NJ folks, I recommend trying the Flying Fish Tradewinds if you see it anywhere. Nothing amazing quality-wise, but it tastes so much like straight up Hawaiian Punch/Kool-aid that it’s blowing my mind. I wouldn't be surprised to get that flavor out of a new brewery doing some hyped up, overly fruited, lactose gose, but this is just a fruited wheat beer out of a relatively big brewery.
Subbin' now. Only recently started getting my feet wet with the world of beer. Don't really have too many go-to beers of choice since I'm still in the mode where I'm trying everything under the surface of the sun to figure out what I like the most, but the ones I've enjoyed best thus far have been Dragon's Milk and Blueberry Maple Stout.
I think Zombie Killer is one that's commonly available that I have enjoyed in the past. I don't have a ton of mead experience though, personally.
I'll preface this with that I haven't drank a ton of mead in my day (actually want to try making it since I don't have the space really to homebrew and fermenting mead would be a bit easier for me), but here's been my experience. First mead I ever had was Black Agnes by Schramms and it kicked my ass. I couldn't get into it. But I've had it since then and have been able to appreciate it. I would actually go to your bottle shop and find a straight forward, cheaper mead than Schramms. Get used to the alcohol and how a mead acts and feels. And keep in mind that it is a honey wine, not beer, so the experience will be way different. If you're looking for Schramms specifically then I'd just grab one of the 'cheaper' ones they put out (still like $20 or something). As @Anthony_ mentioned, B Nektar does some really good meads, but you have to be on the look out. Zombie Killer isn't technically a mead, it's a cider with honey and cherry in it. They do a good job of just saying a lot of what they do is meads when they aren't but that's because they cross so many genres in one beverage that it's just an easy thing from them to do -- plus most people don't know the difference between mead, cysers, etc. And I don't mean that to be disparaging, mead is a mystery to most people (me included, in a lot of regards). I would HIGHLY recommend swinging into B Nektar, though. One of the best flights of drinks I've ever had. The still meads they had on tap (like a 24 month bourbon barrel aged Episode 13 which is a 16% mead) was incredible. Served uncarbonated (called still) and at cask temperature about 50-55 ... I can't say enough good things about that.
I should note that @Oddpac87 and probably @BlueEyesBrewing probably have way more knowledge about it than I do. So I look forward to their contributions.
I just noticed for the first time like two weeks ago that my grocery store has a whole Mead display in the liquor section. Lot of different types. I should try some of them. Also @bigmike my mistake about the Zombie Killer thing, didn't know that distinction because I'm not familiar with the style, I just remember it being listed as a mead at the place I had it from lol
I am by no means a mead expert, but I do work a few minutes away from a producer (Melovino) that wins a few medals at the Mazer Cup every year, so I've at least had a chance to try a number of great meads. Similar to beer, there is a MAJOR difference in traditional meads and what's becoming the more popular, hyped up styles. If you are just getting started, I'd recommend just finding a simple, classic (honey only, no fruits/other adjuncts) traditional mead to at least get a baseline for what it is. If you like that, great, but even if you don't I wouldn't write mead off just yet. In addition to possibly finding some spiced or otherwise adjuncted meads you may like, almost all producers are putting out a number of super heavily fruited meads that taste drastically different from a more simple mead. As Mike mentioned, B Nektar strays pretty far from traditional stuff usually, but I'm fairly sure it's the most widely available option to most people and definitely worth trying. Also, it's not really that a lot of what they do "isn't" mead or anything like that, it's just that mead fall into a bunch of different styles. Cysers are still mead, they're just mead made with apple juice/cider. Melomels are still mead, they're just mead made with fruit, etc etc.
Hope I didn’t come across as a dick! I didn’t mean it in a snarky way, i 100% promise. Zombie Killer is tasty.
Definitely give that Midnight Jack at the bottom of your picture a shot. One of my favorites from them.