B. Nektar Zombie Killer
Ferndale, Michigan
A 6% session mead made with cherry and apple alongside the honey. The lowest-alcohol mead on this page by a wide margin, which is most of why it is the lightest.
In its favor
- ✓6% ABV, a third the strength of a traditional mead
- ✓Gluten-free, no grain involved
- ✓Sold in cans, so the pour is a known quantity
What to watch
- !Not vegan
- !Drinks like a cider, which makes it easy to have several
Factor by factor
Congeners Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Moderate ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Moderate ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Zombie Killer is the clearest argument on this page that mead’s reputation is really a reputation about strength. It is honey-fermented, so it is genuinely mead, but at 6% ABV a can delivers less alcohol than a glass of most wines. It scores a 4 where the sweet 19% mead further down scores a 9, and the recipes are not that different in kind.
The catch is the format. Canned, cider-like and refreshing means the brake that a 14% mead applies automatically is gone, and volume is the variable that dominates every number on this site.
B. Nektar Zombie Killer questions
Is B. Nektar Zombie Killer gluten-free? ▾
Yes. B. Nektar Zombie Killer is made from honey, cherry juice, apple cider. There is no wheat, barley or rye at any stage.
What is B. Nektar Zombie Killer made from? ▾
B. Nektar Zombie Killer is made from honey, cherry juice, apple cider.
Does B. Nektar Zombie Killer give you a bad hangover? ▾
B. Nektar Zombie Killer scores 4/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 6/10 for mead overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.