Mead is having a moment on the cocktail scene. Never heard of it or think it's an ancient ingredient for times past? Think again! While it's one of the oldest forms of alcohol, mead (a sweet honey wine that packs a punch) is surprisingly modern. Mead makes a yummy cocktail. So if you're into modern drinks with historic ingredients, try mead cocktails; dive right in and be the first among your friends to sample any of these recipes. Mead cocktails make everything old new again.
Ransom Note Martini
Invented in the famed Gramercy Tavern in New York City, just a blow away from Gramercy Park, indulge yourself in a gin and mead martini. But respect the sip; otherwise, you'll be napping under a nearby tree.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounce honey mead
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce honey syrup
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instruction
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, honey mead, lemon juice, and honey syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Blackberry Mead Old-Fashioned
If you can't readily find blackberry mead, go ahead and muddle a quarter cup of fresh blackberries or infuse your whiskey with blackberries, although you'll need a little bit of patience while it infuses. If you want more traditional old-fashioned, use traditional honey mead.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce blackberry mead
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters
- 3-4 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Blackberries for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, bourbon, blackberry mead, simple syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with blackberries.
Muddled Blueberry Garden
Indulge yourself in your bounty of blueberries, whether foraged for yourself in a bush or at the grocery store, with this light and refreshing mead cocktail. Feel free to swap the vodka for gin if that speaks to your soul.
Ingredients
- 10-15 fresh blueberries
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce mead
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Mint sprig and lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle blueberries with simple syrup.
- Add ice, vodka, lime juice, and mead.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with mint sprig and lime wedge.
Mead in the Shade
You'll have it made with some mead in the shade with a peachy twist--nature's favorite stone fruit.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces peach vodka
- 1 ounce honey mead
- 4 ounces sweet tea
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 dashes peach bitters
- Ice
- Peach wedge(s) for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, peach vodka, honey mead, sweet tea, lemon juice, and peach bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with peach wedge.
Mead-ing for Lemonade
Pair your mead in the shade with a tart but, as always, cold and refreshing glass of lemonade. With this cocktail, you're all set to have the perfect afternoon with a whisper of gin and some ice.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1½ ounces honey mead
- ¾ ounce elderflower liqueur
- Ice
- Lemonade to top off
- Lemon wheel and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, honey mead, and elderflower liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with lemonade.
- Garnish with lemon wheel and mint sprig.
Berry Meaderita
If you thought you couldn't add mead to a margarita, think again, but this time with delight and surprise. A little extra booze, a little extra sweetness, now isn't that what you've been looking for all along?
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces silver tequila
- 1 ounce mead
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce raspberry liqueur
- Ice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, mead, lime juice, orange liqueur, and raspberry liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lime wheel.
I Mead Love
A Valentine's Day brunch drink or a sinister red cocktail at Halloween, a little fizz and some mead will cover every day of the year.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce mead
- ¼ ounce strawberry liqueur
- Prosecco to top off
- Strawberry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute or coupe.
- In chilled glass, add mead and strawberry liqueur.
- Top off with prosecco.
- Garnish with strawberry.
Honey Mead Sangria
Craft the absolute perfect summer or fall sangria with honey mead. Or enjoy this in the winter by the fireplace or as you admire your freshly planted flowers in the spring. Cocktails don't have rules.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- 2 ounces honey mead
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce peach nectar
- ¼ ounce cranberry juice
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Strawberry slice and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, pinot grigio, honey mead, lemon juice, peach nectar. and cranberry juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks or wine glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with strawberry slice and mint sprig.
Mead Coconut Colada
You may think mead is for cold weather sipping by the fire or curled up under blankets on the couch -- and you're right. But it's also a way to create a new twist on a classic summer drink: the piña colada.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces mead
- 1½ ounces silver pineapple rum
- 3 ounces coconut water
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, mead, pineapple rum, coconut water, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lime wheel.
Mead Highball
Take it easy when you're mixing up a mead cocktail by turning to a trusty and reliable favorite: the highball.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces honey mead
- Ice
- Ginger ale to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice and mead.
- Top off with ginger ale.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Honey Pot
A little bit of crisp, rich apple flavors, sweet, luscious honey, and a splash of rum round out this heavenly cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces spiced rum
- 1½ ounces honey mead
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce cinnamon liqueur
- 5 ounces apple cider
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, spiced rum, honey mead, lemon juice, cinnamon liqueur, and apple cider.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into highball or rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon wheel.
Mead Cocktails for the Modern Cocktail Maker
Be the first of your friends and social media feed to explore the world of mead cocktails and then, as friendly people do, share with the world all that you learned. Grab your keys, head to the store, and get shaking!
