Developing New Lower-ABV and Botanical Irish Mead Products

Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead is delighted to announce that the company has secured support through the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher Programme to accelerate the development of innovative new Irish mead products in collaboration with the Teagasc National Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Oak Park, Carlow.

The funding marks a significant milestone for Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead as the company continues to modernise and reimagine Ireland’s oldest drink for today’s consumers. In particular, the project will focus on lower-ABV mead styles, botanical meads, fermentation optimisation, premium flavour development, and innovation aligned with changing consumer preferences.

A Major Step Forward for Irish Mead Innovation

The Innovation Voucher support provides Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead with access to specialist expertise, research facilities, and technical knowledge through Teagasc’s state-of-the-art brewing and distilling centre.

As a result, the company can accelerate research into:

Lower-alcohol mead styles
Botanical and naturally infused meads
Premium flavour-led products
Fermentation optimisation
New product development for evolving consumer tastes

Furthermore, the collaboration strengthens the company’s long-term innovation strategy while supporting the continued revival of authentic Irish mead.

Consumer Trends Are Changing the Drinks Market

Consumer tastes are evolving rapidly across Ireland and internationally. According to the Bord Bia Future of Adult Beverages Report, major growth trends now include:

Lower and no-alcohol beverages
Natural and botanical ingredients
Premium craft drinks
Wellness-oriented consumption
Authentic provenance and storytelling

In addition, Bord Bia has highlighted growing consumer demand for beverages that offer quality, authenticity, and refined flavour experiences rather than simply higher alcohol content.

Consequently, these trends are helping to drive renewed global interest in mead, particularly within premium craft beverage markets where consumers increasingly seek distinctive products with strong heritage and natural ingredients.

Working With Teagasc’s National Brewing & Distilling Centre

The project will be undertaken in conjunction with the Teagasc National Centre for Brewing and Distilling, one of Ireland’s leading beverage innovation facilities.

The centre supports Irish drinks producers through:

Brewing and fermentation research
Product innovation
Sensory analysis
Botanical experimentation
Pilot-scale production
Beverage process development

Moreover, the partnership creates exciting opportunities for Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead to develop:

Session-style meads
Lower-ABV mead products
Botanical meads using Irish ingredients
Elderflower and wildflower-infused meads
More natural flavour-led products
New fermentation approaches

Supporting the Future of Irish Craft Drinks

The Innovation Voucher initiative demonstrates how Irish SMEs can collaborate with research institutions to develop innovative products, improve competitiveness, and respond to international market trends.

Equally important, the programme helps small Irish businesses access technical expertise that can accelerate commercial development and product innovation.

For Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead, this represents another important step in building a modern Irish mead company focused on authenticity, innovation, premium craft production, and the revival of traditional Irish honey wine.

Founder Comment

“Securing this Innovation Voucher is a very positive development for Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead and an important milestone for the business. It gives us the opportunity to work with world-class expertise at Teagasc as we develop innovative new lower-ABV and botanical mead products that align with changing consumer tastes and global beverage trends.”

— Sean O’Connor, Founder, Wild Atlantic Honey & Mead

Useful Links

Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher Programme
Teagasc National Centre for Brewing and Distilling