AMERICAN MEAD MAKER THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEAD MAKERS ASSOCIATION ISSUE 14.1 - SPRING 2014

MEAD LEGISLATION A Mead Industry Milestone Cold House, Warm Starter UC Davis Mead Making Course THe first of its Kind BEEKEEPING ENTREPRENEURS EXPAND inTO Selling MEAD AMMA AMERICAN MEAD MAKER Issue 14.1 - Spring 2014

FEATURES 06 BEE THINKING & MEAD MARKET Beekeeping Entrepreneurs 10 Expand into Mead ASK THE ATTORNY 06 with Cary Greene How to navigate the label 24 14 approval process Cold House, Warm Starter Fermenting in 16 winter weather A Mead Industry 20 Milestone The Mead Superstore and Tasting Room at Kookoolan World 18 Meadery Nosing Mead in the COLUMNS “Other” Glass A neat new drinking 3 Letter From The editor vessel 20 Letter from the president Mead Makers 4 Short Course at UC Davis MEAD LEGISLATION UPDATE 12 The first of its kind 13 ASK A MEADMAKER: 7c’s 24 Expert Pairing 28 AMMA Mead Industry Report Advice by Chrissie Manion 34 AMMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Zaerpoor 35 AMMA MEADERY LIST

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AMERICAN MEAD MAKER Issue 14.1 - Spring 2014

Editor LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Jeff Herbert Letter From The President [email protected] Jeff has been working as a Wildland and Structure Fire Fighter/Paramedic since 1999. He is a founding If you are a regular reader of American Mead Maker I am sittiing here enjoying a large annual meeting. It was well attended al mead member of AMMA and has owned and operated Su- you may have noticed that we skipped a season in the glass of Perry and pondering the by professional and amateur mead makers have perstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona since 2012. chronology of our quarterly journal. In order to be more events of the last year. It is hard to makers alike. The University taped already signed in step with the time we publish in, this is the Spring believe it has been 11 months since the entire event and tell us it will be on as speakers. Art Director 2014 issue. Just as the mead maker often adapts his or the last Annual Business Meeting. available online soon for a small fee. You can expect to see more about her production practices to perfect a certain batch, we At that first meeting the industry this event over the next couple of Paul V. Reiss adjusted the seasons. Spring 2014 is our most compre- came together in surprising numbers Following the Short Course we re- months. [email protected] hensive issue to date. We have advice from Ricky Klein of and officially formed the American ceived our first Lifetime Membership Paul runs a small multi-disciplinary design com- Groenfell Meadery on an aspect of cold weather mead Mead Makers Association. The from Darrel Corti of Corti Brothers, On a personal note I want to extend pany in Boston. He also manages Meadist.com, a making. AMMA’s President Chris Webber provides his media has taken notice by writing Grocers and Wine Merchants in my most sincere thanks and appre- mead-centric blog focused on expanding the appre- first address and contributed an excellent summary of many articles about the growth of Sacramento, CA . He also included ciation to everyone who has spent ciation of modern meadmaking. the Mead Maker’s Short Course where he spoke a few our industry bringing attention to a generous donation for our Legis- countless hours and resources in the weeks ago at UC Davis. Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor is more than a dozen new meaderies. lative Committee. Mr Corti was one cause of the Association. To Chris- Contributing Editor back with expert mead and food pairing suggestions. of the speakers for the Mead Mak- sie, for her abundant passion and Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor During the ensuing months the ers Short Course and clearly a huge energy leading the Legislative Com- [email protected] We also introduce AMMA’s legal council, Cary Greene, Legislative Committee, led by Chris- supporter of the mead industry. mittee and to Jeff Herbert (Supersti- Chrissie has been making mead since 1997. After 13 who is ready to answer your legal questions in fu- sie Zaerpoor (Kookoolan World tion Meadery, Prescott, AZ) for the years at Intel Corporation as an engineer and engi- ture issues of our journal. After more than a year Meadery, Yamhill, OR) met sever- All in all an phenominal and hours he and his team commited neering manager, she now owns Kookoolan Farms of collecting data from 2012 and 2013, AMMA pres- al times to formulate a defitinion productive first year. to creating what I believe is one of and Kookoolan World Meadery in Yamhill, Oregon. ents the first annual report tracking the mead indus- of mead, draft a letter to the TTB the best industry newsletters avail- try. I am sure you will be pleased with the results. requesting they adopt this defitin- Looking to the future, in less than a able. And finally, to my wife, Cher- Assistant Editor tion and retained Cary Greene of month we will have our 2nd Annual yl, who is not only the Association All of this and more awaits you in this fantastic issue, Davis, Wright, Tremaine to take Business Meeting in conjunction with Treasurer, she is a voice of reason, Jennifer Herbert and just in time for the 2014 AMMA annual meet- our voice to the regulating body. the Mazer Cup International Mead a source of motivation and way [email protected] ing and of course the world’s largest commercial For several months many of the Competition. A great cause to cele- too often a shoulder to cry on and Jennifer Herbert owns a Health and Safety consul- mead competition, the Mazer Cup International. leaders in the industry worked with brate our making it through anoth- fountain of strength when needed. tant business with several clients; and owns and the newly formed Honey and Pol- er year. All are welcome to attend, manages Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona. As I tip back a glass of Grenache/Syrah py- lination Center at UC Davis to help however , I must remind everyone I also want to thank all the Asso- ment, I would like to offer a toast to you create the first of its kind Mead that only members in good standing ciation members for their sup- Member Services and your mead making adventures. Makers Short Course, which took have the right to vote on issues be- port and belief in our cause. 6714 Lake Grove St SW place only a few weeks ago. The fore the Association so please submit Lakewood, WA 98499 See you in Boulder, course was the result of a conver- your dues in time for processing. 253.537.1050 Chris Webber sation between Frank Goldbeck We look forward to the Craft Bev- President American Mead [email protected] Jeff Herbert (Golden Coast Meadery, San Diego, erage Expo coming up this May 6-8 Makers Association CA) and Amina Harris, Director of in San Jose, CA. The Association is the Center, shortly before last years a partner in this event and sever-

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BEE THINKING & MEAD MARKET BEEKEEPING ENTREPRENEURS EXPAND inTO Selling MEAD

Matt Reed As we blogged about our home-built Bee Thinking & Mead Market hives, people from all over the coun- try began contacting us, interested in e are sometimes asked, buying hives. We realized that there by curious, slightly puz- was an untapped market for alterna- zled family and friends, tive hives so Matt built a website the how we got into bee- sales started. We named the busi- Wkeeping. To answer them we have ness Bee Thinking. Matt would work a romantic story that we tell, about well into the night constructing hives an exhausted bee found resting in in the garage, but was soon over- our kitchen that we fed honey to and whelmed. watched fly away. It’s a true story, but the deeper answer is: we both want- Soon we had a Portland-based mill ed to make a living doing something manufacturing for us, and in 2011 we could believe in. we rented our first retail/warehouse space in the Sellwood neighbor- We started beekeeping in 2008. Matt, hood. In 2012 we outgrew it, and my husband, inspired by the bee moved into our current location off found in our kitchen, wanted to start of Hawthorne boulevard, where we beekeeping, but as we did research sell beehives, beekeeping accessories, before we began the resounding honey, wax products, books, teach methods being urged upon us, mak- classes, and ship hives all over the ing use of chemicals, medications, world. It has given us tremendous and foundation, seemed counter satisfaction to spend our time and intuitive, illogical, and benefitting of working hours supplying beekeepers the keeper, not the bee. Wanting to with top-quality beekeeping supplies do things differently in our own back- and promoting bees and beekeeping Bee Thinking/Mead Market yard and for our bees, Matt began as well as educating our community 1551 SE Poplar Ave building lesser-known hive types: regarding these vital pollinators. Portland, OR 97214 foundationless Kenyan top bar hives, Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM and Warre hives, in our garage. Sun 12PM-5PM 877-325-2221 www.beethinking.com www.meadmarket.com

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Wanting to expand our retail selection and awareness of hive by-products, we recently began selling mead and opened a sister business, Mead Market. We knew that many of our customers were buying bee hives in order to harvest their own honey to make mead which dovetailed with our own interest in mead, with my background being in wine. Today we are Portland’s only mead retailer fo- cused entirely on mead. We feature an amazing, carefully curated selection of the meads we love and are proud to serve and sell. We provide complimentary tastings of three different meads every Friday-Sunday. The meads we feature range in country of origin and include: South Afri- ca, Austria, Poland, Sweden and Denmark, and, of course, many from the states. Soon we’ll also be shipping mead to customers throughout Oregon, California, and expanding into other states as we are able.

As our business grows and our customer base expands, we are constantly delighted by the people we meet, the passion people have for bees and beekeeping, and the ev- er-growing interest level for these amazing creatures and the hive by-products they provide. We feel blessed to make our living doing something in which we fervently believe.

Q&A with Matt Reed of BEE THINKING & MEAD MARKET

Should meadery owners contact you if they are looking for a new account with your mead market? Absolutely! We're working hard to bring more mead in from all over the world.

Are you guys looking for new products? We are looking for both mead products (we're also going to be selling mead making supplies online and in store) and bee-related products.

If so, what regulatory steps must be taken to ship and sell to you? Oregon allows direct shipping from out-of-state meaderies to our location. They need to fill out some quick paperwork to get a "Wine self-distribution permit" with the OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commis- sion) and it costs $100 per year. A number of the meads we sell are shipped directly to our facility, bypass- ing any distributors using this method.

