At a glance
- Style
- Metheglin
- Alcohol
- About 11.6% ABV
- Finish
- Off-dry
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Honey
- Orange blossom or clover
- Yeast
- Lalvin 71B
- Ready in
- 3 to 4 months
- Batch
- 1 gallon, scalable
Ingredients
Quantities are for one US gallon (3.8 liters). Pick a batch size and every amount updates; one packet of yeast covers up to six gallons. Not sure how much honey your own twist needs? Use the mead calculator.
- 2.5 lb Honey, orange blossom or clover
- 0.75 gallons Spring water (to make 1 gallon of must)
- 1 packet Lalvin 71B wine yeast (one packet covers up to 6 gallons)
- 6 g Go-Ferm (yeast rehydration nutrient) (optional but recommended)
- 4 g Fermaid O yeast nutrient (split into 4 doses, see steps)
- 2 tsp Dried culinary lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), buds only
- 0.5 Lemon zest, no white pith (optional) (zest of half a lemon)
- 0.5 tsp Potassium sorbate
- 1 Campden tablet
This recipe ferments dry and is sweetened at the end: how to backsweeten mead has the stabilizing doses and a honey chart for any batch size.
Equipment
- 2-gallon bucket and 1-gallon jug with airlock
- Hydrometer
- Small muslin or nylon bag and sanitized marbles
- Wine thief or sanitized straw for tasting
- Auto-siphon
New to this? Our mead making kit checklist covers what each piece does and what you can skip.
Step-by-step method
-
Make a light base
Sanitize, then dissolve the honey in water to 1 gallon. The gravity should read about 1.088. Keep 2 or 3 oz of plain mead aside at bottling time if you can; it is handy for blending if the lavender runs strong.
-
Pitch the yeast
Rehydrate the 71B with the Go-Ferm in 50 ml of 104°F (40°C) water for 15 minutes, pitch and keep it at 62 to 68°F (17 to 20°C). A cool, clean ferment leaves room for the floral notes.
-
Staggered nutrients
Add a quarter of the Fermaid O at 24, 48 and 72 hours and at the 1/3 sugar break (about 1.059). Degas gently before each addition.
-
Rack and clear
When the gravity has been steady near 1.000 for three days, usually 3 to 5 weeks, rack into a clean jug and let it clear for about 4 weeks. It is much easier to judge a delicate aroma in a clear mead.
-
Lavender in, briefly
Put the lavender buds and the lemon zest, if using, in a small weighted bag and drop it in. Start tasting after 24 hours and then daily. Pull the bag when the lavender is clear but a shade lighter than you want, usually after 2 to 5 days.
-
Stabilize and sweeten lightly
Add the crushed Campden tablet and sorbate, wait 48 hours, then sweeten with honey 1 oz at a time. About 4 oz lands near 1.008, enough to soften the edges while keeping it fresh.
-
Bottle and rest
Bottle and give it a month. Any slight bitterness from the lavender fades in the first month or two. Drink it within 1 to 2 years while the floral notes are bright.
Timeline
- Day 0Mix and pitch
- Days 1 to 7Nutrient additions
- Weeks 3 to 5Rack to clear
- Weeks 7 to 8Lavender bag in for 2 to 5 days
- Week 9Stabilize, sweeten, bottle
- Months 3 to 4Drink; best within 2 years
Why this recipe works
Use culinary English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia), widely grown for oil, sachets and crafts, is much higher in camphor, and camphor is what makes lavender taste medicinal and soapy. Buy lavender sold for cooking; florist or garden-center lavender may have been sprayed.
Lavender goes in late and briefly. Its aromatic oils dissolve quickly in alcohol, so days are enough, and a vigorous primary fermentation would blow off the fresh top notes and leave the bitter, herbal side behind. Buds only: stems and leaves add bitterness.
A light, clean honey leaves room for the lavender. Orange blossom adds a citrus edge that suits it; wildflower is fine; buckwheat or other dark honeys bury it. The optional lemon zest does the same brightening job.
The finish is off-dry, not sweet. A heavily sweetened floral mead tends to taste like perfume, while a bone-dry one lets any bitterness show. Around 1.008 keeps it light and refreshing.
Variations
- Lavender-lemon: use the zest of a whole lemon with the lavender and add a squeeze of juice to taste at bottling.
- Lavender-blueberry: rack onto 2 lb of frozen and thawed blueberries for a week, then add the lavender for the last 2 to 3 days.
- Sparkling lavender: skip the sorbate, prime with 1 oz of honey and bottle in pressure-rated bottles.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| It tastes like soap | Too much lavender, too long, or lavandin instead of culinary lavender. Aging 3 to 6 months softens it slightly; blending with plain mead is the real fix. |
| It is bitter | Stems or leaves in the bag, or a long steep. Give it a month in the bottle and a touch more sweetness. |
More mead recipes to try
- Hibiscus mead recipe: Dried hibiscus in secondary for ruby color and tartness, balanced with a semi-sweet finish.
- Ginger mead recipe: Fresh ginger twice, lemon for lift and a crisp, dry finish. Excellent sparkling.
- Blueberry mead recipe: 4 lb of berries split between primary for color and secondary for aroma, with acid adjusted to taste.
More spiced and herbal mead recipes: Spiced mead (metheglin), Coffee mead (plus chocolate and vanilla), Viking-style mead.
Or browse all our mead recipes. If this is your first batch, start with the traditional mead recipe or the step-by-step guide to making honey wine.
Frequently asked questions
How much lavender should I use per gallon of mead?
About 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried culinary lavender buds for 2 to 5 days in secondary. Start at the low end; you can always add more, but you cannot take it out.
Can I use fresh lavender in mead?
Yes, if it is an unsprayed culinary variety. Use about three times as much by volume as dried, and taste just as often.
Why does my lavender mead taste like soap?
Usually too much lavender, too much time, or lavandin, which is high in camphor. Pull the lavender sooner and use Lavandula angustifolia next time.
When should I add lavender to mead?
In secondary, after fermentation, in a bag you can remove. In primary the fresh floral aroma is lost and only the bitter side remains.
How strong is lavender mead?
This recipe is about 10.5 to 12% ABV, depending on how dry it ferments before sweetening, and ready in 3 to 4 months.