Did you know that the earliest alcoholic beverages are believed to be made from diluted honey?
Around the world, present-day brewers continue to experiment with unique beer ingredients. Many modern brewers have come to value the use of less processed ingredients in their beers. One such ingredient is honey! Honey is used in a variety of beers from lagers to ales to porters, due to its ability to enhance flavor.
Mead, or honey wine, is created by fermenting honey with water and is considered the ancestor of all fermented beverages. Mead can be sparkling or still, and dry or sweet.
Hard cider refers to the fermented beverage made from the juice of apples. It can range from sweet to dry depending on the types of apples and yeast used and the length of fermentation.
Homebrew, mead and hard cider have become increasingly popular with nearly one million Americans making their own beer according to the American Homebrewers Association.
Not sure which honey to use? See the chart below to get an idea!
| Floral Source | Typical Color | Typical Flavor | Suggested Use in Beer / Mead / Hard Cider |
| Mesquite | Light | Mild | Light Beers, Herb Beers, Spice Beers, Show Mead, Hard Cider |
| Clover | Light | Mild | Herb Beers, Spice Beers, Ales, Brown Ales, Stouts, Light Beers, Dry Beers, Hard Cider |
| Alfalfa | Light | Mild | Ales, Lagers, Mead, Hard Cider |
| Orange Blossom | Light | Mild, Heavy Bodied | Ginger Spiced Beers, Holiday Beers, Light Beers, Melomel, Hard Cider |
| Blueberry | Light to Medium | Mild, Heavy Bodied | Ales, Spice Beers, Melomel, Hard Cider |
| Raspberry | Light to Medium | Mild, Heavy Bodied | Ales, Holiday Beers, Melomel, Hard Cider |
| Wildflower | Medium to Dark | Medium to Strong | Pale Ales, Specialty Beers, Mulled Mead, Hard Cider |
| Avocado | Dark | Strong | Stouts, Porters, Mead, Hard Cider |
| Buckwheat | Dark | Strong | Stouts, Porters, Mead, Hard Cider |