Mead Pairing | Mead & Food

People often ask how they “should” serve mead: chilled? room temperature? in a Viking horn? in a beer mug?

Generally I recommend that meads be served at cellar temperature; not being too fussy about it, but temperature around 55 degrees Farenheit.

Most modern meads are clear, golden, and beautiful. Which means the mead is best visually appreciated in a high quality clear glass: ideally crystal, glass is just fine, not plastic or opaque. To best appreciate the color and clarity, serve on a white background: a white tablecloth, white countertop, or outdoors on the back porch with a white concrete floor are all viable options.

Sparkling meads (like Champagnes), and bubbly session meads are best served well chilled, like a CocaCola.

If it’s a Champagne-style mead, by all means serve it in a Champagne flute. If it’s a lighter sparkling mead, a highball glass or any tumbler will work fine. For still meads, a wine glass works well: really, any attractive wine glass works well. For higher-alcohol meads and dessert meads, a whiskey glass, brandy glass, or similar cocktail glass can make a very nice presentation. Braggots and other more beer-style meads look well in beer glasses and perhaps served just a bit cooler. Dessert-strength meads, like Port, are maybe better served at room temperature. And some meads are sold with a spice packet and meant to be served heated; these are best served at about 190 degrees Farenheit and served in a mug of some sort (a clear mug, of the Irish Coffee or Persian Tea variety, would be my preference).

The collection of glasses in this photograph was bought today at Crate and Barrel, and you’ll be seeing these turning up in lots of forthcoming photos. I’ve also been eyeing several beautiful glasses on Amazon.com including “venetian” champagne flutes, and pewter challices; Moscow mule copper mugs, and surprisingly beautiful horn mugs and wooden “glassware.”

Any vessel used to serve mead can be called a Mazer. Originally these were dedicated ceremonial vessels used only for mead, and only in special ceremonies. Mazers may be made of glass, crystal, any metal, wood, or horn, or for that matter, any other material. Really all that matters is that the glassware is special to you.

Lately I’ve been hearing the word “mazer” misused as a person who makes mead. That person would more accurately be referred to as a meadmaker or a mezier.