New Delhi: India’s craft beverage segment has witnessed growing interest in new flavours and formats in recent years, creating opportunities for emerging categories. Among them is mead, a fermented honey-based beverage with a long history globally but a relatively new presence in the Indian market.
HIK! Craft Meads is seeking to introduce the category to a wider Indian audience where honey acts as a backbone and fruits, flowers, spices and other ingredients define multiple variants of HIK!, featuring familiarity to local consumers. The HIK! portfolio currently includes Blueberry, Guava, Mango, Jamun, Litchi and Cherry variants. By combining a honey-based fermented beverage with recognisable fruit profiles, the brand aims to make the category more accessible to consumers who may be encountering mead for the first time.
At its core, mead is produced through the fermentation of honey with water and yeast. Its characteristics can vary depending on the ingredients and production process. Fruit-based variants incorporate different fruits during the process, resulting in a range of flavour profiles. HIK! has focused on this format with offerings ranging from Mango and Litchi to Jamun, Guava, Blueberry and Cherry. The company said the approach is intended to provide consumers with familiar flavours while introducing them to the broader mead category.
The brand has also been expanding consumer awareness through its "Mead on Tap" format across select hospitality venues and events. The initiative is aimed at providing consumers with opportunities to discover different variants and understand the category through tasting-led experiences.
Pune has been among the key markets for HIK!, where the company has undertaken initiatives to build awareness around the category. The brand has also organised a mead-focused festival in the city featuring multiple variants on tap, along with live music, games, pop-ups and consumer engagement sessions. HIK! is now expanding its presence beyond Pune, including Mumbai, as it looks to introduce the category to consumers across additional markets.
According to the company, its Guava Mead was recognised as "Best Mead" at the 2025 India Wine & Spirits Awards. [Award claim should be independently verified before publication.]
As the craft beverage segment continues to evolve in India, HIK! is positioning fruit-led offerings as an accessible way for consumers to discover the mead category. Through flavours such as blueberry, guava, mango, jamun, litchi and cherry, the company aims to build greater awareness of the honey-based fermented beverage in the Indian market.