Mead in the Summer? Yes Please!
I know. We hear it ALL the time at Superstition. "It's just too hot for mead! I need something that will cool me off!" Well, here is some good news: We can do that too!
This article is all about how to drink (and sell) Mead in the Summertime! It is primarily directed towards reps for Hensley Beverage Company , our distributor over at Superstition Meadery , but I hope everyone else finds it fun and interesting too!
1 - The Easy Way - Session Meads
With Session Meads, we have already done all the work for you! Not only are they canned (for your convenience), but they are carbonated and lower ABV, perfect for summertime drinking. (Kegs are available for Bars and Restaurants regularly)
All our Session Meads at Superstition are 6% alc by vol so they still get the job done without being overwhelming. They also come in 12 oz cans, though some of the photos you will see feature our older 16 oz cans.... so lets dig in!
Dune Bloom - Prickly Pear
The real OG, Dune Bloom has been a part of our arsenal for years. It's our go-to mead for beer drinkers who are dipping their toes into mead (metaphorically, of course). The Prickly Pear adds a bit of natural bitterness to this session mead that helps to balance out the honey. Overall, it's a great alternative to a light summer lager for people who want to mix it up a little bit!
BeeMosa - Orange
This is the session that really kicked off our obsession, brought to you at the request of many many brunch connoisseurs at our Phoenix Tasting room. We were asked so frequently if we could do Mimosas that we finally decided to go for it! The result is this Bubbly, Balanced Easy to Drink BeeMosa!
BeeLini - Peach
With the success of our BeeMosa, we looked for more breakfast-related inspiration and didn't have to search long. The BeeLini is a Bellini inspired mead made with White Peach. It's light, crisp and So so refreshing. It's my personal favorite, but it's always a tough fight to pick the best.
Crystal Sail - Mango
Last but very much not least! Crystal Sail is the most recent addition to our 'regular lineup' of sessions that are (almost) always available through Hensley for bars and restaurants across Arizona. Somehow this mead is both bright and refreshing, as well as incredibly bold. The mango packs a huge punch of flavor that will have you talking about it all summer!
On top of all that, there 2 good things to remember before we move on:
All these meads slush up beautifully with no added water or sugar if you (or your bar) have slush machines. The BeeMosa especially can be fun to play with.
And don't forget about our great lineup of Ciders! I don't talk about them here because everyone knows cider in the summer is delicious, but just in case you don't know about ours, check them out here: Blueberry Spaceship Box, Pillars of Creation, Super Station, Fallen Mist.
2 - Dressed up a Bit
Now is where we start to get more fun! Some days I'm by the pool and I just want to crack open a can and call it a day. Other days I've got my friends over and we want to party a little harder, maybe show off my cocktails a bit! Mead is So underrated as a cocktail ingredient, especially once summer hits!
Can + Ice + Liquor
Still easy, but definitely taking your drink up a notch! I love using our session meads to create easy cocktails. Below are a few examples of drinks I've made for my friends, but you should experiment! Does this bar have a specialty they want to showcase? Or a bottle special you want to run through?
BeeLini (Peach) + Bourbon
Dune Bloom (Prickly Pear) + Tequila
BeeMosa (Orange) + Strawberry Vodka
Crystal Sail (Mango) + Silver Rum + Orgeat
note* due to our licensing, we do not have hard liquor in either of our tasting rooms for you to try these delicious cocktails. We strongly encourage you to reach out to your favorite bars, restaurants, and liquor stores to have them bring in these meads so that you can try them!
3 - Summer Cocktails
So far we have only talked about our session meads, which are already 6% ABV and sparkling. You're probably thinking "yeah, of course those are good for summer, it's just the rest that it's too hot for". Well, that's just not true. I love using our meads in cocktails and it's a big part of my work to show bars and restaurants across Arizona just how versatile mead can be!
Half and Half over Ice
Once again, lets start with the lazy drinker (me). So many of our meads really lend themselves to going half and half with a mixer. For example:
5 oz - Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Pour over Ice, Garnish, and Enjoy!
Seriously, doesn't that sound delicious? Even better if your bar happens to have frozen lemonade. Any of our Melomels will be great in this particular combination, especially Blueberry and Blackberry Hex or Desert Monsoon. Any of your classic summer mixers can be used with the right mead!
5 oz - Unsweetened Iced Tea
Pour over Ice, Garnish, and Enjoy!
Using this basic recipe, you can combine anything that sounds delicious! Here's a few starter ideas, but experiment with what you have around!
Lagrimas De Oro (Bourbon BA Traditional) + Iced Green Tea
Aphrodisia (Wine Grapes + Honey) + Seltzer Water
Real Mead Cocktails
And finally we get to the big boys: the kind of drinks you order at a nice cocktail bar and you get the whole show, shaking and all! There are So many ways to use mead in your cocktails, but I'm trying to keep it focused today so we will just explore a few summer cocktails!
'Kentucky Voodoo' Mule
Refreshing and with a bite, this is almost like 'babies first mule', since the ginger is much more gentle and smooth than the traditional ginger beer. Be wary though, it packs quite a punch in the ABV department!
'Some Beach, Somewhere'
Juicius Caesar is one of our most unique meads! It has a subtle grapefruit backdrop and a clean, forward hop flavor. It's great on its own, but It really shines as a cocktail ingredient your guests won't have seen before!
The Arizona Sour
The New York Sour is one of my absolute favorite cocktails and I think this twist brings it fully into the summertime spirit. Using Super Bee instead of sweetener gives the cocktail more depth, and the Fruity Marion on top makes it fun and light!
Keep an Eye out For More!
These meads are just the ones that are available now through Hensley, but there's plenty more where that came from! Superstition Meadery regularly does small batch releases or tasting room exclusives for you to fall in love with! To watch for more releases follow us below and sign up for our newsletter here:
Want some Help talking to your Accounts? Meet our Sales Team!
Megan Campbell (author) - [email protected]
I cover Phoenix and Tucson and try to be as informative as possible!
Leah Ross - [email protected]
Leah handles Northern AZ, all other States, and some international sales! She also answers all my questions while I write these articles! Total Rockstar
Ryan Hike - [email protected]
Ryan is just getting started but he will be handling accounts for all the smaller towns that normally don't get a personal touch. We see you all, we care about you too!
What can we do?
We love to take samples out to prospective accounts, set up customer tastings once they bring us on, and generally make sure accounts are happy and Hensley reps have all the info they need! We can also bring clients into the tasting rooms for more personal tastings (with more variety too)!
We also have access to the full Superstition Inventory, so in some instances we can arrange for 'allocated cases' of meads that we have released but Hensley isn't picking up for even more exclusivity for your accounts!
Thanks for reading and reach out if you have any questions at all!
- Megan Campbell