Latest Buzz in the World of Mead, Vol. 1, Issue 2

Arizona Daily Sun features Drinking Horn Meadery co-founder in 20 Under 40

Flagstaff, Arizona's Drinking Horn Meadery co-founder, Evan Anderson (alongside wife Kelly), was featured in the Arizona Daily Sun's "20 Under 40" article on Mar 20, 2022. You can read the brief interview here.

According to Drinking Horn's website, "Drinking Horn Meadery was born in the pines of Flagstaff, Arizona in 2014. The mead is inspired by a desire to live, and drink more simply and environmentally responsible. Created in small batches using only the best ingredients, Drinking Horn's authentic recipes strive to get back to the roots of one of human kind's earliest libations." You can explore the meadery's mead selection here and see their buy their mead online here.

                                                                                                                                                                

 Folklore Brewing and Meadery Participates in The Taste of Pelham

According to an article in the Shelby County Reporter, Dothan, AL based Folklore Brewing and Meadery participated in The Taste of Pelham last Tuesday evening, March 15. The event highlights the best local restaurants around town.

For background, I consulted Folklore's website and found, "Folklore Brewing & Meadery became the first “packaging brewery” in Dothan since the Prohibition era. Jeremy Pate and his family started brewing beer as a pastime, but the concept of doing it for a living quickly became their dream. The tasting room has over 14 varieties of beer and 8 or more house-made meads to sample and order a glass of. Growlers can be filled and 6-packs can be purchased, both for off-premise consumption. Check back with Facebook often for current events, beer releases and live entertainment schedules."

Their mead list can be found here and their address/operating hours can be found here.

                                                                                                                                                                

 

Lost Cause Meadery Announces First Release of 2022

Lost Cause Meadery announced their first bottle release of the year and it's a double! This Friday, March 25, at 10 am PT, Lost Cause will release Ride or Chai and Cobblered to Death. Information on the bottles is as follows.

Rum Barrel-Aged Ride or Chai

14% ABV | $32

Chai mead w/ wildflower honey, chai tea & vanilla, aged in rum barrels for 22 months.

Meadmaker's Notes: This is a quite a sipper. Sweet, decadent with a warming spice kick and noticeable rum presence. Notes of cinnamon, cardamom, caramel, black tea, butterscotch and subtle tobacco all play together and change with each taste. The finish is almost buttery from the rum barrels and the tannins balance a deceivingly sweet dessert mead. I can't wait to see how this keeps integrating with age.

BBA Cobblered to Death

13% ABV | $32

Peach bochet w/ caramelized wildflower honey, peaches, cinnamon and vanilla, aged 22 months in bourbon barrels.

Meadmaker's Notes: Similar to the original Cobblered To Death mead but boozier and broodier, with a level of depth and complexity not often found in dessert-inspired meads. Starts with notes of stone fruit and cinnamon, then leads to warm vanilla, pie crust and apricot jam with a wonderfully boozy bourbon finish. A much different experience as it goes from chilled to room temp. Should age wonderfully for years.

 

Release Details

• Online Release: Friday 3/25 @ 10 am PT
• Local pickup: use OZNR app
• Shipping: purchase on Lost Cause website
• OZNR pick-up orders at Bay Park only starting Friday @ 4pm PT
• Available on tap and for in-person purchase at Bay Park starting Friday @ 4pm PT
• Proxies OK: once purchased via OZNR you can add a proxy from the app

For more information, please visit Lost Cause's website.

                                                                                                                                                                

Hey fellow meaders, I'm back with another update of Caught on COLA - Mead. So let's see what sweetness the mazers have in store for us and get the latest buzz from the world of mead.

We start off with Melovino Meadery's Rhyme or Reason which is an apple cider mead (cyser?) with ginger added. Bottled at a very respectable 14% ABV, Melovino recommends you serve this one up chilled. Checking out their website, this is already available and can be ordered online here so make sure to check it out.

What do you get if you slowly caramelize a batch of honey, add in some roasted pecans and then toss in some cinnamon for good measure? Give up? I think I would call it some golden nectar of the days of yore. Melovino, on the other hand, calls it Gonzo Pecanzo and they claim they've "reached a whole new level of nutty." This is available to buy online here is in 500 ml bottles and is bottled at 13% ABV.

Our next mead is from Texas' Breaking Brew Meadery. Now we have all had hopped mead before and enjoyed the fruity, citrus favor that it brings the mix. But Catastrophe is a little bit different because they brought a mixture of five different hops to the must. Yes, I said five different hops were added to the must adding 100+ IBUs (International Bittering Units) and as you can see, this mead comes in at 13.4% ABV. There is no mention yet on the website of a release.

Does anyone not like peanut butter butter and jelly sandwiches? Well, I'm sure there are a few people out there who don't but not many. How about a PB&J mead? Hmmmm? That's a zebra with different stripes but there are a few meaderies out there that make them. Now we can add W A Meadewerks to that list with their Anybody Want a Peanut? mead. This sweet grape mead with peanut butter flavor is bottled at 12% ABV. I didn't see it mentioned on their website yet so I don't have a release date yet.

Last but definitely not least, one of my favorite labels is introducing an interesting collaboration. It seems that B. Nektar, from my home state of Michigan, has collaborated with Vicky Rowe of Got Mead and they have come up with Cherry Pi with Crust. Promising to bring the taste of sweet and tart cherries with a buttery crust, this mead is bottled at 12.5% ABV. I couldn't find any mention of the release on the B. Nektar website but I'm sure the release will be out soon.

