Like melomel and braggot, metheglin is a sub-style of mead, the fermented honey drink known to be the ancestor of all alcoholic beverages. Unlike traditional “pure” mead, metheglin is brewed with herb and spice additions—think ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, coffee, nuts and peppers—that take the drink in new directions. (Some additives are so common in certain regions, subspecies of metheglin have developed: Examples include capsicumel, or chili mead; rhodomel, a mead brewed with rose hips or petals; and Dandaghare, mead made with Himalayan herbs and spices.) These, like all meads, should appear clear and offer honey characteristics in the aroma and flavor, but the practically endless variety of additions yield a collection of meads that range widely in aromatics, sweetness, spice and bitterness. Metheglins typically stay within mead’s standard golden color range, though some additives like tea or flowers may affect the hue.