Serving & Food Pairing

Mead is a wine made from honey. You don't need a horn (although it helps) or a rulebook, but a few simple tips will get the best out of every bottle.

Serving at a glance

Mead Serve at Glass
God's Nectar (traditional) Lightly chilled, 10–14°C White wine glass or horn
Elderflower Chilled, 8–10°C White wine glass
Norse Blood (mixed berry) Lightly chilled, 10–12°C Red wine glass or horn
Spiced Room temperature, or gently warmed Tumbler or heatproof mug

Serving tips

  • Pour it like wine, not like beer. At 15% ABV our meads are as strong as a big red wine. A standard pour is about 100 mL, roughly 1.2 standard drinks.
  • Don't over-chill. Straight out of a cold fridge, the honey aromas go quiet. Take the bottle out 15–20 minutes before pouring.
  • Warming Spiced Mead: warm it gently in a saucepan until it just steams, around 60–70°C. Never let it boil or bubble, because you'll cook off the aroma and turn the honey bitter.
  • Drinking from a horn? Pour a small measure, pass it around the table as the Norse did, and keep a jug of water on the table too.

Storing your mead

  • Unopened: keep somewhere cool and dark, away from heat and sunlight.
  • Opened: reseal and keep in the fridge. It's best enjoyed within about two weeks; after that it slowly loses its brightness.

Food pairing

Three simple rules:

  1. Balance sweetness and acidity. Honey loves salt, fat and chilli, which all make mead taste fresher.
  2. Match intensity. Rich, hearty food wants a bigger mead; delicate food wants a lighter one.
  3. Contrast or complement. Echo a flavour (honey with honey-glazed pork) or cut through it (tart berries against fatty barbecue).

God's Nectar (traditional)

  • Soft cheeses: brie, camembert, fresh goat's cheese
  • Roast pork, glazed ham, roast chicken
  • Spicy food: Thai, Sichuan and Indian dishes. The honey tames the heat.
  • Baklava, honey cake, fruit tarts

Elderflower

  • Seafood: prawns, scallops, mussels, oysters
  • Salads with fruit and soft cheese
  • Goat's cheese, ricotta, burrata
  • Lemon tart, pavlova, poached pears

Norse Blood (mixed berry)

  • Roast lamb, venison, duck and slow-cooked beef
  • Barbecue and smoky meats
  • Blue cheese and aged cheddar
  • Dark chocolate and berry desserts

Spiced

  • Roast pork with crackling, pork belly and sausages
  • Hard cheeses: aged cheddar, gouda, manchego
  • Apple pie, Christmas pudding, gingerbread
  • A cold night and a fire

Everyday pairings

  • Pizza: Norse Blood with pepperoni, Elderflower with margherita, God's Nectar with chilli-honey pizza
  • Barbecue: Spiced with pulled pork and ribs, Norse Blood with brisket and lamb
  • Sushi & Asian takeaway: Elderflower with sushi, God's Nectar with anything spicy

Please enjoy our mead responsibly. Not for sale to persons under 18.