Mead supplier Hive Mind has expanded into soft drinks with a range of honey-sweetened options.
Targeted at independent retailers, farm shops and hospitality venues, Hive Mind Honeyade is a blend of British honey, sparkling water and natural flavourings in a slimline can (rsp: £1.99/330ml).
It has initially launched in Lime & Mint and Just Honey. Strawberry & Basil and Rhubarb & Ginger are set to join the lineup in the spring. All are lightly sweetened with honey and have no refined sugar or artificial sweeteners.
“Honeyade is a proudly ultra-unprocessed drink showcasing the flavours of real honey,” said Hive Mind co-founder Kit Newell.
“This is our first non-alcoholic drink launch and we’ve focused on making something that can appeal to all ages in terms of great flavour, and is also a very natural product,” he added. “The flavours we’ve developed are based on our experience in developing our sparkling mead range. So, these are all tried and tested combinations.”
Hive Mind was founded by Kit and his brother Matt. It brews mead in a purpose-built meadery in Caldicot, Monmouthshire, using honey from its own bees in the Wye Valley.
In 2023, the brand launched a range of sparkling mead drinks designed to be imbibed in the same way as a beer or cider. These have an abv of 4%, considerably lower than a traditional mead.
“As with all our products, we’re putting the honey front and centre in Honeyade,” said Kit. “We know our customers appreciate the positive impact of our mission to boost bee numbers, and that we buy directly from other British beekeepers, as well as using honey from our own bees.”
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