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Formulas COLAs Because mead’s primary ingredient—honey—is some- Once you’ve got approved formulas, you can submit thing other than a fruit or grain, TTB classifies it, gener- your COLA applications, in accordance with FAA Act ally speaking, as “agricultural wine” for both FAA Act and regulations, in one of two ways: (1) by paper, using TTB IRC purposes. If malted barley or grain is part of to the Form 5100.31; or (2) by submitting an online application. product, TTB rules can shift it over to the “malt beverage” Online applications require an approved account. Wine category (as defined by the FAA Act) or the “beer” cate- labels must include certain mandatory information: gory (as defined by the IRC) with all relevant rules and regulations applied. •Brand Name. This is the name by which the product is marketed to consumers. It cannot include any mislead- I know, it’s bizarre that “beer” and “malt beverages” aren’t ing information, such as descriptions of the age, origin, synonymous, but, then again, neither are “mead” and identity, or other characteristics of the product. Ask the Attorney “honey wine.” Confusingly, mead can be “beer” for IRC purposes, but “wine” for FAA Act purposes. All the hair- • Class and Type. As mentioned previously, mead is splitting is enough to drive anyone crazy, but that’s the generally an FAA Act Agricultural Wine (Class 6), that is, with Cary Greene administrative world mead maker’s and TTB live in. a wine made from agricultural products other than fruit. Until there’s a policy change, “mead” can be shown on the IRC rules generally require mead, whether “agricultur- label, separately, as a Fanciful Name only if the product Dear Cary, al wine” or “beer,” to be produced in accordance with meets the IRC definition of “honey wine.” TTB seems confused when it comes to the difference between honey wine approved formulas (TTB Form 5120.29). Agricultural and mead and it’s taking me forever to get my label approvals. I’ve added wine formulas cannot use grain, cereal, malt, or molas- • Name and Address. This is a “bottled by” or “packed adjunct ingredients and flavors on the label and just want to get my approvals ses. If grain, cereal, malt or molasses are used, then beer by” statement followed by the bottler or packer name already. Help! formula rules apply. Agricultural wine formula rules also and address (city and state). It is also acceptable to in- prohibit use of artificial flavors or colors, only allowing clude “produced by,” but is not mandatory. - Contorted Over Label Anxiety fruit, natural sugars, or honey for sweetening. • Net Contents. Wines generally are bottled in 50 ml, 100 ml, 187 ml, 375 ml, 500 ml, 750 ml, 1 L, 1.5 L, or 3 L sizes. The trickiest detail though is that that TTB narrowly TTB rules allow wineries to bottle in other sizes (despite defines the agricultural wine known as “honey wine” for occasional insistence to the contrary), but the contents IRC formula and production purposes. TTB usually mis- have to be listed in milliliters. Okay, okay, so I wrote the Ask the life difficult (for the most part). The separate definitions, terms and takenly equates this formula and production definition Attorney question this time, including controlling law doesn’t allow mead to methods. They even have separate as defining “honey wine” and “mead” for FAA Act label Alcohol Content. Alcohol content must be stated in the bad COLA joke at the end, but fit anywhere neatly. The market has regulatory systems: (1) the FAA Act • purposes. There is no regulatory justification for this and terms of percentage of alcohol by volume, such as “Al- when it comes to TTB’s confusion developed ahead of the law, and TTB regulations, (27 CFR Part 4); and (2) no definition of “honey wine” or “mead” under FAA Act cohol __% by volume”. Both “alcohol” and/or “volume” over honey wine and mead, there’s is too understaffed to catch up with- the IRC regulations, (27 CFR Part 24). regulations, but absent help from mead maker’s TTB is can be abbreviated to “alc.” and/or “vol.” Alcohol content lots of frustrated mead makers out out some significant industry help. Sometimes producers and TTB forget likely to persist in its error. must not exceed levels dictated by your formula. there looking for answers. I should There are two statutes that restrict that there’s a distinction between Additional rules apply to non-mandatory information, but preface this by saying that this isn’t TTB’s jurisdiction—written at different the two systems. Even deep indus- I’ll leave that to a different article. meant to provide legal advice or times for entirely different purposes. try insiders borrow definitions and step-by-step instructions on applying language used for one purpose—say, for a TTB formula or COLA, I’m just • The first controls permits, sales, production—and apply it to another highlighting areas that need partic- labels and advertising. It’s called the purpose—say, labeling. Though the ular attention. You also won’t see Federal Alcohol Administration Act or two systems relate to each other, anything in this article directly relat- FAA Act; and borrowing is not really supposed to There are times where mead makers can and should ing to excise tax rates since that’s not happen, and the trick for any mead push back against arbitrary TTB distinctions. At the same Cary Greene is a food and beverage attorney with relevant to the COLA system. • The second controls production maker with a new product is to give time, TTB’s job is complicated in the case of mead, and the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. Greene and payment of taxes. It’s called the TTB the tools to keep the systems they have to follow rules that often require hairsplitting previously was the chief operating officer and general After reading this, you may have Internal Revenue Code, Chapter 51 or separate. because minor variances can make a significant differ- counsel of WineAmerica, the National Association of a better sense of TTB’s dilemma, IRC. ence to the product that greets consumers on the shelf. American Wineries. though. Their job isn’t easy and TTB So, without further ado, here’s agents aren’t being obstinate to make The two statutes operate completely The Rules of the Road as They Can be If you have questions about when and how to push back, He can be reached at [email protected]. independent of each other using Divined. you can always reach out to AMMA or DWT.

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How did you get into making mead? What other products do you produce? When we were planning and researching opening We produce around 12 grape wines also. From a winery we were visiting wineries and making Dry to Sweet and everywhere in between wines as amateurs. in the process we came across mead. We were so taken with the flavor and histo- What works best for 7C’s when selling ry of mead, so we decided to try making it. mead to new mead drinkers? Tasting is the best - many people have had When did you start your company? meads that they don’t like in the past - also We started the company in 2005 and continued letting them know we do a traditional wine style our research and planning. We started building in not a beer style mead. MEAD LEGislation UPDATE 2008 and opened for business July 4th 2009. What lessons learned would you share What challenges did you overcome in with fellow meadery owners? Your AMMA Working for You starting your business? Be patient - age, fine and filter your meads prop- We went from living in Las Vegas to moving to erly Missouri and taking bare ground to an operating winery in 18 months What changes have you seen in the mead industry? Has your company experienced growth in It is growing, people are looking for new things sales, staff or production capacity? and for most mead is new. Purity law contrasted with the wacky inputs with the Committee. Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor The mead has been much more popular than we When we started there was only one mead pro- and wonderful beer flavors in the Kookoolan World Meadery had originally expected - we estimated it was going ducer in Missouri and they do about 4 meads a U.S. enabled by the growth of the We also need your help financially. to be 10%-15% of our business but it is almost year. We produce 8-10 or more a year. There is microbrewery industry over the past While none of us is able to take on 50% and we are expanding production to accom- now 2-3 other wineries that are now producing a mong the reasons for the twenty years. the financial and time commitment modate the demand. mead or two. AMMA being founded in the of individually influencing the TTB first place is a desire to influ- Membership on the committee to change codes, as a professional What are your most popular products? What do you think the mead industry ence the U.S. Alcohol Tax and requires appointment by the AMMA consortium sharing in the work and could do to raise awareness and sales ATrade Bureau code, which has not Board of Directors. Participation (the sharing the costs, we can eventually All of our meads fall into that category. Of those nationally? kept up with the industry. We wish to ability to influence and participate move mountains together. Clover, Wildflower and Mid-Life Crisis (Honey influence the code to enable, rather in Committee conversations without and blackberries) are the most popular. However Work on quality. The biggest complaints we get than stifle, the growth and broaden- having actual authority to vote) is at The AMMA Board of Directors has our After Burn (Clover with jalapeño) and Hades about other meads is the bad aftertaste, syrupy ing of the U.S. mead industry. the pleasure of the committee. We approved retaining attorney Cary Ambrosia (Clover with habanero) are very popular sweet (better used on pancakes), cloudy and are actively seeking your input on Greene of Davis Wright Tremaine law also. yeasty. Not a one-time project, but rather a what legal, code, and labelling issues firm, and for this we need your finan- long-term building of relationship, are important to YOU and to YOUR cial support. should enable more consistent label business. approvals, more consistent definition You can mail a check for $100 or of the words “mead’ and “honeywine,” It is the committee’s sincere intent $200 payable to Amercian Mead Mak- legal broadening of the category sim- to represent the entire mead indus- ers Association, with a note on the ilar to the difference try, and to do that effectively, we “for” line that this is for the Legislative between, say, the need your input and help in crafting Committee, and mail your check to constraints of the committee’s goals and priori- AMMA, 6714 Lake Grove Street NW, the German ties. Please send an email with your Lakewood, WA 98449, or you can de- Brewing thoughts directly to me at kookool- posit funds directly into Wells Fargo [email protected], and I will share your Account number 1660927920.

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Cold House, Warm Starter Fermenting in winter weather

Ricky Klein metabolic warmth he generates from of Cooling will probably allow for a • Choose a cold tolerant yeast. If you Groenfell Meadery being alive. When asked whether he’s healthy fermentation without too can’t warm the vessel, why not try a ever suffered from hypothermia, he much trouble. lager yeast? They love cold tempera- tends to respond, “Suffered from? No. tures! Anywhere between 45F and It’s cold in Vermont today. Tonight it’s Find the warmest part of your house. going to be very cold. Next week it’s I’ve participated in hypothermia on • 60F is their jam. numerous occasions, however.” Just because you can see your breath supposed to be very, very cold. in the bedroom and it’s hard to apply • Don’t worry about it. Slow and mascara with all that frost on the sluggish isn’t always a bad thing. After For those of you who are from warm- This might be possible for Ricky and his perhaps overly-understanding bathroom mirror, it doesn’t mean all, honey isn’t all that expensive and er climates, here’s a quick explana- that it isn’t toasty warm next to your what’s more fun than an experimen- tion: If your car starts with just a little spouse, but cold temperatures are a no-go for yeast. At lower tempera- old oil burning furnace. See if there’s tal batch? Pitch that yeast and see bit of complaining, it’s probably just a temperate spot in your home. what happens. cold out. If you can’t wear jeans any- tures, mead fermentation becomes sluggish, sometimes even inefficient more because the denim will freeze • Warm your fermenter directly. • Brew at the right time of year. It and crack, then it’s most likely very, to a point where it begins producing off flavors. There are many products on the may sound silly, but back in his very cold. Vermont children start market from heat belts to warming homebrew days, Ricky just brewed complaining somewhere between trays for buckets and carboys. Others seasonally: Ales in the spring, Bel- the two. Over the years, however, Ricky has come up with numerous solutions to opt to place their buckets in an un- gians in the summer, ciders and plugged fridge with an incandescent meads in the fall, and lagers in the Now, why does this matter to you as his frigid fermentation conundrum. We present, in no particular order: bulb. All of these can be attached to a winter. a meadmaker? Well, it doesn’t unless temperature controller to keep your you happen to be like our meadmak- mead from getting too warm. • Spend an enormous amount of er: Stingy. Ways to Make Mead When Your money on a glycol unit which can Home is 52 Degrees Fahrenheit • Admit that your mead is more im- heat or cool your jacketed conical Our meadmaker abides by the belief • Insulate the heck out of your portant to you than your family, and fermentation vessel. This is what the that paying to heat his apartment fermenter. If your must (aka honey only heat the house when you have pros do. Just thought it should be is a sign of moral weakness. This water solution) goes in at 75F, and an active fermentation going. Well, thrown in for good measure. is no joke, Ricky attempts to keep you wrap lots of blankets around it might not make you popular, but his home warm through the winter the fermenter, a combination of this is certainly not unheard of in the Hope one of these works out for you. exclusively by making soup three metabolic activity and Newton’s Law homebrew world. If not, well, you could always move to times a week on his stove and the Arizona.

