Mead is having a rebrand.

The ancient honey wine is now being marketed as "hard honey” — will she become the new “it” girl beverage?

For those of us — the generations (me, and other thirty year old women) who perhaps thought that mead was only consumed by weary travellers in dingy taverns after traipsing across treacherous terrain to dispose of cursed jewellery in mountains of fire, it might be surprising to see it packaged in a cute little can.

and like fair because this is mead’s vibe on Pinterest.

A world away from drinking mead out of horns (apparently vikings didn’t actually have the means to secure horns to their helmets, so take this phrase with a pinch of salt) US-based brand Lixir (recently invested in by Brewdog’s James Watt) are attempting to turn mead from the drink of choice for dudes dressed as vikings at Ren Faires into a sexy, health-conscious RTD. It’s low sugar, gluten-free, low cal, and made by fermenting only honey, water, and fruit.

Honestly, sounds great — but is it TOO sexy? Is part of mead’s charm it’s ability to connect you to a slightly more fantastical place? What if I’m sort of into the whole medieval thing? (Spoiler: I am)

Lixir is well placed in the California wellness lifestyle market. Would it translate to the UK market if we saw it cross the Atlantic?

White Claw launched in the UK in 2020 with huge expectations, riding on its massive US success with aims to replicate its market dominance. Despite initial excitement and major marketing pushes across the UK festival circuit, hard seltzers didn't translate as well to UK drinking culture.

Ready-to-drink G&Ts were already a well established favourite, and our love for pub culture, pints and “a cheeky glass of” led to skepticism toward alternatives. The brand's attempts to position itself as a premium drink were undercut by aggressive price promotions as retailers tried to move stagnating stock.

Although we are undoubtedly seeing the UK’s perception of healthy eating change en masse — particularly with the topic of UPFs (ultra-processed foods) becoming mainstream. As of January 2025, an estimated 500,000 people in the UK are using weight-loss medications such as Mounjaro or Wegovy — the UK’s answer to Ozempic. The conversation about what we’re consume seems to be evolving faster than ever.

Possibly implying the need and space in the market for new, low-cal drinks options. Will White Claw have a resurgence?

We don’t have to wait and see what happens if Lixir crosses the pond! Enter UK brewery Hive Mind who have been transforming their honey into modern, contemporary sparkling mead since 2018. Catering to the mead-drinking purist, and the girls who want a can of something fun and sweet. For me, it’s strikes the perfect balance of what modern mead should be.

Hive Minds’s variety of mead SKUS.

Their traditional mead (above middle) even has the long-winding road of the weary traveller! I knew I was on to something. You can sit by the fire celebrating your victory against the rival clan, or sit in London Fields on a picnic blanket in the summer. Bert and I tried the sparkling mead in Pure Honey and in Sour Cherry. As predicted, I liked the sweet one.

Mead is going to be in. In a big way.

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