Here’s For The Geeks: Honningbrew Mead Recipe

by Dane Wilson | Last Updated: March 12, 2022

Hey there! This site is reader-supported and we earn commissions if you purchase products from retailers after clicking on a link from our site.

If you are on the quest for a delicious mead, then here is one you have to know: Honningbrew Mead. The gamers already know about it. Honningbrew mead is a recipe designed from an expensive mead found in the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. And yes, this is real alcohol, so if you drink too much after brewing it, it’s going to feel like you took an arrow to the knee. Let’s get started with this Honningbrew mead recipe, courtesy of Sabjorn (and the game writers).

What is Mead?

Mead is made from honey, water, and yeast. Sometimes, hops, spices, fruits, and malts are added for flavor. The distinguishing feature of mead that separates it from other kinds of alcohol is that the alcohol comes from fermented honey. You can also make mead that is sweet, semi-sweet, dry, or carbonated.

Fun fact: In Norse mythology, there is a Mead of Poetry that was crafted from Kvasir’s blood. Drinking the Mead of Poetry could turn you into a scholar.

Where Does This Honningbrew Mead Recipe Come From?

As mentioned earlier, Honningbrew Mead is found throughout the world of Skyrim, a video game. Honningbrew Meadery is located near the town of Whiterun and competes with another in-game meadery, Black-Briar Mead. Interestingly, while playing the game, you can come across a couple of mead-brewing secrets inside the meadery. For example, there are dozens of barrels laying around, hinting at the fact that Honningbrew mead needs to be aged.

Secondly, you can infer that the mead is sweet, because there are all kinds of desserts on the tables, as well as soft cheeses. Around the meadery, sacks and barrels of green apples and honey hint at the main ingredients of the ambrosial beverage.

Fortunately, clever Skyrim players were able to piece together the puzzle and come up with a Honningbrew mead recipe that will knock your boots off.

The Best Honningbrew Mead Recipe

Without further ado, here is how you make 2.5 gallons of Honningbrew mead:

Equipment for Honningbrew Mead

• 2.5 gallon glass carboy or fermenting bucket
• A second carboy or fermenting bucket
• 4 inches of food grade hose
• Cleaning and sanitizing solutions (such as San-Star)
• Large spoon
• Bung with a hole that fits your carboy
• Stockpot
• Airlock

Honningbrew Mead Ingredients

• 5 lbs organic, unfiltered honey
• 2.5 gallons 100% apple juice
• 2 large green apples, either Golden Delicious or Granny Smith (washed thoroughly if not organic)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• ¼ cup warm water (100 degrees F)
• 3 cloves slightly pressed
• ½ packet of Lalvin EC-1118 wine yeast

Directions for Honningbrew Mead

1. Clean and sanitize all of the equipment. Let everything air-dry.
2. In a large stockpot, heat a ½ gallon of apple juice and honey. Do not let it boil. Let the mixture dissolve (about 20 minutes on medium heat), remove it and transfer the mixture to your first carboy.
3. Thinly slice the apples and knead the cloves. Add them to the carboy.
4. Add 2 more gallons of apple juice to the carboy, leaving about 2 inches from the neck of the container.
5. Pour ½ of the yeast packet into a small bowl along with warm (not boiled) water and sugar. Set the bowl in another warm bowl of water and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes. Bubbles will start to appear, meaning the yeast is activated and is ready to work.
6. Next, swirl the mixture in the carboy to aerate it. Bubbles should form. Once that happens, add in the yeast. Do not shake the mixture a second time.
7. Secure the bung with the airlock and sanitize it with some vodka, if desired.
8. Place the carboy somewhere cool and dark. Let it age for about 3 weeks.
9. Once the primary fermentation stops, siphon the mead from the first carboy and leave the sediment at the bottom. With all the mead in the second fermenter or carboy, you can let it sit for another 3-4 weeks or up to several months. The longer your mead ages, the tastier it will be! Bottle it whenever you are ready.

Need clarification the steps? Here is a video on how to make homemade mead:

No More Dampened Spirits

There you have it: a Honningbrew mead recipe that will transport you to Skyrim (or Heaven). The end result is a flavorful apple cyser mead with notes of homemade apple pie. You are sure to love it! Follow the recipe, have some fun, and share it with your gaming friends when you’re done!

FAQs About Honningbrew Mead