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ones, and who are the salesmen with mentioned big distributor, but the some interest and curiosity about published availability list didn’t even mead? And which ones just think I’m show those as available! There were a weirdo? I would never have had also Braggots and cysers hiding in the this visibility without our expansion beer and cider sections of the portfo- into superstore! lios of various distributors, with the account reps not being well-trained What I learned is that the largest dis- enough to recognize that those were tributors also have the largest port- in there. folios of meads, but because they are so large, their beer, cider, and So although it was outside of my wine businesses overwhelm mead original business plan, I think I have in terms of gross sales, and there- a mead-only distributorship in my fu- fore in terms of attention. One big ture. The real challenge of being CEO distributor in particular has a terrific of your own business is to have the A Mead Industry Milestone portfolio, but I have been frustrated vision and steering of setting busi- that there have been several meads I ness goals and driving toward those, have ordered in several consecutive while at the same time being flexible The Mead Superstore and Tasting Room weeks only to be told those meads and creative enough to recognize a are not stocked. clear opportunity and be ready to change direction. Stay tuned. And at Kookoolan World Meadery Additionally, I have found out in the meantime please look into through contacting several out-of- getting your meadery licensed for state meaderies that their meads are Oregon sales so that I can get your allegedly distributed by the afore- lovely meads into my tasting room!

Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor Oregon wineries to self-distribute winery or brewery in the U.S. directly, Kookoolan World Meadery within the State of Oregon, as well as provided they are licensed to ship to directly retail via a tasting room, in into the State of Oregon. This dis- On November 23, 2013, Kookoolan addition to being licensed to produce tributor licensing is fairly complex for World Meadery’s tasting room ex- alcohol. While this likely does not me to obtain, but trivially easy and ploded with an expansion into Mead apply in all states, winery licensing in inexpensive for you (the out-of-state Superstore. Kookoolan World Mead- Oregon specifically allows the winery meadery) to obtain (see sidebar). Al- ery is a mead-only tasting room and to buy, blend, and sell, any wine, or though there are several distributors superstore with more than 100 dif- beer in addition to labels produced in Oregon with meads in their portfo- ferent Meads on the shelves for sale, by the winery itself. lio, none is really specializing in mead, and about 30 open for tasting on any This means that by working with local and the distributor with the largest given day. Customer response has distributors, Kookoolan World Me- number of meads in their portfolio been amazing: way above my hopes. adery is able to buy all meads legally has much more attention and exper- Oregon’s OLCC licensing allows available in the State of Oregon, and tise for craft beers and ciders than offer them for tasting they have for meads. and retail in our tasting Before our expansion into the super- room. store, I was waffling on the question Buying direct (i.e. not of whether to work with a distributor, through distributors) and if so which one. Having a buying from out-of-state win- account with each of these distribu- eries turns out to also tors has allowed me a unique oppor- be possible, requiring tunity to “interview” them through us to obtain additional the eyes of their buying customers: licensing as a “Whole- which ones have great portfolios of sale Malt Beverage meads? Does the distributor actually and Wine License.” have these meads available in stock? This licensing, which I If not, how fast do they reorder to am legally allowed to satisfy the end customer’s request? hold in addition to my Which ones return their phone calls winery license, allows and keep their delivery commit- me to become a fully ments? Also, who are the terrific licensed distributor as salesmen and who are the mediocre well, buying from any

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but strangely, with no on consider- In 2003, a simple shaping mistake aromas behind to be inhaled and ation to basic glassware design to in a glass blowing studio led to a savored without nose numbing alco- improve aromas by dissipating the discovery that glassware design can hol. The flared rim also locates the alcohol. enhance nosing, tasting, and flavor nose above the quickly exiting plane perception of alcohol beverages just of alcohol escaping over the rim. You When scotch became popular in the by shifting the alcohol aroma away still get the taste of the alcohol on sixties, the Scots realized that Amer- from your nose. the palate, but you saved your nose icans could not handle the strong for better evaluation. aroma of alcohol on the nose, and The simple explanation is that all spe- suggested that spirits drinkers don’t cific aromas are made up of different That discovery led to the NEAT glass, swirl. This little tactic did wonders molecules, with different molecular engineered and patented over a peri- for the sale of scotch, and it quickly weights. Adding a narrow “neck” to od of nine years and finally released gained a foothold in the US. The the glass slightly compresses the in 2012. Embodying all the scientific problem is you can’t smell anything aromas as they pass through. When principles discussed above, the NEAT without evaporation, and evapora- the mixture of different aromas glass is the epitome of form follows Nosing Mead in the tion is enhanced by swirling, which is compressed or condensed, the function. It’s not just about the drink- exposes more surface area to the lighter, simpler alcohol molecules ing of mead, it’s about the total expe- atmosphere. move faster, and when released by rience, with enjoyment enhanced by “Other” Glass a flared rim, they actually run for the glassware designed with a purpose. In the past few decades, largely due exit (over the edge of the rim) very You be the judge. to the maturation of the wine indus- fast, leaving slower moving heavier try, awareness of aromas has made A neat new drinking vessel the olfactory part of drinking alcohol beverages much more important to the consumer, and today, everybody swirls everything, to ensure they are As to bowl shape, convergent rim can possibly do justice to the evalua- George getting the total experience from glassware design has been the most tion task that quickly. Arsilica Inc their drink. Try evaluating mead popular, supporting the belief that without swirling. It just doesn’t do all aromas should be collected at the In addition, the alcohol molecule has justice to the beautiful aromas, but Thousands of years before Talei- nose in a small opening to ensure a peculiar shape which allows it to neither does a snoot-full of ethanol sin wrote the song of mead in 550 none are missed. On the surface “pose” as other molecules, and under alcohol. AD, and ever since, that voluptuous that seems to be good logic, but on the “lock and key” theory of olfactory fermentation has been drunk from deeper examination, we realize that sense, the alcohol molecule fits into Most winemakers believe wine is the almost every conceivable vessel all the olfactory hindering alcohol is many more of your olfactory sensors, most complex, containing the widest imaginable. also collected right at the rim where blocking out other aromas. Man has variety of alcohol beverage aromas. you smell. adapted his whole attitude toward Mead encompasses the wider variety Drinking vessel shape was developed drinking alcohol beverages to circum- of fruit, and the endless aromas from to accomplish three basic tasks; (1) Alcohol is an anesthetic, and numbs vent, or lessen the effects of alcohol the honey of wildflowers, and is not hold the liquid while it is transferred and burns the nose, making it incred- on the nose. limited solely to fermentation of the from the jug to the mouth, (2) easy ibly difficult to evaluate any more grape. The mead nose has to be well handling and drinking, and (3) style than 5 or 6 samples at a single sitting These adaptations include everything trained and sharp to detect, evaluate, and appearance. The first two are (commonly called olfactory fatigue). from using the hand to waft the and classify the huge variety of nota- usually taken for granted today, and The next time you see some “hotshot” aromas from the glass to the nose, ble aromas, not to mention the range the third reason, appearance, is the evaluator quickly moving down a line adding water to hinder evaporation, of alcohol percentages. So why not major motivation for glassware sales. of 10 samples in rapid succession, “sneaking up” on the glass in succes- take advantage of simple science to Stems were added early in the evolu- just remember that it takes roughly sively closer sniffs to acclimate to the dissipate the alcohol away from the tion of vessel design to help control 5-10 minutes for the mucous liner in nose, and sniffing with mouth open nose to prevent numbness and nose spillage in heavier goblets, and to the olfactory to replace itself so new to reduce the strong alcohol whiff. fatigue and allow the most subtle raise the bowl so it would catch more aromas can be properly detected and Everything imaginable has been used aromas to be detected by the nose. light and “sparkle” in glass vessels. evaluated. There is no way anyone to make bad glassware work better,

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Mead Makers Short Course at UC Davis: The first of its kind An Epic ENDEVOUR & A Resounding Success

