Metheglin is a type of mead, the honey-based fermented drink, made with the addition of spices or herbs. The word dates to the 1520s and comes from the Welsh “meddyglyn,” a combination of “meddyg” (healing) and “llyn” (liquor). That etymology is no accident: metheglin was originally valued as much for its supposed medicinal properties as for its flavor, and the English word “medicine” is thought to share the same Latin root, “medicus.”
How Metheglin Differs From Other Meads
All mead starts with the same basic formula: honey, water, and yeast. What separates the many styles of mead is what gets added beyond that. Plain mead, sometimes called “show mead” or “traditional mead,” contains nothing but those three ingredients. Metheglin is defined by the addition of spices, herbs, or other botanicals. A melomel, by contrast, adds fruit. A braggot blends honey with malted grain, making it a hybrid of mead and beer.
The category is broad. The Beer Judge Certification Program, which sets style guidelines for competition, includes meads made with flowers (like rose petal mead), chocolate, coffee, nuts, and even chile peppers under the metheglin umbrella. If the defining addition is a botanical rather than a fruit or grain, it’s a metheglin.
Common Spices and Herbs
The simplest metheglins feature familiar warming spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla beans. These produce rich, dessert-like flavors that pair naturally with honey’s sweetness. Ginger is another popular choice, contributing a sharp, peppery bite that balances the drink’s natural richness.
More subtle versions rely on herbs like chamomile, lavender, or rosemary, which create lighter, more floral profiles. Some brewers use complex blends that draw on traditions resembling mulled wine spice mixes or herbal tea recipes. The range runs from bold and aggressive (think chai-like combinations of cardamom, black pepper, and star anise) to barely-there whispers of a single herb.
How Metheglin Is Made
The base process mirrors any mead. Honey is dissolved in water to create a mixture called “must,” yeast is added, and fermentation begins. The honey’s sugar content determines the potential alcohol level, while the yeast strain and fermentation temperature shape the final character. Most meads, metheglin included, typically land somewhere between 8% and 14% alcohol by volume, though stronger versions exist.
What makes metheglin unique is the timing and method of spice addition, and this is where brewers make their most important creative decision. There are two main approaches:
- During primary fermentation: Spices go directly into the must before or alongside the yeast. This extracts bold, deeply integrated flavors as the yeast interacts with the botanicals over days or weeks. The result tends to be more blended and sometimes more bitter, since prolonged contact pulls tannins and other compounds from the plant material.
- During secondary fermentation: Spices are added after the initial fermentation calms down. This preserves more delicate, aromatic notes without excessive bitterness. Brewers who want the bright, fresh character of an herb rather than a cooked-down quality often prefer this approach.
Many recipes use a combination, adding hardier spices like cinnamon sticks early and more volatile herbs like lavender late. The contact time matters enormously. Leaving cinnamon in for too long can turn a pleasant warmth into an overpowering, astringent flavor, while chamomile might vanish entirely if it’s not given enough time.
What Metheglin Tastes Like
There’s no single metheglin flavor profile, which is part of its appeal. A cinnamon-vanilla metheglin can taste like liquid honey cake, warm and sweet with a woody depth. A ginger metheglin might drink closer to a dry, fiery ginger wine. A lavender version can be floral and almost perfume-like when done well, soapy when overdone.
The honey itself plays a major role. Wildflower honey gives a complex, rounded sweetness, while orange blossom honey adds citrus notes that complement lighter spice choices. Buckwheat honey, which is dark and malty, pairs well with bold spices like clove and allspice. The interplay between honey variety and spice selection is where experienced mead makers find the most interesting combinations.
Sweetness levels vary too. Metheglin can be made dry (all the sugar fermented out), semi-sweet, or dessert-sweet, depending on how much honey is used and when fermentation is stopped. Sweeter versions tend to showcase spices more gently, while dry metheglins let sharper, more bitter botanical notes come forward.
Historical and Modern Context
Metheglin has roots in medieval Wales and broader Celtic brewing traditions, where herbs were added to mead not just for flavor but because they were believed to have healing properties. Recipes from the period read like herbal remedy formulas, calling for ingredients like hyssop, thyme, and rosemary alongside honey and water. The drink occupied a space somewhere between alcohol and folk medicine.
Today, metheglin is part of the broader craft mead revival. Small meaderies across North America, Europe, and beyond produce commercially available versions, and it’s one of the more popular styles among home brewers because the spice additions allow for endless experimentation without requiring specialized equipment. If you can make a basic mead, you can make a metheglin by adding a few cinnamon sticks or a handful of dried herbs to the fermenter.