment starts with a solid foundation.
Raise a horn, mix a glass, and make the oldest drink in the world part of your modern cocktail craft.
Our Heritage Mead is a prime example of a traditional mead done right!
