Is Mead Gluten Free? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
If you love craft beer or cider but can’t do gluten, mead might be your new favourite drink. It’s made from honey instead of grain, which means real mead is naturally gluten free. At White Morph Mead, we make ours from Tasmanian Prickly Box honey, making it unique in the mead world.
What Is In Mead?
Mead is in a category of its own, it isn’t beer, wine or cider. The ingredients used are what set it apart, and they are:
Honey – the natural source of sugar.
Water – to dilute the honey for fermentation.
Yeast – to transform the sugars into alcohol.
That’s all that goes into making mead in its simplest form — no barley, wheat, or malted grains, which are the usual sources of gluten in beer. The result is a naturally gluten-free drink that’s been enjoyed for thousands of years and is now being rediscovered by modern craft drinkers.
When Mead Might Contain Gluten
While most meads are gluten free, there are a few exceptions worth knowing about:
Beer-style hybrids (braggots) – these are made with both honey and malted barley, so they do contain gluten.
Flavoured meads – some commercial meads may use additives or flavourings that could include trace gluten.
Shared equipment – if a mead is produced in a premises or using equipment that is also used to produce beer, there’s a chance of cross-contamination.
At White Morph Mead, we only make pure honey-based meads with our own equipment — so no malt, no grain, and no cross-contamination.
How to Tell If a Mead Is Gluten Free
Most meads are naturally gluten free, but if you’re buying from different producers or trying new styles, it’s worth taking a quick look at the label or product info. Here’s what to check:
1. Read the Ingredients
Look for meads made only from honey, water, and yeast. These are always gluten free. If you see ingredients like malted barley, wheat, or grain, that’s a red flag — those meads will contain gluten.
2. Watch for Beer-Style Hybrids
Avoid drinks labelled as braggots or honey ales. These are made by blending mead and beer, which means they include malted grain and are not gluten free.
3. Check for Additives or Flavourings
Some flavoured meads may use syrups or spices that contain trace gluten. Most craft producers will state “gluten free” clearly on the label if they meet that standard.
4. Ask About Cross-Contamination
If the meadery also makes beer or cider, ask whether they share equipment. At White Morph Mead, we only produce pure honey-based meads in dedicated vessels — no grains ever come near our fermenters.
Note: In Australia producers are required to include a warning on the label if the mead contains gluten.
The Takeaway
For anyone avoiding gluten, mead is a great option of a craft drink you can enjoy with total confidence. Made from honey, water and yeast, it’s naturally free from grains — and full of character. At White Morph Mead, every batch is brewed using pure Tasmanian Prickly Box honey and no gluten-containing ingredients.
Discover our range of small-batch meads in the White Morph online shop.
