Dear Drink To That reader,
I’m back with another industry report to keep you informed of interesting things going on in the alcohol sector.
This report is all about mead. A category you might not have given much thought to, but is quietly rising in popularity. At least in some circles.
Nectar of the gods in the USA
Among all the talk of tequila, mezcal and other spirits gaining a foothold in the US, mead is carving out a respectable sector for itself like a stalwart shieldmaiden. Here are several interesting stats:
Since 2003, the number of commercial meaderies in the US has shot up by 650%. And in the next two years, another 200 meaderies are going to open. - American Mead Makers Association.
The global mead market was valued at $408 billion in 2018 and is projected to surpass $800 million by the end of 2025. - Investment Weekly News.
The global mead market will grow by a CAGR of 8.4% between the forecast period of 2025 - 2032. - Skyquestt.
Several reasons have been given for the increasing popularity of mead in North America, with one of the main catalysts being the boom of craft beer. This is the opinion of Brad Dahlhofer of B.Nektar, perhaps the largest meadery in the US. He told Wineenthusiast.com “I think what changed things was the growth and evolution of the craft beer industry” and his strategy has been to offer experimental styles of mead in scarce quantities to introduce new consumers to the category.
Billy Beltz, co-founder of San Diego’s Lost Cause Mead said “there is a growing trend in the American craft beverage industries right now to evolve beyond the traditional labels of beer, wine, cider etc and break through some of the artificial segmentation and dogma. Mead is the wrecking ball that will eventually open a lot of that up.”
Catch up in the UK
While mead is having a moment in the US, the category remains small and niche in the UK. Many UK-based mead brands tap into mythical connections of vikings and fantasy, which may be a contributing factor to why one of the world’s oldest drinks is still sluggish in the UK market.
Tom Gosnell, founder of London-based Gosnells is a proponent of modernising mead and letting go of the past. After running his mead brand for ten years, Gosnell decided to rebrand the drink by calling it nectar. He told TheDrinksBusiness.com “Calling it ‘mead’ was only holding us back, to be honest. Our rate of sale went through the roof immediately [after the rebrand]. We wanted to talk about the liquid and the natural side of things. We’ve always done this session style of mead called nectar, which is much more approachable and easy to drink.”
Other mead brands have elected to hold onto historical roots while still framing the product towards a modern audience. Nidhoggr Mead is a good example. Founder Peter Taylor has appeared on Dragon’s Den with his products and went on a US tour that brought in two million worth of sales and new exposure.
Taylor told the York Press “Our USA trip involved us criss-crossing 14 states with the aim of bringing our traditional honey mead to a US audience and the response was fantastic. It’s always been an ambition to conquer the States as they love British products, just as much as they love Viking history. These deals enable us to scale our UK production and become the largest British authentic honey mead producer.”
Sparkling mead and soft drinks
Two other subcategories mead brands are getting on in are sparkling and soft drink variants. Hive Mind & Brew Co have recently supplied the National Trust’s shops across the UK with sparkling meads that reach an ABV of 3.4%. These products have been designed as a refreshing alternative to cider, beer and sparkling wine.
Elsewhere, Hive Mind Mead has launched a soft drink range called Honeyade. This is a blend of sparkling water, British honey and natural flavourings inside a slimline can. In an interview with thegrocer.co.uk, Co-founder Kit Newell said “Honeyade is a proudly ultra-processed drink showcasing the flavours of real honey. This is our first non-alcoholic drink launch and we’ve focused on making something that can appeal to all ages in terms of great flavour.”
What are your thoughts on these mead trends? Write in to infodrinktothat@gmail.com
Cheers to you,
Jamie