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Mead styles

Mead styles are the recognised categories of mead defined by what is fermented alongside the honey — including melomel (fruit), metheglin (spices or herbs), pyment (grapes), cyser (apples), braggot (malt) and barrel-aged mead.

Why it matters

Style names tell you what fermented alongside the honey, which is the single most useful thing to know before you pour.

What it does not mean

Style is not a sweetness level and not a quality grade. A melomel can be bone dry.

Structural model

How the category is structured

Mead styles and what ferments with the honey
Style	Fermented with
Melomel	Fruit
Metheglin	Spices or herbs
Pyment	Grapes
Cyser	Apples
Braggot	Malt
Barrel aged	Rested in oak

How it is made, and how to tell

The addition goes in before or during fermentation, so it ferments with the honey rather than being blended in afterwards.

Related terms

Provenance

Written by Australian Bee Products, beekeepers and meadmakers at 400 Mount Stirling Road, Thorndale QLD. Definitions describe production and flavour only — we make no health, medicinal or therapeutic claims.

Version 1.0 · reviewed August 2026