1. Visit a local meadery

This is the best possible experience. Much like a winery or a craft brewery, a meadery tasting room is built specifically for people to explore. Mead is a highly regional product. Because it relies on local honey, the best mead in any area is likely made within 50 miles, with honey made by bees likely visiting the flowers in your own neighborhood.

  • Try a "Flight": most meaderies will offer a "flight" option to try a variety of options. Tasting side-by-side also allows you to see how the honey from different flowers—like Orange Blossom versus Buckwheat—creates entirely different flavors.

  • Get the backstory: The people behind the bar usually know exactly which flowers the bees visited and how the mead was made. It makes the whole experience a lot more personal.

While meaderies number far fewer than breweries or wineries, there are more than you'd think, and MeadTasting.com is intended to be the most up to date directory of meaderies in the United States and around the world. Find a meadery near you.

2. Seek out craft taprooms

If there isn't a meadery in your immediate neighborhood, look for bars that are known for their specialty selections rather than your run-of-the-mill stock. More and more are choosing to serve mead, especially if there's a local meadery nearby. It is a fantastic specialty offering that stands out as a unique alternative to the seemingly infinite sea of craft beer options.

  • Seek out the specialists: Look for craft beer bars or taprooms known for a curated selection. Even if they don't have a mead on tap the day you visit, the staff at these spots are often well-connected and can point you toward other local bars that might.
  • Check the "Specialty" Fridge: Many high-end bottle shops and bars keep a few cold meads in the fridge that you can buy to drink right there at the bar.

3. Check out festivals and Renaissance fairs

Sometimes the mead comes to you in a big way. Events are a fantastic opportunity to try several different brands at once without having to travel to each individual meadery.

  • Mead Festivals: These events are a gold mine because they bring dozens of different producers together in one place. It’s a great way to taste a huge variety in a single afternoon.

  • Renaissance Faires: These have been the "traditional" home of mead for a long time. While they’re a bit more theatrical, many faires now serve high-quality craft mead from local producers.

4. Visit a Honey House or Apiary

Some honey producers have their own tasting rooms where they serve mead alongside their raw honey. There is no better way to understand mead than to taste a spoonful of raw honey and then a glass of mead made from that same honey right next to it. It’s a great way to see how much the flower matters to the flavor.

Go Forth and Explore!

Finding mead is often as much about the journey as it is about the drink itself. Whether you are walking into a local tasting room for the first time, or a seasoned enjoyer seeking out new mead to try, we're happy to help you on your quest!