Chris Webber event will mark the turning point for Their goal is to be ‘Zero Waste’ and 75 seat RMI Sensory Theater. At first AMMA President Mead. off the grid. there was concern that the course A little over a year ago RMI started would not draw enough participants. So, how do I even begin to describe Let me begin with a little background a new department called the Hon- In the end every seat filled and there the recent Mead Makers Short for those few who are not already ey and Pollination Center (http:// is now a waiting list of an additional Course at UC Davis this last February? up to speed. UC Davis is the premier honey.ucdavis.edu/) with the goal of two dozen individuals for next year’s Epic? How about historic? On the wine school in the United States. I research and education in all things course. level of the Judgment in Paris historic! think it would be safe to say that related to honey, pollen and bees. The significance may not be realized the Robert Mondavi Institute (RMI) Its new director, Amina Harris, was The wine faculty embraced this am- for many years to come, but like the for Wine and Food Science is the Ivy speaking at an event where Frank bitious endeavor including dedicat- League Golbeck of Golden Coast Meadery ing a bank of fermentors, normally of wine was in attendance. They talked and used to make wine, for the purpose Amina Harris, Director, Honey and Pollination Center, UC Davis schools. a few weeks later Frank pitched the of conducting the first ever univer- The Teach- idea of a Mead Makers Short Course sity research trials on mead. Eight ing and at the 1st Annual AMMA Business basic meads were made using six Research Meeting in Boulder, CO. The mem- different varietals of honey, which Winery and bership took to the idea like bees to each participant had the opportu- the August pollen. nity to sample and critique. All the A. Busch meads were started at the same Brix III Brewing Over the course of the next ten level and fermented at 20 C to dry or and Food months Amina worked with indus- as dry as they would go using Lalvin Science try leaders, including Vicky Rowe EC-1118 yeast. Laboratory (GotMead.com), Ken Schramm (The are the only Compleat Meadmaker), Mike Faul The first two meads were made with LEED Plati- (Rabbit’s Foot Meadery), Petar Bakulic wildflower honey. To one was added num Certi- (The Mazer Cup International) and DAP and to the other, Fermaid-K fied winery/ yours truly (American Mead Makers ®. Everyone noticed a marked brewery in Association) to put together a three difference in the aroma and flavor the Unit- day event focused on mead produc- of the two samples noting that the Chris Webber, Ken Schramm & Mike Faul discussion on Getting Started in the Mead Industry ed States. tion and marketing, the mead indus- Fermaid-K ® added some desirable Judgment in Paris, which had a huge (Learn more about LEED Platinum try and what the future holds. qualities to the mead. The second Inside the winery at UC Davis impact on the long term growth of here: http://www.usgbc.org/projects/ Invitations went out to both the pair of meads was made using the American wine industry, so this uc-davis-brewery-winery-and-food) mead and honey industry to fill the Spring Wildflower honey. A single

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first was a guided tasting led by Mr. •Dr Eric Mussen, Cooperative Exten- Darrell Corti, President of Corti Broth- sion Apiculturist, Dept of Entomology ers, Grocers and Wine Merchants in & Nematology Sacramento. On the table were seven excellent commercial meads. Two •Dr Andrew Waterhouse, Professor, traditional meads from Mountain Dept of Viticulture and Enology Meadows Meadery, a sweet and a semi-sweet; a traditional dry from •Chik Brenneman, Winemaker & Sky River Mead; A pyment from BOS Manager, LEED Platinum Teaching & Mead; a Schramm’s Mead Dry Black- Research Winery, Dept of Viticulture berry Melomel; a Celestial Mead and Enology Fully automated small batch research fermentors. Cyser; and a braggot from Rabbit’s ident of The Mazer Cup International each subject was covered. Unfortu- Foot Meadery. The second tasting •Dr David Block, Professor & Chair, Mead Competition; Ken Schramm, nately (or fortunately, depending on was an afterhour’s social event where Dept of Viticulture and Enology Co-founder of The Mazer Cup Inter- your perspective) there were more everyone had brought samples of national Mead Competition, author of questions than UC Davis staff had their meads to share. There was •Dr Linda Bisson, Professor & Geneti- The Compleat Meadmaker and owner answers for. much revelry and fellowship and cist, Dept of Viticulture and Enology of Schramm’s Mead; Mike Faul, owner many friendships were made. of Rabbit’s Foot Meadery; and myself, Dr Bamforth, in his keynote address, •Dr Robert Boulton, Professor, Dept of Founder and current President of the explained how there is an online In the end Mrs. Harris explained Viticulture and Enology American Mead Makers Association, resource that university instructors that the University had recorded the and owner of Dragon’s Lair Country use to gather data on a given subject whole of the event and that within Inside the winery at UC Davis •Dr Anita Oberholster, Cooperative Wines and Meads. as they prepare a talk. In most cases a week or so the video, along with Extension Specialist in Enology, Dept batch was made then divided into Florida Tupelo, and Orange Blossom of Viticulture and Enology Some of the subjects covered were two samples. The first sample was honey respectively. These meads Honey Bees, a Status Report; Vari- left plain while the second sample demonstrated primarily the differ- •Dr Jim Lapsley, Adjunct Professor, etal Honeys: Tasting and Science; was back sweetened with 1 g/L of ences in the honey varietals. Dept of Viticulture and Enology Nutrients and Processing; Filtration: honey and balanced with .5 g/L of A very interesting and entertaining The Mystery; Winery Design; Aromas Tartaric acid. The quality of the sec- talk was given by keynote speaker, Dr •Dr Shermain Hardesty, Cooperative and Flavors; Cost of Production; and ond mead was greatly improved with Charlie Bamforth, Anheuser-Busch Extension Specialist, Dept of Agricul- Financing a Meadery. The final dis- this slight addition. Endowed Professor of Malting and ture & Resource Economics cussion was on Problems Facing the The remaining four meads were Brewing, on the Merits and Mission Industry speakers included Petar Mead Making Industry. made with Meadowfoam, Blackberry, of Mead. Other speakers included: Bakulic, Co-founder and current Pres- Not all of the attendees, as one would expect, were commercial mead makers. At least half were home brewers merely looking to improve their craft. Participants came from all corners of the United States and as far away as Canada and Argentina. It was very exciting to see how engaged everyone was with all Commercial Meads made ready for tasting the speakers. There were so many pertinent questions and lively discus- they will be inundated with White all the Power Point ® slides and sions. Papers, Doctoral Thesis and a pleth- research notes, would be posted on ora of articles. When he searched for a secure website. People can then Many of the speakers were im- mead he found only about twenty purchase an access code by which pressed by how everyone was in papers or references. There just they can view all the material. The there seats and ready to learn a half doesn’t seem to be a lot of research access information was not available an hour before the first talk began. out there when it comes to Mead. by the deadline for publishing, but Something they apparently rarely ex- will be made available through the perienced with their normal classes. On the second day of the event were AMMA website. Also the general air of excitement as two opportunities to taste mead. The

The Robert Mondavi Institute Sensory Theater where most of the classes were presentedrden.

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Rieslings, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, creamy cheese. Or crème brulee, of hop bitterness, loads of caraway and Sauvignon Blanc, especially when cheesecake, homemade vanilla ice seeds, and a whopping 21.8% alcohol. oak has been involved. I’m seeing a cream, chocolate cake, berry tarts. Reviews on ratebeer.com are fairly trend toward more delicate, more middling, but this mead flies out of dry meads as being considered in our Sweet meads cut the heat our tasting room. Think braised pork, modern American culture as being in spicy foods for some braised cabbage, caramelized onions, more elegant than richer or sweet- really amazing pairings. dark rye bread, and lots of butter. er meads, and something of a bias 3 Start simple with traditional I’ve also paired this gorgeously with that a mead is going to be a delicate, (honey-only) meads, and then as your a very rich Paula Deen recipe for low-bodied beverage, perhaps more confidence in pairings improves, you biscuits and gravy, for brunch no less. so with the wide distribution of Red- can try fruited and spiced meads in Fuller-bodied, sweeter, and stronger stone Meads, which are lighter, drier, this category of pairings as well. Try meads are also outstanding with and lower in alcohol that many other spicy BBQ meats, Indian curries, mid- goose and duck. mead styles. Some really terrific dle Eastern harissas, spicy chicken meads are all of these things: light, wings, and white-hot Szechuan, Mon- Choose flavors that typical- elegant, delicate, and very white wine golian, Latin American, and Ethiopian ly occurs in a given ethnic like. dishes. (Note that the classic ethnic cuisine, and then use the pairing of Ethiopian Tej and spicy 5 mead, rather than the food, These Meads are best served lightly Ethiopian food falls in this category, to carry that ingredient into the meal. chilled at cellar temperature, 55 to and note that honey is often an ingre- These examples are from Brad Dahl- 65 degrees Farenheit, and paired dient in BBQ sauce and other highly hofer of B.Nektar Meadery: try a ba- with classic white wine cuisines: fish, spiced foods,) In particular Bour- sil mead paired with Italian foods, or chicken, other poultry, pasta with bon-barrel-aged traditional meads, a coriander mead paired with Indian lighter tomato or cream sauces; mild- paired with haute cuisine Southern foods. In the same vein, try holiday er cheeses; lighter fare such as salads, BBQ anything. seasonal meads containing pie spices savory crepes, pastry appetizers, with squash and pumpkin (think chicken cordon bleu, and so forth. A Pair big meads with big outside the holiday box: not just specific example that knocked my foods. Perhaps the big- with pumpkin pie, but with pumpkin socks off as one of the most sublime gest, loudest, most widely tempura, delicate squash sliced sim- mead pairings I’ve ever had in my 4 available mead is from ply fried in olive oil like pancakes, or life: Try “Buckthorne Buzz” rapeseed the Danish Dansk Mjod Meadery: oven-roasted winter squash chunks mead from Mjodhamnen Meadery in their Kapojster Mead contains lots brushed with butter and sage). Try Sweden (imported in the U.S. by Shel- ton Brothers – they are very respon- n this issue of American Mead sive, you can call them to find out Maker, instead of a specific recipe, where this mead may be available I have more general suggestions near you) paired with saffron risotto for mead and food pairings. Since Expert Pairing Advice or paella. Iopening our new Mead Superstore Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor Assume the Mead will be in late November, I’ve been enjoying Kookoolan World Meadery more meads, more often, and in sweet and treat it like a des- more contexts, than ever before in sert wine. While many of us my life. or mead with my meals, I’m instead Mead and food pairings, both the 2 cringe at the common preju- pouring three or four one-ounce winners that I have personally expe- dice that mead will be cloyingly sweet, We typically have about thirty differ- pours and bringing those several rienced, and the advice I am finding we should all recognize that this is a ent meads open for tasting on any tasting glasses to the table with me. posted all over the web, generally common starting place for consum- given day. The mead tasting room is seems to fall into several categories. ers’ assumptions, and it is also true an addition at the back of our farm- I’ve been doing a lot of research into that many lovely meads are quite house, which means my commute pairings lately, both my personal Treat Mead as a white wine. sweet. Classic dessert-wine pair- home for lunch is walking through field research in my own dining room, These pairing suggestions ings include an after-dinner cheese an interior door back into my house. and also doing a lot of reading for tend to be European-centric: plate, perhaps with a high-quality Obviously the opportunities for pair- breadth and depth. What follows this 1 think French, German, and blue cheese such as an authentic ing multiple meads with both lunch month is something of a “literature Italian white wines. And the analogy Roquefort or one of the outstanding and dinner every day have exploded, review” of mead and food pairing is easy to understand: for classic, tra- blues from Oregon’s Rogue Creamery, and I’ve barely touched a beer or a ideas. If you have some real winners, ditional (unflavored, honey-only), dry plus a Brie or other surface-ripened glass of grape wine in weeks. Most please email me at kookoolan@gmail. to medium-sweet meads, there are cheese, plus a sharp cheese such as days, instead of a full glass of wine com! a lot of similarities to Chardonnays, a cheddar or Gruyere, plus a sweet

