A show mead is a mead made with only honey, water and yeast. The category was adopted by the organizers of the Mazer Cup after a controversy, where the winner of the Traditional Mead category used a recipe with small amounts of tea in it, which added some complexity and depth but no significant flavor.
In competitions where the distinction is observed, a show mead may not contain common mead additives such as tea, raisins, or fruit juice, but only water, honey, and yeast.
