National Honey Board Kicks Off 2025 Mead Crafters Competition

Mead makers across the United States have an opportunity to showcase their craft in the National Honey Board’s annual Mead Crafters Competition. The event celebrates excellence across a variety of mead styles, from traditional and dessert meads to innovative blends and creative packaging. With entries evaluated by experts and admired by connoisseurs, the competition highlights the artistry, skill, and passion behind America’s finest meads.

In a press release, The National Honey Board announced that online registration for the seventh annual Mead Crafters Competition is open now through Friday, October 31. The annual competition recognizes the best meads in the nation. 

“As we head into the holiday season, there’s no better time to celebrate the artistry of mead,” Catherine Barry, VP of marketing at the National Honey Board, says. “The Mead Crafters Competition showcases how talented makers across the U.S. are not only turning honey into exceptional, festive beverages perfect for the season but also as a favored drink in 2026.”

The Mead Crafters Competition is hosted by the National Honey Board and includes categories for dessert mead, metheglin, pyment, varietal meads, braggots, cysers, traditional meads and more. The competition also has a design/packaging category.

2024’s competition saw a specialty dry mead with wildflower honey and aged in bourbon barrels take home the top prize. Fortitude of Bears Bluff Meadery in Wadmalaw Island, SC, bested more than 200 entries. Rounding out the Best of Show podium were Brocton, Illinois-based Treehive’s B.U.Z.Z. Cake, which earned Silver, and Prescott, Arizona’s Superstition Meadery’s Ma Petite Chouchen, winning Bronze.

This year’s entries must be submitted by Friday, Oct. 31, and entries must be commercially available in the United States. Meaderies may submit multiple entries per category, but each mead may only be entered in one category. The competition will be limited to 300 entries. To register, visit meadcrafterscompetition.com.

The Mead Crafters Competition continues to shine a spotlight on the creativity and dedication of mead makers, giving fans across the country a chance to discover exceptional honey-based beverages. Whether you’re a seasoned mead fan or a casual enthusiast, the event celebrates innovation, flavor, and craftsmanship in every bottle. Mead makers eager to join this prestigious showcase can submit their entries now and share their creations with judges and fans alike.

For more information on the Mead Crafters Competition, contact Jasmyne Harris at Jasmyne@honey.com.

About The National Honey Board

The National Honey Board (NHB) is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. The Board’s work, funded by an assessment on domestic and imported honey, is designed to increase the awareness and usage of honey by consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers. The 10-member-Board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, represents producers (beekeepers), packers, importers and a marketing cooperative.