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lavender meads with food recipes with two different sparkling meads from Provence. Very especially: try d. Irish and celtic simple country from Heidrun: The differences in the rhodomels with Persian food (my foods of lamb and potatoes, and varietal honeys are brought into very husband is Persian so we eat lots of colcannon (a simple one-pan dish sharp focus this way. Persian food in ou household: trust of potatoes and kale); and fisher- me, rhodomels go well with every sin- man fare of salmon, trout, mussels, A very surprising pairing that I came gle recipe in the Persian repertoire), and oysters. Is there a high quality up with a couple weeks ago was a and apricot meads with Turkish export mead fro Ireland? If there is I simple raw vegetable crudité plate foods. Blackberry meads with Ameri- haven’t found it yet so please let me (mine that night was radishes, red can Pacific Northwest cuisine such as know about it. Heathered homebrew peppers, carrots, and snow peas) salmon, hazelnuts, and chanterelle meads are terrific with Irish, Celtic, paired with the Avocado Blossom mushrooms. Scottish, and Welsh foods. Tradition- Sparkling Mead. The herbal and veg- al Beef Wellington is outstanding with etal flavors in the avocado blossom Go back to historical roots: a medium-sweet traditional mead, or honey played back and forth beauti- places where mead took with a heathered mead. fully with the fragrant raw vegetables, firm hold in a cuisine’s his- and the vegetables really highlighted 6 tory are often places where e. Scandinavian foods, particular- these herbal earthy notes in the the cuisine grew up paired with ly fresh and smoked seafood, and mead. We consumed a mountain mead, and these are also often plac- game. Specific examples include of raw vegetables (and a few glass- es where mead is still more heavily smoked and salted fish (especially es of mead) during a movie night at consumed than in other parts of the smoked salmon, or gravlax, some- home, and never missed the popcorn. world, meaning the modern dishes times made with spices; venison and Mead that gets you to happily eat in that cuisine are more likely to have elk. Swedish meatballs over fettucine more raw vegetables? Now that’s a kept up their marriage with mead. noodles with mead are terrific. Ling- terrific pairing. The cuisines of sub-Saharran Africa onberry pancakes offer many lovely (especially Ethiopia), Poland, Celtic/ pairing possibilities with mead, as do I hope that you have enjoyed these Irish cuisine, Nordic/Scandinvian traditional desserts pastries made tips and I look forward to hearing cuisine are specific examples: with cardamom and poppy seeds. from you about your own mead and Try pairing Scandinavian foods with food pairing adventures! a. Polish meads tend to run sweet, the bigger “Dansk” brand meads and the Poles produce more mead from Denmark, or the more delicate per capita and win lots of awards. All “Mjodhamner” meads from Sweden. Eastern European food pairings that I’ve attempted with mead have been Treat fruit meads similarly successes: many are based on pork, to wines made from the whose rich, sweet meat seems made same fruits, for example a for mead. Czech, Polish, Hungarian, 7 raspberry mead pairs well Austrian, and Ukranian foods gener- with chocolate desserts; cysers can ally. frequently be used in place of hard ciders both as ingredients and as b. All Ethiopian food pairs well with pairings. Tej, which generally is homebrewed rather than commercial. The brut-dry cham- pagne-style meads of c. Mediterranean cuisine: look to Heidrun Meadery in Point the flavors of all countries that rim 8 Reyes, California, widely the perimeter of the Mediterranean. available, can be used anywhere Lamb, cousous, stuffed grapes leaves, champagnes would be used. But dates and figs, olives, and baklava all each of their meads is made from pair wonderfully with a wide variety a single variety honey, and as we of mead styles. In fact lamb, like know, each honey variety has its pork, is an ingredient that seems to own flavor profile. For a very haute work well with just about any mead cuisine opening of your next dinner you pair it with. party, try high-end charcuterie paired

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American Mead Makers Association’s First Annual Mead Industry Report

"Map Created by Robert Allison, using SAS software"

If you are reading this report then perspective as it is placed into the agricultural products such as honey onsite and a brewery can use fruit panding impact of the mead industry you are likely aware of the incredi- larger context of the entire US alcohol and other sugars. Special ingredients juice or honey in brewing but not in as a whole. So we can say that in 2014 there are ble resurgence of mead in America. beverage industry. Nearly all styles of can also be added as long as they are the absence of those cereal grains 150 meaderies in the United States The world’s most popular beverage mead are produced in a winery. This approved by the formulation division that define the brewing process. with several more being planned. throughout most of recorded histo- is because the federal government of the Tax and Trade Bureau. Mead Producers Of those 150 meaderies only 25 are ry nearly died out after the Middle classifies honey as an agricultural Finally, and worth mentioning is the members of the American Mead Ages but now counts as the smallest product which when fermented in the This brings us to a style of mead ris- small but now established role mead We have now identified that wineries, Makers Association which was only but fastest growing segment of the absence of cereal grains, is classified ing in popularity, know as a braggot. plays in distilled spirits. Most large breweries and even distilleries are formed in October of 2011. There American alcohol beverage industry. into one of several categories such A braggot can be considered to be distillers offer a bourbon, whiskey making commercial mead in varying have been previous attempts to orga- Last year the American Mead Makers as an “Agricultural,” “High Fermenta- both a beer and a mead depending or vodka flavored with honey but styles and to different ends. One nize the world of commercial mead Association began the first research tion” or “Other than Standard” wine. on who is telling the story and the small craft distilleries are now making question that changes constantly is making but AMMA is rallying mead project to track the mead industry on These categories are often confusing percent of fermentable sugars deriv- mead and distilling that honey wine “How many meaderies are there?” makers across America and taking an annual basis. The “Mead Indus- to both professional mead makers ing from either honey or cereal grains as the original fermentable ingredi- When writing his business plan in action on issues that directly affect try Survey” was created to record and the governing body, the Alcohol such as barley. One of America’s ent in never before seen commercial 2011, Jeff Herbert of Superstition Me- our industry on a scale that has never production and sales data on 2012 and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, most successful meaderies, Rabbit’s products. In Seneca Falls, New York adery in Prescott, Arizona was able to existed. Meadery founders require a information. The same survey was a division of the US Department of Foot, is able to make award winning the Martin Family of bee keepers be- identify 60 meaderies in America with uniquely independent entrepreneur- administered in January of 2014 to re- the Treasury. Due to this convoluted braggots as they operate both a gan the Montezuma Winery focusing several additional wineries or brewer- ial business acumen. cord 2013 industry data. The results system, the American Mead Makers winery and a brewery. This newly on mead and fruit wines in 1999. ies making at least one mead. So far, we will present in this report are eye Association is working through our re-discovered style of craft beverage a “Meadery” is defined by the Amer- The rigorous demands of operating opening and will no doubt serve to legislative committee to restructure is present in the line-up of large craft In 2008 they opened the Hidden ican Mead Makers Association as a a start-up in an industry with no blue inspire current and future commer- the federal classification of mead breweries such as Dogfish Head’s Marsh Distillery and now offer a licensed winery that primarily focuses print for success, combined with that cial mead makers to continue making styles to reflect commonly accepted “Bitches Brew” and Rogue’s “Big Ass product called BEE Vodka made from on making various styles of mead, or independent spirit, may contribute to great mead for the millions of Ameri- terminology among the mead making Barrel Braggot.” Eugene, Oregon even local honey. Ed Tiedge owns Stillthe- honey wine. A “Mead Producer” can a lone wolf mentality. We believe the can craft beverage aficionados. and mead drinking communities. has a new brewery called the Viking One Distillery in Port Chester, New be a winery or brewery that makes at time for going it alone as a meadery Braggot Company which only makes York and makes the “Comb” product least one style of mead. Using these is behind us in the story of the evolu- This results in a meadery first being braggots. line of vodka, gin, and brandy dis- definitions, in 2014 the American tion of our industry. Mead is quietly What Defines Mead? a winery that has the legal ability to tilled exclusively from mead. So while Mead Makers Association has iden- booming and our industry has just ferment the sugars found in fruits So in tracking the mead industry we these distilled products are not mead tified 194 total mead producers with caught the beginning of a tidal wave. In order to understand the mead such as the grapes in wine and have to consider the regulation that once they leave the still, they begin as 150 of those classified as a “Mead- As we track the mead industry in the industry singularly we must first find apple juice in hard cider, and certain a winery can not have cereal grains mead and are contributing to the ex- ery.” coming years we are confident that

