Mead is a traditional alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey with water and optionally added fruits, herbs, and spices. It isn’t classified as beer or wine in the typical sense but stands apart in its own rank as an alcoholic beverage. In style, it ranges from dry to very sweet, with an alcohol range of 3.5% to 20%. The best-known examples come from Europe, although it is also made in Asia, Africa, and North America as well. You might hear mead referred to as honey wine.