Bemuse

Bemuse was created by friends Anna Chalov and Nataliya Peretrutova as a mead brand rooted in what its website describes as Britain's most ancient drink. The producer frames its work as a reimagining of mead for modern taste, drawing on a beverage with a history stretching back thousands of years and referred to as the drink of Gods in Greek mythology. All four of its flavours are based on traditional mead recipes.^[1],[2]

Bemuse launched at the first edition of the No2Low Show in June 2021, shortly after the lifting of lockdown, and celebrated its official birthday at the No2Low Show in September 2022, which partnered with the Hospitality Show. The brand's drinks are brewed, crafted, and canned in the UK.^[3]

Bemuse was founded by Anna Chalov and Nataliya Peretrutova, described as friends. In 2022, Anna Chalov was named one of the 10 Highly Commended in The Telegraph and NatWest's '100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch' list.

Bemuse positions honey wine as more sustainable than grape-based wine, on the grounds that beekeeping requires no additional irrigation because honeybees collect water from rainfall. The producer states that it invests in honey cultivation as a means to promote bee welfare, support biodiversity, and contribute to food security. To that end, Bemuse partnered with beekeeping experts at Bee1 to establish its own hive, named 'Muse', at an apiary situated on an 800-acre heritage site above the Neath valley, Wales; the hive is home to approximately 20,000 honeybees and is intended to support biodiversity.^[4],[5]

The producer incorporates foraged and pollinator-related botanicals into its products and brand identity, and it is a certified B Corp. According to Bemuse, its products use all natural ingredients with zero preservatives, the only additional ingredients being the spices and herbs used to flavour each drink.^[1],[6]

Bemuse produces sparkling honey wines that it describes as belonging to the traditional category of mead, and which the IWSC classifies as mead (honey wine). The producer positions its sparkling meads as an alternative to traditional sparkling wines. The drinks carry an ABV of 0.5% and are packaged in 250ml cans. Bemuse describes its products as 100% natural, low sugar, low calorie, and gluten free.^{[1],[4],[7],[8],[9]}

The lineup comprises four flavours: Origo Original Brut, Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut, Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut, and Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose. Bemuse also publishes cocktail and mocktail recipes built on these beverages, including Dark & Honey, Pomona Iced Tea, Twilight Spritz, Jasmine Fizz, Strawbasil Smash, Calluna Spritz, Sweet Fiora Highball, Pink Bee's Daisy, Rose Spritz, the Raspberry Sbagliato (using Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose), and the Wildflower 75 (using Bemuse Original Hops).^[10]

Bemuse's meads are made by natural fermentation using only honey, water, and yeast, then infused with all-natural herbs and spices. The producer builds each blend by pairing a specific honey variety with particular herbs and spices to give every drink a distinctive taste.^[1],[4]

Natural fermentation of honey. Every Bemuse product begins as a mead fermented from honey, water, and yeast. The producer draws on a range of honey varieties, described as Wild Heather, Apple Blossom, Orange Blossom, and Wildflower, selected to match the botanicals used in each blend.^[1],[4]

• Origo Original Brut — raw spring wildflower honey, water, and yeast
• Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut — raw heather honey, water, and yeast
• Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut — raw apple blossom honey, water, and yeast
• Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose — raw borage honey (English meadow borage), water, and yeast

Hop infusion. Cascade hops appear across multiple blends, contributing what the producer describes as zesty character. Origo Original Brut extends the hop profile with a three-hop blend.

• Origo Original Brut — Cascade, Citra, and Ekuanot hops
• Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut — Cascade hops alongside tarragon and Thai basil

Herb, spice & floral botanicals. Bemuse states that the only ingredients added beyond honey, water, and yeast are the herbs and spices used to flavour each drink, with zero preservatives. The botanical infusions differ by blend.^[1]

• Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut — tarragon and Thai basil
• Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut — fresh ginger, green cardamom, black cardamom, and bitter orange peel
• Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose — wild raspberry and rose petals

Sourcing & standards. Bemuse blends its honey wines with sustainably sourced natural ingredients and incorporates foraged and pollinator-related botanicals. All four beverages are gluten free, and the range is described as 100% natural, low sugar, and low calorie.^[7]

Across the range, the individual meads are described in distinct terms: Origo Original Brut as almost bone dry, complex, and super-refreshing, with honey as a barely perceptible backdrop; Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut as herbaceous and aromatic; Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut as subtly spiced and gently fiery, with notes of apple blossom honey, cardamom, ginger, and bitter orange peel; and Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose as wonderfully aromatic and delicately floral, juicy on the palate with a tart, dry finish.^[11]

The producer offers food pairings for each blend. Origo Original Brut is recommended with seafood, al fresco lunches, and canapés. Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut is suggested with cheese, salads, and roast chicken. Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut is paired with strong cheeses, spicy dishes, and roast meats, and characterised as spicy and sweet and suited to fans of bourbon. Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose is paired with fish, salads, and light cheeses.

Beyond serving neat, individual meads feature as the base of cocktail and mocktail recipes: Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut in a Ginger & Cardamom Sour; Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut in a Tarragon & Basil Mojito; and Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose in a Raspberry Sbagliato, offered in an alcohol-free version with Martini Vibrante and Monin Bitter and a low-ABV version with Campari and sweet vermouth, both garnished with an orange wedge.

Bemuse collaborated with Biomimicry UK on a walking tour of green places and spaces in York, focused on plants, pollinators, and nature-inspired design. The brand also established its 'Muse' hive in partnership with beekeeping experts at Bee1 at an apiary above the Neath valley, Wales.^[2]

According to Bemuse, Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut was featured on 'Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh', where it was described as 'delicious, absolutely delicious', and appeared in the May 2023 edition of Men's Health Magazine as part of The Sober Mixologists Masterclass.^[12],[13]

Bemuse describes itself as a multi-award-winning producer. Its accolades include recognition from the Wine Hunter Awards (2025), Bartenders Brand Awards (2024), Farm Shop & Deli Awards (2023), World AF Awards, InDrinks 2023, Free From Food Awards, FDF Brand Launch of the Year, London Honey Awards (2022), the IWSC, The Drinks Business, and the World Beverage Innovation Awards (2021). The brand was a finalist for Brand Launch of the Year at the FDF Awards 2022.^[7],[10]

At the product level, Pomona Ginger & Cardamom Brut won at the Wine Hunter Awards 2025 and the Farm Shop & Deli Show 2023, received recognition at the World Alcohol-Free Awards and the Free From Christmas Awards, was a finalist at the InDrinks Awards 2023 and the Free From Food Awards 2022, and received an IWSC award for ginger cardamom mead. Calluna Tarragon & Basil Brut won an IWSC award for its tarragon, basil, and hops mead, and Fiora Wild Raspberry Rose received an IWSC award for raspberry mead.