28 | MEADMAKERS.ORG AMMA | 29 AMMA we will fill in the map of meaderies in the US. engaged in the practice of “Custom 623. He also writes that that number and that is something very exciting. Crush” which is where a winery is expected by their industry to grow But 130%, that is astounding. The Alcohol Industry Groups business pays a bonded winery to to 750 by the end of this year. American Mead Makers Association produce a product for their unique is proud to proclaim that mead is the The wine and craft beer industries brand. The same report states that smallest but fastest growing segment have organized to form the Brewers the total number of wineries in- Consumer Preferences of the entire US alcohol business. US Meadery Average Cases Produced 2012-2013 Association, The Wine Institute, Wine creased from 6,357 in 2009 adding America and many other regional 1141 wineries in just 3 years. Americans are speaking out with While volume and sales are arguably and statewide groups. Consolidating their purchasing choices. They want the most interesting data to emerge efforts through political organization, to understand how their food and Meaderies account for just 2% of all from the Mead Industry Surveys, 1000 media relations and exchanges of wineries in the US but that statis- beverages are produced and where additional quantifiable and qualifi- successful business practices bene- tic has tripled over the same time they are sourced from. They are curi- able information is remarkable. The 823 fits every member involved in their period. According to the Brewers ous and value quality and flavor over average number of employees has in- industry. As mead becomes more Association “There are 2,538 brewer- mundane mass production. No mead creased from 2.3 to 3.3. The average popular we encourage you to join ies operating in the U.S. as of June 30, will ever achieve the sales of inexpen- number of mead products produced AMMA and get involved where you 2013, an increase of 446 breweries sive yellow beer, but it never has to in by each meadery declined but only can. As you consider what you would since June 2012. The BA also lists an order to be successful. Mead is often slightly from 7.7 to 7.3. The chosen 500 want the mead industry to look like in additional 1,605 breweries in plan- sold at the premium or ultra-pre- source of honey is most commonly a 404 the coming years, take a look at the ning at that year’s midpoint, com- mium wine price point. Not only is honey local to the meadery ranging state of the wine and craft beer world pared to 1,252 a year prior; showing production limited and of an artisanal from a single bee keeper to a state- and its rapid growth. that 98 percent of U.S. brewers are style but Dr. Jim Lapsley, a professor wide organization. The most popular craft brewers.” So while AB InBev and and researcher in the Department of products were reported as a mix of Wines and Vines Magazine reported MillerCoors dominate the US beer Viticulture and Enology at UC Da- traditional meads such as Hidden 100 that in 2012 there were 7,498 total market in sales, the sheer numbers vis, reported in February, 2014 that Legend Winery’s “HLW-Pure Honey wineries in the US with 6,439 being of breweries are dominated by small- mead is much more expensive to Mead” to 1634 Meadery’s “Strawberry 2012 2013 bonded and 1,059 being virtual, i.e. er regional and micro craft breweries. produce than beer or wine. He found Cinnamon” mead. that due to the cost of the primary The general trend fermentable ingredients forming the is that mass pro- basis of mead, wine and beer, mead In Conclusion duced American costs 300% more to produce than light lagers are grape wine and the number increas- The American Mead Makers Associa- US Meadery Average SAles 2012-2013 ever so slowly los- es to over 360% for craft beer. tion is hopeful that this brief insight ing market share into the state of the US mead indus- $112,000 while craft beer try has been enjoyable and informa- grows at consis- Mead Industry Survey Results tive for you. At AMMA we will contin- $100,000 tent double digit ue to endeavor diligently to expand US WINERIES 2012-2013 numbers year In 2012 US Meaderies reported sell- and improve the mead industry. We after year. The ing an average of 404 cases of mead ask that you join us in supporting collective tastes of per meadery. That number increased this pursuit at www.meadmakers. to 823 cases in 2013. The US mead in- org. Whether you are a home mead Wineries - 7,498 alcohol consum- ers in the US are dustry has grown in case production maker looking to make better mead by 103% in the first year of reported also demonstrat- or a professional keeping tabs on the $48,624 Mead Producers - 194 ed by the growth data tracking. This news is promising industry, American Mead Maker is $50,000 of craft distilleries. and gets even more exciting when we your source for free quarterly infor- Writing for en- consider total sales. mation. Meaderies - 150 trepreneur.com, Jason Daly report- American meaderies reported aver- ______age gross sales of $48,624 in 2012 The data in this report was compiled ed in November $10,000 2013 that less and $112,000 in 2013. Are you ready and written by Jeff and Jennifer Herbert than 10 years ago for it? Mead sales are up 130% from of Superstition Meadery, with special there were 70 dis- 2012 to 2013. The alcohol industry thanks to all of the American Mead 2012 2013 tilleries in the US went crazy when the American hard Makers who completed the survey, and and now there are cider industry reported an increase in Robert Allison and Paul Reiss. gross sales of 82% from 2011 to 2012,

30 | MEADMAKERS.ORG Wines & Vines Magazine and AMMA AMMA | 31 AMMA

2014 EVENTS

February 1st Souper Saturday — Soup & Wine Tasting 10—6 pm

March 1st Mardi Gras 7 pm—11 pm

April 6th Lady’s Day 1 pm—5 pm

May 11 th Mother’s Day — Rusty Rose 2 pm—6 pm

June 15th Pirate Faire — Tripleshot 2 pm—6pm

July 13 Parrot Head Day —Cruize Control 2pm—6 pm

August 10th Anniversary Celebration — TBA

Sept 21st 7C’s MEAD FEST — Rowan’s Crossing 12 pm—6 pm

Oct. 5 Live Music — Steampunk Revolution 2 pm—6 pm

Oct. 12 OctoberFest— Tripleshot 2 pm—6 pm

No Cover Charge Bring a Picnic or something to grill Enjoy the music and some wine Meadery and Tas+ng Room: over 115 different meads available Family Friendly for sale from all over the world, about 30 open for tas+ng on 7Cs Winery Lat: N 37 deg, 26 min, 12 sec any given day! Are we the world’s biggest mead superstore? 502 E 560th Rd Long: W 93 deg, 32 min, 52 sec Walnut Grove MO 65770 Located 1.8 miles North Open Friday-­‐Saturday-­‐Sunday 11AM to 5PM and any+me by 417-788-2263 of Walnut Grove www.7cswinery.com Off Hwy 123 Right on 560th Road appointment. Located on the Sip47 Wine Tas+ng Route just www.facebook.com/7cswinery.com outside Yamhill, Oregon. www.kookoolanfarms.com

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AMMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AMMA Meadery List # com Bus: (907) 235-8484 E-mail: [email protected] President & Chair of Treasurer 51 North Brewing Company Arsenal Cider House & Wine Executive Committee 51 North Broadway St Cellar Bee Well Meadery Cheryl Webber Chris Webber Lake Orion, MI 48362 300 39th St 39342 Canterbury Dr Dragon's Lair Dragon's Lair Bus: (248) 690-7367 Pittsburgh, PA 15201 Harrison Twp, MI 48045 Lakewood, WA Lakewood, WA E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (412) 260-6968 Bus: (586) 322-6705 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 7 C’s Winery & Meadery Vice President & Chair of 502 E 560th Artesano Mead Beekman & Beekman Director at Large & Chair 5236 Geer Rd Nominating Committee & Walnut Grove, MO 65770 1334 Scott Hwy Rt 302 Groton, VT of Bylaws Committee Hughson, CA 95326 Technical Programs Bus: (417) 788-2263 05046 Phil Lorenz E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (802) 584-9000 Bus: (209) 667-5812 Brian Schlueter Nectar Creek Honeywine E-mail: info@beekmanandbeekman. Moonstruck Meadery a Atlantic Brewing Co Corvallis, OR com Bellevue, NE 15 Knox Rd Acoustic Draft Mead Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Beowulf Mead Elberta, MI Bus: (207) 288-2337 San Rafael, CA 94903 Director at Large & Chair Bus: (231) 883-2012 Bus: (415) 491-0908 Sergeant at Arms E-mail: [email protected] of Legislative Committee E-mail: [email protected] Ben Starr Adytum Cellars b Chrissie Zaerpoor Starrlight Mead 15132 148th Ave NE Bias Winery Kookoolan World Meadery Durham, NC Woodinville, WA 98072 B Nektar Meadery 3166 Hwy B Yamhill, OR Bus: (425) 482-9030 1505 Jarvis Ste B Berger, MO 63014 E-mail: [email protected] Ferndale, MI 48220 Bus: (573) 834-5475 Bus: (313) 999-5157 Aesir Meadery E-mail: [email protected] Secretary & Chair of E-mail: [email protected] 2109 Wetmore Ave Membership Committee Bjorn Mead Everett, WA 98201 Bacchus Meadery Waterford, CA 95386 Colleen Bos Bus: (425) 495-6201 217 E 3d St Bus: (209) 665-6368 Bos Meadery E-mail: [email protected] Loveland, CO 80537 E-mail: [email protected] Fitchburg, WI Bus: (970) 461-4071 Ah-tu-gi-s-di Meadery E-mail: [email protected] Black Bear Winery Rt 1 Box 100 248 County Rd 1 Vian, OK 74962 Bardic Wells Meadery Chenengo Forks, NY 13746 COMMITTEE CHAIRS Bus: (918) 774-8091 6737 50th Ave Bus: (607) 656-9863 Montague, MI 49437 Alaskan Wilderness Wines E-mail: mamabear@blackbearwinery. Bus: (231) 893-6418 com Chair of Publications Committee 498 Shearwater E-mail: [email protected] American Mead Maker Newsletter Research & Development Kodiak, AK 99615 Black Forest Meadery Bus: (907) 486-1420 Jeff Herbert Luke Schlueter Bartlett Maine Estate Winery 6420 Burrows Rd Unit A E-mail: [email protected] RR1 Box 598 Superstition Meadery Moonstruck Meadery Colorado Springs, CO 80908 Bellevue, NE Gouldsboro, ME 04607 Prescott, AZ Algomah Acres Honey House Bus: (719) 495-7340 Bus: (207) 546-2408 E-mail: mail@blackforestmeadery. Meadery E-mail: [email protected] com 29534 Post Office Rd Marketing Committee Mass City, MI 49948 Bayfield Winery Blacksnake Meadery Bus: (906) 883-3894 PO Box 1391 1815 Windsor Ave SW Ken Schramm E-mail: [email protected] Bayfield, WI 54814 Roanoke, VA 24015 Schramm's Mead Bus: (715) 779-5404 Bus: (540) 834-6172 Ferndale, MI Amber Moon Meadery E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: blacksnake@blacksnakemead. 7600 NW 3d St com Oklahoma City, OK Bear Creek Winery Bus: (405) 496-5663 60203 Bear Creek Dr Blue Dog Mead E-mail: ambermoonmeadery@gmail. Homer, AK 99603 254 Lincoln St

