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How to Build Better Flavors in Mead, Wine, Cider & Beer

City Steading Fermenstation

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Why do some brewing ingredients create amazing flavor while others completely clash?

In this episode of The Ferment Station, Brian and Derica explore one of the most important—and often overlooked—skills in homebrewing: flavor pairing.

Whether you're making mead, wine, cider, beer, or country wine, understanding how fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, teas, and other ingredients complement one another can dramatically improve your recipes.

Recipes We Used as Examples:
Dragon's Breath Mead: How We Made Spicy, Fruity Dragon's Breath ...
Fruit Cocktail Mead: Canned Fruit Cocktail Mead: Because SCIENC...

Tools We Use:
Vegvisir Viking Whiskey Glass: https://amzn.to/49wqzq6
We use the Amazon Affiliate Program for these links and we DO receive a small commission if you purchase using our links and all this comes at no additional cost to you!
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We discuss classic combinations, unexpected pairings, balancing sweetness, acidity, tannins, and aromatics, plus practical tips that will help you build recipes with confidence instead of simply hoping everything works together.

Topics include:
• Why certain flavors naturally complement each other
• Fruit and spice combinations that consistently work
• Herbs that elevate fruit wines and meads
• Floral additions and when to use them
• Balancing sweetness, acidity, tannin and body
• Seasonal flavor inspirations
• Common pairing mistakes to avoid
• How to experiment without wasting ingredients

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced brewer looking to create unique recipes, this discussion is full of practical ideas you can use in your next batch.

What are your favorite ingredient combinations? Share them in the comments—we're always looking for new ideas to try!

New podcast episodes from The Fermenstation are released ever Monday, with new brewing tutorials on City Steading Brews every Sunday and tasting videos on City Steading Tasting Room every Wednesday.

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20 Comments

@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn 2 months ago

Every two minutes, Brian makes a face and Derica's face was just waiting for it!
Such is Love.

@SirBrad-e3h 1 month ago (edited)

Just made a mandarin and rosemary mead with honeyblossom honey - tastes really good. Also did a lemon thyme mead with wildflower honey - pairs really well with chicken dishes.

@johnmcgraw3568 2 months ago

I think wine made of fresh figs and dry hopped with a little mint for a very brief time with mint would be great.

@heartemisart700 1 month ago

Plenty of yummy ideas here and in the comments! Thank you!

@ChristopherIrving-h5s 2 months ago

I've made several different berry meads, tea meads and spiced meads. But, I recently realized that I don't know what a traditional mead tastes like. I've never made a traditional. So I have three half gallon traditional meads brewing with three different honeys. They've got about a week left to go before it's done fermenting and then a couple weeks for settling and clearing. I'm looking forward to tasting day.

@undereikabryggeri 2 months ago

This was a really great episode!

One of the biggest things I'll take away from it is the idea of building a recipe around one main flavor and letting everything else support it. That's definitely something I want to keep focusing on in my future brews.

At the same time, I also agree with something you said throughout the episode: taste and aroma are incredibly subjective. What one person loves, another person might not enjoy at all. That's what makes brewing so interesting—there's no single "right" answer, and in the end we all have to find the flavor combinations that work for our own palate.

Thanks for another excellent episode!

@feldegast 2 months ago

The best way to enjoy pumpkin is as scones 😊

@joeybruer3885 2 months ago

An example of herbs taking the main stage would be what I called my Scarborough Mead. It was flavored with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

@MarcosVallejo-k3j 2 months ago

So I made your Mesquite pear mead version. Used pear 100% pear juice plus water. Then 5lbs pear in secondary. OG 1.102, sg 1.000. Backsweet with same mesquite honey, at 13.4% abv, But I added dry elderflower and bitter curaçao orange peels in two separate muslin bags. I removed one at a time after the taste was good. Now it’s bulk aging. Had a taste after a week and It’s an elegant floral slightly citrus mesquite Pear Mead. I love it
Txs for the recipe

@carolynelleprisms6515 2 weeks ago

Thanks! So many great ideas and combo’s!!

@itcouldbeanyone 2 months ago (edited)

Mango in apple juice mead/cyser. That turned out very easy to drink.

@matthewfelix1067 2 months ago

My favorite combination is cherry vanilla.

@JMSoloBassist 1 month ago

Excellent topic! You gave me a lot of great ideas... things to consider before getting too crazy.

I made a lemon basil mead, in the hopes of creating a light, springtime flavor. The result is not great for drinking... but is AMAZING for cooking!

As for having other flavors with coffee... I make a chai coffeemel that was inspired by you guys using cold-brew coffee in a mead. My "dirty chai" mead just won a gold medal at Orpheus Mead Fest! Thanks for the inspiration!

@Trapp007 2 months ago (edited)

:face-red-heart-shape::face-red-heart-shape::face-red-heart-shape::face-red-heart-shape::face-red-heart-shape::face-red-heart-shape: Basil, feta, and watermelon works amazingly!

@GramReefer614 1 month ago

I've made a few of your brews that were great, as well.

@BigDad-p4s 2 months ago

Brian, glad the clove oil worked for you. It is an old remedy for tooth aches, but please be careful, if ever use it in the future. It can be very toxic if over dosed. Love the videos. I've been watching and learning from y'all for years. Thanks!

@LakesMeadry 2 months ago

I did a grate strawberry lemon and basil mead they all worked so well together

@wilberjacobsparks4805 2 months ago

Bizarre flavor combinations, cranberry, apricot.
And Habanero.
Adds interesting flavor to your thanksgiving, turkey

@TheCallieMo 2 months ago

I used to think lavender in foods was a weird concept, then I tried some lemon lavender cookies and enjoyed them. After that we tried a blueberry lavender jam recipe off the Pomona's Pectin site and that came out lovely too. Have been considering a blueberry lavender mead.

@zacharymize8011 2 months ago

Thanks for the Sage idea. There is a local honey store that sells Sage honey and I have been trying to figure out what to do with some. Hint! The Blackberry Mead in bulk aging.