Midsummer Sparkling Mead 2025
A sparkling mead gently flavoured with floral honey and a subtle note of elderflower and rhubarb. Lightly sweetened with homemade elderflower cordial and naturally carbonated in the bottle, this session-strength mead is crisp, mellow, and perfect for summer sipping.
Details
2 SECTIONSWhat is Midsummer Sparkling Mead?
It’s a homemade mead I put together with ingredients that feel very “early summer” — rhubarb from the freezer and some dried elderflowers that I made into a syrup. The rhubarb flavour’s really subtle in the end, but the elderflower adds a nice lift. It’s the sort of drink you want chilled and in the garden.
What We Made
This started out as a rhubarb session mead, but the flavour came out more delicate than expected. Rather than add sugar or juice, I made a cold-steeped elderflower syrup using erythritol and citric acid, and added that in after fermentation to bring it to life.
Production
3 SECTIONSIngredients
- 850g forest flower honey
- 600–800g frozen rhubarb (simmered and strained)
- Water to 5L
- EC-1118 yeast
- Pectic enzyme
- Young's yeast nutrient
- 100g erythritol (for back-sweetening)
- 30–35g white sugar (for bottle conditioning)
- ~500ml homemade elderflower cordial (cold-steeped, sweetened with erythritol and citric acid)
Fermentation Process
I simmered the rhubarb, strained out the solids, and added some pectic enzyme to help clear things up. Mixed in the honey and water to make about 5 litres, then pitched EC-1118 yeast. It fermented dry at around 20°C. Once it was done and cleared, I added the elderflower cordial for sweetness and bottled it with a bit of sugar for natural carbonation.
Aging Potential
Ready to drink after 2–3 weeks of bottle conditioning. Best enjoyed within 6 months for peak freshness and sparkle, though it may mellow pleasantly over time.