34 | MEADMAKERS.ORG AMMA | 35 AMMA Eugene, OR 97401 Chaucer’s Cellars Centennial, CO 80112 Bus: (541) 506-1560 3535 N Main St Bus: (720) 529-3846 E-mail: [email protected] Soquel, CA 95073 E-mail: [email protected] Bluegrass Brewing Co Bus: (831) 475-2258 Dogfish Head Brewery E-mail: customerservice@bargetto. 3929 Shelbyville Rd #6 Cannery Village Center com Louisville, KY 40207 Milton, DE 19968 Bus: (502) 899-7070 Chrisman Mill Vineyards Bus: (302) 684-1000 x2112 E-mail: [email protected] 2308 Sir Barton Way Ste 190 Lexing- E-mail: [email protected] Bos Meadery LLC ton, KY 40509 Dragon Meadery LLC Bus: (859) 881-5007 5805 Seminole Ridge Circle Fitchburg, Aurora, CO 80013 E-mail: [email protected] WI 53711 Bus: (720) 371-1970 Bus: (608) 628-3792 Colony Meadery E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 905 Harrison St Ste 115 Dragonmead Allentown, PA 18103 Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery 14600 E 11 Mile Rd Bus: (855) 632-3669 720 W Prospect Ave Warren, MI 48089 E-mail: [email protected] North Wales, PA 19454 Bus: (586) 776-9428 Bus: (215) 801-2227 Colorado Cellars Winery E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 3553 E Rd Dragon’s Lair Country Wines & Brimming Horn Meadery Palisade, CO 81526 Bus: (970) 464-7921 Meads Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 E-mail: [email protected] 6714 1/2 Lake Grove St Brimstone Springs Meadery SW Lakewood, WA 98499 E-mail: [email protected] Crabtree Brewing Co Bus: (253) 537-1050 Brotherhood Winery 625 3d St #D E-mail: [email protected] Greely, CO 80631 PO Box 190 Bus: (970) 356-0516 e Washingtonville, NY 10992 E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (845) 496-3663 Earle Estates Meadery E-mail: [email protected] Crafted Artisan Meadery 2770 State Route 14 Penn Yan, NY 14527 Brothers Drake Meadery 1189 State Rte 43 Mogadore, OH 44260 Bus: (315) 536-1210 26 E 5th Ave Bus: (330) 618-5050 E-mail: [email protected] Columbus, OH 43201 E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (614) 388-8765 Easley Winery E-mail: [email protected] Cumberland Brewery 205 N College Ave Indianapolis, IN 46202 c 1576 Bardstown Rd Louisville, KY 40205-1154 Bus: (317) 636-4516 Camas Prairie Winery Bus: (502) 458-8727 E-mail: [email protected] 110 S Main St d Elsa Wine & Mead Moscow, ID 83843 625 W Katella Ave #23 Bus: (208) 882-0214 Dadeez Bees Apiary and Meadery Orange, CA 92867 E-mail: winemaker@camasprairiewin- PO Box 90832 Bus: (714) 639-6323 ery.com Portland, OR 97290 Empire Winery & Destillery Cascade Winery Bus: (503) 772-3565 E-mail: [email protected] 11807 Little Rd 4665 Broadmoor New Port Richey, FL 34654 Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Dancing Bee Winery Bus: (727) 819-2821 Bus: (616) 656-4665 8060 E US Hwy 190 E-mail: [email protected] Rogers, TX 76569 Enat Winery 910 81st Ave Ste #18 Celestial Meads Bus: (254) 983-2337 E-mail: [email protected] Oakland, CA 94621 600 W 58th Ave Ste B Anchorage, AK Bus: (510) 632-6629 99518 Bus: (907) 250-8362 Depoe Bay Winery E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] PO Box 1492 Enchanted Manor Winery Chateau Lorane Depoe Bay, OR 97341 Bus: (541) 765-3311 37615 FM 1774 PO Box 47 E-mail: [email protected] Magnolia, TX 77355 Lorane, OR 97451 Bus: (281) 770-0710 Bus: (541) 942-8028 Dithyramb Winery and Meadery E-mail: jon@enchantedmanorwinery. E-mail: [email protected] 8312 E Briarwood Blvd com

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Enlightenment Wines E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (801) 546-1997 E-mail: [email protected] 84 Fork Mountain Rd Bus: (888) 632-3379 E-mail: [email protected] Auburn, PA 17922 Clintondale, NY 12515 Groennfell Meadery Jilbert Winery Medovina E-mail: raphael@enlightenmentwines. Bus: (570) 366-6443 856 Hercules Dr, Ste 20 homebrewchemist 1496 Columbia Rd PO Box 629 com E-mail: askthehippies@longtroutwin- Colchester, VT 05446 E-mail: [email protected] Valley City, OH 44280 ery.com Niwot, CO 80544 f Bus: (802) 497-2345 Bus: (216) 781-4120 Bus: (303) 845-3090 E-mail: [email protected] Honey Moon Mead E-mail: [email protected] Lost Tribes Brew E-mail: [email protected] Fairwinds Winery PO Box 2701 H k Bus: (888) 582-7397 1984 Hastings Ave W Bellingham, WA 98227 E-mail: [email protected] Meniru Meadery Bus: (360) 734-0728 5868 Fulton Dr NW Port Townsend, WA 98368 Haight-Brown Vineyards Kenco Farms Bus: (360) 385-6899 E-mail: contact@honeymoonmead. Louisville Mead Company Canton, OH 44718 29 Chestnut Hill Rd PO Box 454 E-mail: [email protected] net 3028 Dartmouth Ave Bus: (330) 244-8515 Litchfield, CT 06759 Sutton, WV 26601 Louisville, KY 40205 E-mail: menirumeadery@hotmail. Falcon Meadery Bus: (860) 567-4045 Honey Run Winery Bus: (304) 765-7680 E-mail: louisvillemeadcompany@ com PO Box 5947 E-mail: [email protected] 2309 Park Ave E-mail: [email protected] gmail.com Chico, CA 95928 Meridian Hive Meadery Santa Fe, NM 87502 Heidrun Meadery Kookoolan World Meadery Bus: (505) 819-8323 Bus: (530) 345-6405 Luna de Miel PO Box 1363 PO Box 208 E-mail: [email protected] 15713 Hwy 47 Salinas, CA 93901 Pflugville, TX 78691 Farm & Winery, Hill Top Berry Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 Yamhill, OR 97148 Bus: (805) 985-7229 Bus: (512) 417-3769 2800 Berry Hill Rd Nellysford, VA Bus: (415) 663-9122 Honeyjack Meadery Bus: (503) 730-7535 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (434) 361-1266 E-mail: [email protected] 9769 W 119th Dr Bay 7 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Broomfield, CO 80020 m Michigan Meadery Helderberg Meadworks Bus: (303) 709-7422 Kuhnhenn Brewing Co Grand Rapids, MI Florida Orange Groves Winery 990 W Duane Lake Rd E-mail: [email protected] 5919 Chicago Rd Mace Mead Works Bus: (616) 301-9686 1500 Pasadena Ave S Duanesburg, NY 12056 Warren, Mi 48092 250 E Main St E-mail: [email protected] St Petersburg, FL 33707 Bus: (518) 795-8964 Honeywood Winery Bus: (586) 979-8361 Dayton, WA 99328 Bus: (800) 338-7923 E-mail: peter@helderbergmead- 1350 Hines St SE Salem, OR l Bus: (509) 540-0000 Mike’s Meadery E-mail: [email protected] works.com Bus: (800) 726-4101 E-mail: [email protected] LaGrange, IN Hellbender Meadery Hoodsport Winery La Buena Vida Vineyards Magpie Farms Winery Minnestalgia Winery Four Quarters Meadery 416 E College St 190 Walker Lane 3812 State Hwy KK N 23501 Hwy 101 1849 State Hwy 41 PO BOX 86 McGregor, MN 55760 Bus: Grapevine, TX 76051 Artemas, PA 17211 Rogersville, MO 65742 Hoodsport, WA 98548 Bainbridge, NY 13733 (866) 768-2533 Bus: (817) 481-9463 Bus: (814) 784-3080 Bus: (417) 429-4985 Bus: (360) 877-9894 Bus: (607) 639-4400 E-mail: [email protected] Misty Mountain Meadworks E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: caitlyn@hellbendermeadery. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] com 1531 Pack Horse Rd Hunters Moon Meadery L’Abeille Honey Winery Maine Mead Works Winchester, VA 22603 Fox Hill Meadery 638 S Main St 33 Selby Court Heritage Wines International 404 Immigrant Trail 51 Washington Ave Portland, ME Bus: (540) 888-4420 Stowe, VT 05672 Marshall, NC 28753 640 W. 158th St Severance, CO 80550 04101 Bus: (207) 773-6323 E-mail: info@mistymountainmead. New York, NY Bus: (970) 590-6059 Bus: (802) 253-2929 com Bus: (703) 298-4705 Manatawny Creek Winery E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (888) 835-2986 E-mail: kim@huntersmoonmeadery. Lakewood Vineyards E-mail: [email protected] com 227 Levengood Rd Douglasville, PA Mobtown Mead 4024 State Rte 14 19518 Baltimore, MD Full Circle Brewing Co Watkins Glen, NY 14891 620 F St Hermit Woods Wine Hydomiel Apidoro Bus: (610) 689-9804 E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (607) 535-9252 Fresno, CA 93706 56 Taylor Rd 2212 Calle Parana E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: wines@lakewoodvineyards. Modern Craft Winery Bus: (559) 264-6323 Sanbornton, NH 03269 Ponce, PR 00758 com Maple River Winery 2760 E Booth Rd E-mail: fullcirclebrewingco@comcast. Bus: (603) 253-7968 E-mail: [email protected] 628 Front St Au Gres, MI 48703 net E-mail: [email protected] i Laural Highlands Meadery Cassleton, ND 58012 Bus: (989) 876-0270 g Hidden Legend Winery Greensburg, PA 15601 Bus: (701) 347-5900 E-mail: moderncraftsocialmedia@ 1345 Hwy 93 N #5 Independence Brewing Co Bus: (724) 249-6323 E-mail: [email protected] gmail.com Golden Coast Mead Victor, MT 59875 3913 Todd Lane #607 E-mail: [email protected] Austin, TX 78744 McPhee Meadery Monks Mead 4216 Copeland Pl Bus: (406) 363-6323 Linganore Wine Cellars San Diego, CA 92116 Bus: (512) 707-0099 PNW Puget Sound 265 B Newton Bridge Rd E-mail: ken@hiddenlegendwinery. 13601 GlissansMill Rd E-mail: frankgolbeck@goldencoast- E-mail: bertharvey@mcpheemeadery. Athens, GA 30607 com Isaaks of Salem Mt Airey, MD 21771-8599 mead.com com E-mail: [email protected] Hierophant Meadery Salem, MA Bus: (410) 795-6432 Great Cats Meadery Liberty Lake, WA Bus: (401) 290-8256 E-mail: [email protected] Meadery of the Rockies Montezuma Winery E-mail: [email protected] 3701 G Rd 2981 Auburn Rd Clemmons, NC Bus: (208) 405-8338 Long Island Meadery E-mail: torahanjyuu+kumaltygris@ Palisade, CO 81526 Seneca Falls, NY 13148 E-mail: contact@hierophantmeadery. j 1347 Lincoln Ave Ste 11 gmail.com com Bus: (970) 464-7899 Bus: (315) 568-8190 Holbrook, NY 11741 E-mail: [email protected] James Arthur Vineyards Bus: (631) 285-7469 Meadery, New Day Green River Ambrosia Hive Winery 2001 W Raymond Rd 324 Wells St E-mail: [email protected] 1102 Prospect St Moonlight Meadery 1220 W Jack D Drive Ste 2 Raymond, NE 68428 Greenfield, MA 01301 Indianapolis, IN 46203 23 Londonderry Rd #17 Layton, UT 84041 Bus: (402) 783-5255 Long Trout Winery

