Honey Wine Market

Honey Wine Market Size, Share, Growth (2023-2028)

Honey Wine Market was valued at USD 426.5 Million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 775.4 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 9.0%.

Honey Wine Market Overview

Honey wine is called mead, a fermented alcoholic beverage primarily made with honey, water, and yeast. The wine is made of honey, so it is a gluten-free wine. The alcohol content in honey wines is between 5% to 20%. Due to its popularity from the ancient period worldwide, the taste attracted people from different regions. The wine has several health benefits; it was believed to have health and healing properties in Greek mythology. According to the ancient period, honey wine is associated with good health and vitality. Mead originated in Europe and Asia, but it gained popularity worldwide. As honey wine is gluten-free, many varieties of honey wine are being developed. Its flavor ranges from very sweet to dry and can be taken based on the consumer's choice. The Honey Wine Market was expected to be the fastest-growing market in the coming years. 

Honey Wine Market Drivers

Increased demand for alcoholic beverages with natural ingredients

People are becoming aware of the ingredients used in the production of beverages. People giving more preference to the natural ingredient composition, which has health benefits, drove the Honey wine market growth as honey was a purely natural component, primarily preferred by many people. People seek better natural alternatives to processed drinks with artificial flavors and preservatives. This better works with a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Many people prefer that honey wine is processed in traditional methods and is environment friendly, prompting the demand for the market value. The increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages in Western countries was boosting the market demand. The demand for beverages was expected to rise in the forecast period, thriving for different types of honey wines in the market. The U.S market was expected to grow for natural alcoholic beverages with greater CAGR in the forecast period, increasing the global market value. People are showing interest in unique products with natural health benefits, which is increasing the market trend for the honey wine market.

Growing trend in unique and artisanal beverages

The disposable income of people was making people economically strong, which was influencing people to try unique and innovative beverages, which boosted the market demand. Many people are interested in artisanal beverages as they believe it was healthy and no artificial additives were used during the production. Honey wine was considered the ancient beverage that attracted people's taste. The demand for honey wines was increasing among small-scale producers, influencing the increase in market size. Consumers are seeking high-quality and handcrafted honey wines as they can afford, made by smaller and independent producers.

Honey Wine Market Restraints

The primary restraint the honey wine market faced was the availability as the main component was honey, the climatic conditions, the decrease in beekeeping practices, and environmental conditions. Environmental conditions are leading to decreased bee production, impacting honey production. Fluctuations in honey supply and increasing honey prices can be challenging for the producers, impacting the cost and profit of honey wine production. Another restraining factor in the honey wine market was the competition from other beverages such as wine, beer, and spirits. Many people still need to learn about honey wine and its benefits, so they still prefer beer and other beverages over this, impacting the market growth. The cost and availability of good quality honey made it difficult for producers to maintain the same quality during production. Adulterated honey was frequently seen in recent times, impacting the final product's quality.

Recent developments in the Honey Wine Market

• In June 2021, Antelope Ridge Mead announced the launch of their new dry and sweet honey wines, featuring a variety of flavors such as black currant, orange, crushed berry, blackberry, and raspberry. 

• In 2021, Brothers Drake Meadery launched Wild Ohio honey wine, a traditional mead from local raw wildflower honey, water, and yeast available for lunch or dinner.

COVID-19 Impact on the Honey Wine Market

The pandemic has affected the alcoholic beverages market, including the honey wine market, as the closure of bars and hotels had highly impacted the market in 2020. The disruption of the supply chain had negatively impacted the market growth. This led to increased online sales post-pandemic as people habituated to consuming wine at home due to COVID. The sales had seen a significant increase in 2021 due to the reopening of liquor stores and bars, improving regional demand. The supply of raw materials had faced challenges due to low bee practices in lockdown. This increased the cost of raw materials, finally impacting the end-product.

Honey Wine Market Segmentation

By Nature

• Organic

• Conventional

The organic nature segment dominated the honey wine market share in 2022 as many people prefer organic synthesized compounds over chemical additive products. Recently, many producers have preferred conventional to maintain low-cost production, but consumers are choosing organic concerning health.

By Type

• Traditional Mead

• Melomel (mead with other fruits)

• Metheglin (mead with spices or herbs)

• Pyment (mead with grapes)

• Cyser (mead with apples)

The melomel segment dominated the market in 2022 as it was mead with various other fruits, which most people prefer. The different kinds of fruit flavors were making it popular. Industries report melomel was holding 45% of the honey wine market. Its process of combining various fruit flavors with a refreshing flavor profile was driving its demand in the market.

By Sweetness Level

• Carbonated

• Dry

• Semi-sweet

• Sweet

About 60% of the market was manufacturing a semi-sweet variety of honey wine, which dominated the semi-sweet segment in 2022. The semi-sweet level offers a balanced combination of sweetness and acidity, making it popular among consumers; they can have it during lunch or dinner. 

The dry segment was gaining traction as diabetic patients who prefer no-sugar or very low-content sugar beverages are increasing worldwide. The dry segment was expected to have a decent growth rate in the forecast period, boosting the honey wine market demand.

By Method

• Traditional Fermentation

• Controlled Fermentation

The controlled fermentation segment held a significant share of the honey wine market, with a market share of 75% in 2022. The controlled fermentation method controls temperature, strains, and fermentation conditions, which gives desirable outcomes, increasing the market value. A controlled fermentation process has precise control over the flavor profile and quality, contributing to its dominance.

By Distribution Channel

• On-premise

  • Restaurants

  • Bars

  • Hotels

• Off-premise

  • Retail stores

  • Online retail

The off-premise distribution segment will dominate the honey wine market in 2022 by nearly 80%. This was due to the availability of ease of convenience and choice of quality for the consumers, which made the off-premise segment dominate. Online retailing has significantly increased post-pandemic due to its broad reach of varieties to consumers. Off-premise helps the producers to expand their market by increasing their customer base. The bars and restaurants serving liquor charge extra taxes compared to off-premise distribution. 

Honey Wine Market Regional Analysis:

• North America

• Europe

• Asia – Pacific

• Latin America

• Middle East and Africa

North America dominated the honey wine market in 2022 with a market share of 36%. This was due to the increasing awareness of the health benefits of honey wine and the rising disposable incomes of people, and the increasing popularity of honey wine among people was driving the regional market. In North America, a well-developed region where people are habituated to alcoholic beverages, honey wine with natural health benefits was gaining consumers' attention. The busy lifestyle of people was influencing them to consume beverages where beverages with natural ingredients are in high demand. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties attract people's interest, influencing the market.

Europe was holding the second position in the domination of the market in 2022. This continent has a historical and cultural connection with honey wine. The production of honey wine as mead was a long-term tradition of the European region. Europe is home to many meaderies where large-scale and small producers profit from distribution networks, wine shops, liquor stores, and online platforms.

Honey Wine Market Key Players

• Moonshine Meadery

• Schramm's Mead

• Brothers Drake Meadery 

• Tallgrass Mead

• Medovina Meadery

• Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery

• Ambrosia Meadery

• B. Nektar Meadery

• Charm City Meadworks

• Kuhnhenn Brewing Company