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Londonderry, NH 03053 ery.com Bus: (907) 235-2656 Bus: (603) 216-2162 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Northwest Mountain Winery 2825 Marvin Rd NE Ste Q Rogue Ales Moonstruck Meadery Olympia, WA 98516 2320 OSU Dr 2221 Madison St Bus: (360) 464-7125 Mewport, OR 97365 Bellevue, NE 68005 E-mail: raycurtis@nwmountainwine. Bus: (541) 867-3660 ead distilled Bus: (402) 934-7544 com E-mail: [email protected] M E-mail: [email protected] o Rohan Meadery sparkling, its praise Mount Felix Vineyard & Winery 6002 FM 2981 2000 Level Rd Obec Medovina La Grange, TX 78945 Havre de Grace, MD 21078 E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (979) 249-5652 Bus: (410) 939-0913 Oliver Winery E-mail: [email protected] is everywhere. E-mail: [email protected] 8024 N State Rte 37 Royal Court Meadery Mountain Meadows Mead Bloomington, IN 47404 Sheboygan, WI 53081 The multitude of PO Box 1199 Bus: (812) 876-5800 Bus: (574) 971-7515 Westwood, CA 96137 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (503) 256-3233 Orchid Cellar Winery s creatures which the E-mail: [email protected] 8546 Pete Wiles Rd Mountain View Meadery Middletown, MD 21769 Sap House Meadery PO Box 370 Bus: (301) 473-3568 PO Box 595 earth nourishes, Lench Valley, Tasmania, Australia E-mail: [email protected] Center Ossipee, NH 03814 7008 Bus: (61) 0408 331 165 p Bus: (603) 539-1672 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] God made for man to Pirtle Winery Mt Hood Meadery Schramm’s Mead 502 Spring St 1545 McManus Washougal, WA Weston, MO 64098 Bus: (816) 640- E-mail: [email protected] Troy, MI 48084 enrich him. 5278 Bus: (248) 816-1592 E-mail: [email protected] Mystic Meadery Prairieberry Winery 1650 Judson Dr Bus: (605) 574-3898 Shady Grove Meadery Longmont, CO 80501 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 709 Norris Freeway Prawlocki’s Stout Viking Mead Lake City, TN 37769 From the ancient mead horn, to the modern NEAT glass…. n Del Ray Beach, FL 33445 Bus: (865) 426-4900 Bus: (407) 922-5562 E-mail: meadguy@shadygrovemead. Nani Moon Mead com The glass Mead drinkers have been waiting for a thousand years. PO Box 939 E-mail: [email protected] Kapa’a, Kaua’i, HI 96746 r Shalom Orchard Alcohol vapors numb the nose and hide delicate aromas. NEAT Bus: (808) 823-0486 Route 200, 158 Eastbook Rd E-mail: nanimoonmeadinfo@gmail. Rabbit’s Foot Meadery Franklin, ME 04634 science dissipates alcohol, magnifies flavor, transforms drinking com 1246 Birchwood Dr Bus: (207) 565-2312 Sunnyvale, CA 94089 E-mail: [email protected] Nashoba Valley Winery Bus: (408) 747-0770 enjoyment into memorable experience. www.theneatglass.com 100 Wattaquadock Hill Rd Shields Demesne Winery Raftshol Vineyards Arsilica, Inc. Las Vegas, NV (702) 332-7163 Bolton, MA 01740 374 Smith Creek Rd Bus: (978) 779-5521 1865 N West Bay Shore Dr Spraggs, PA 15362 E-mail: [email protected] Suttons Bay, MI 49682 Bus: (724) 435-7246 Bus: (231) 271-5650 E-mail: [email protected] Nectar Creek Honeywine E-mail: warren@raftsholvineyards. 33848 SE Eastgate Circle com Skep & Skein Tavern & Meadery Corvallis, OR 97333 2106 Harrison Ave NW Ste B14 Bus: (541) 760-1592 Redstone Meadery Olympia, WA 98502 E-mail: info@nectarcreekhoneywine. 4700 Pearl St #2-A Bus: (360) 292-4400 com Boulder, CO 80301 E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (720) 406-1215 Nector of the Gods Meadery E-mail: [email protected] Sky River Winery 1205 NE 2d St 14270 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE s Bend, OR 97701 Ring of Fire Meadery Redmond, WA 98052 Bus: (937) 478-1718 178 E Bunnell St Bus: (425) 242-3815 E-mail: info@nectarofthegodsmead- Homer, AK 99603 E-mail: [email protected]

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E-mail 2: denice@skyriverbrewing. Bus: (918) 256-3000 Von Jakob’s Vineyard com E-mail: wine@summersidevineyards. 1309 Sadler Rd com Salt Point Meadery Pomona, IL 62975 Bus: (618) 893-4500 Salt Point, NY Superior Lakes Mead & Wine E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 36241 Jefferson Harrison Twp, MI 48045 w San Francisco Mead Company Bus: (586) 231-9501 1180 Shafter Ave E-mail: [email protected] Walton’s Mountain Winery & San Francisco, CA 94124 Vineyards Bus: (415) 819-4947 Superstition Meadery PO Box 526 E-mail: [email protected] 120 West Gurley Street Cellar-1 West Point, CA 95255 Prescott, Arizona 86301 Sandhill Crane Vineyards Bus: (209) 293-4010 Bus: (480) 296-4212 E-mail: [email protected] 4724 Walz Rd E-mail: superstitionmeadery@hot- Jackson, MI 49201 mail.com White Winter Winery Bus: (517) 764-0679 68323A Lea St E-mail: heather@sandhillcranevine- t Iron River, WI 54847 yards.com Table Mountain Vineyards Bus: (715) 372-5656 Spruce Mountain Meadery Box 24 E-mail: [email protected] Larkspur, CO Huntley, WY 82218 Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery Bus: (719) 351-4909 Bus: (307) 459-0233 10033 S Western Ave Chicago, IL E-mail: Information@SpruceMoun- E-mail: info@tablemountainvine- 60643 tainMeadery.com yards.com Bus: (773) 233-7579 Spurgeon Vineyards and Winery Texas Mead Works E-mail: [email protected] 16008 Pine Tree Rd Highland, WI 5151 FM 20 Wills Winery 53543 Bus: (608) 929-7692 Seguin, TX 78155 814 S. Main St Ste 3 E-mail: [email protected] Bus: (830) 379-9463 Lapeer, MI 48446 E-mail: [email protected] St Ambrose Cellars Bus: (810) 245-9463 971 S Pioneer Rd Thistle Meadery E-mail: [email protected] Beulah, MI 49617 Gawler, S. Australia Winehaven Winery & Vineyrd Bus: (888) 912-0017 E-mail: [email protected] 9757 292d St E-mail: [email protected] Tomahawk Mill Vineyards & Chisago City, MN 55013 Starrlight Mead Winery Bus: (651) 257-1017 E-mail: [email protected] 4606 Stllliview Dr 9221 Anderson Mill Rd Durham, NC 27712 Chatham, VA 24531 Woodstone Creek Winery & Dis- Bus: (919) 533-6314 Bus: (434) 432-1063 E-mail: [email protected] tillery E-mail: [email protected] 3641 Newton Ave Stonekeep Meadery u Cincinnati, OH 45207 Boyertown, PA Bus: (513) 569-0300 Bus: (610) 743-8693 Urban Farm Fermentory E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 200 Anderson St Bay 4 Portland, ME 04101 Strad Meadery Bus: (207) 773-8331 430 Scenic Vista Way E-mail: [email protected] Fair Oaks, CA 95628 E-mail: [email protected] v Sugar Clay Winery & Vineyards Valley Vineyards 1446 240th Ave 2276 E US 22 & 3 Thurman, IA 51654 Morrow, OH 45152 Bus: (712) 628-2020 Bus: (513) 899-2485 E-mail: sugarclaywinery@iowatele- E-mail: [email protected] com.net Volcano Winery Summerside Vineyards Winery & 35 Pii Mauna Dr Meadery Volcano, HI 96785 Grand Lakes o’the Cherokees 441251 Bus: (808) 967-7772 E Historic Route 66 Vinita, OK 74301 E-mail: [email protected]

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