And there you have it folks. That's all I have this week. Hopefully I'll have more for you next week so make sure you check back with me then. Until then, drink more mead!

Caught on COLA - Mead

It’s the first week of June and the official start to summer is only a few weeks away and there’s nothing better than enjoying a refreshing mead while you relax on the patio as you watch the sunset. So, let’s take a peek at what meads we can look forward to in the coming weeks or months.

To get us started, we have two meads from Melovino Meadery. Starting off with Peanut Gallery which, reading the label, sounds like a bochet with peanuts that has been aged in oak. It is bottled at 13% ABV and comes in 500 ml bottles. As of this writing, there is no mention on their website but it shouldn’t be long before it’s available.

Melvino’s other entry is Nice as Pie. This isn’t really a new mead but just the latest batch. According to the label and Melovino’s website, this mead is “an apple pie inspired mead made with honey, apple cider, aged on fresh vanilla beans and cinnamon.” Bottled in 500 ml bottles at 14% ABV, this mead is currently available on their website. You can follow Melovino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information and the latest updates.

Reading, Pennsylvania’s Rebel Hive Meadery brings us our next offering, Cherry Lee Lewis. A 9.6% ABV melomel that features both sweet and tart cherries. This release seems like it is currently available since it is shown on their website. You can follow Rebel Hive on Facebook and Instagram for more information as well.

Last time, I featured three meads from Mechalore Meadworks from Colorado. Well, in addition to Nowhere to Hide, Vol. 3, Patriots & Tyrants and Epiphany of Soliloquy, Mechalore also came out with Fed unto the Axioms. This 10.8% ABV mead made from Orange Blossom honey, mint and lime looks to me like their version of mead mojito. All the meads mentioned here should be making their way to Mechalore’s mead club members as we speak and hopefully will be available to the rest of us shortly. Don't forget to follow Mechalore Meadworks on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.

If you have a sweet tooth, then it looks like W.A. Meadworks’ Gloop might be for you. This 14.2% ABV semi-sweet mead is a combination of honey and cocoa nibs that give it “loads of chocolate flavor.” I couldn’t find any mention of this release on their website so I don’t have a release date yet. Besides the chocolate flavor, I would grab this just for the Willy Wonka reference in the name and on the label. Make sure you stay up to date by following W.A. Meadworks on Facebook.

Melchemy Craft Mead, from Carson, Washington, seems to be coming out with Huckleberry Mead. Containing Mountain Wildflower honey, black Huckleberries and aged in oak barrels, this somewhat dry mead is bottled at 15.5 ABV. No listing yet on their website but follow them on Facebook or Instagram for additional information and the latest news.

Our final two meads are from Moonlight Meadery in New Hampshire. The first is a special release for their Barrel Tasting event and it is called Importance. At 14% ABV, with black currants, blueberry and dark sweet cherries in the mix, this mead was then conditioned in American Port barrels.

Moonlight’s other release is called Ghosts of Wild and is bottled at 14% ABV. Like Importance, this blueberry mead is also conditioned in American Port barrels. There is no mention on the website of either release yet but if you get a chance to grab either one, Moonlight usually doesn’t disappoint.

Well my fellow meaders… um meadites? No. How about meadheads? Hmmm… um… okay folks, that’s all for this edition. Check back for more potential releases and see what’s buzzin’ in the mead universe. Until then, drink more mead!

Honeytree Meadery: The Place to Bee in Nashville

What's buzzin', cousin? Check it out! A week ago, I had the opportunity to be part of history here in Nashville. It was Thursday night, May 23rd and I had gotten off work a few hours before. I anxiously walked up to the door of the quaint, white building on Woodland Avenue in what is known as East Nashville. As I walked through the door, I was immediately greeted with a warm smile and friendly welcome by a charming woman whose name escapes me. She welcomed me to Honeytree Meadery, the first meadery in Nashville and one of the few in the state of Tennessee. I spoke with my “hostess” for a minute or two as she gave me an itinerary for the night’s festivities and a general layout of the meadery. While she spoke, my eyes scanned left and right trying to soak in all the sights and the ambience of what I knew would be my new favorite spot. To my left was an area with these wonderful hanging basket chairs. To the right were several seating areas with padded benches that just looked so comfortable. Immediately in front of me and off to the left was the bar area where a few people were sampling various meads. I thanked my “hostess” and made my way to the bar.

At the bar, I was greeted by a very enthusiastic young lady who proceeded to run down the list of meads available and offered me samples of each. There were seven different meads available but I only tried six of them. Up first was Honeytree’s Basic Batch which I thought was wonderful. Not too sweet and was as smooth as could be. My “bartender,” no that doesn’t seem right…. “bar hostess” …. no that’s not right either. Wait, I’ve got it… my new friend explained to me that the Wildflower Honey used was from Johnson’s Honey Farm in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just a few miles to the north of our location. The Basic Batch is the building block on which all the other meads are built. Then I tried a sample of what she called the Small Batch, which was the same as the Basic Batch but with a slightly lower alcohol content. Where the Basic Batch ferments out to about 11% ABV, the Little Batch only hits about 8% ABV. The Little Batch was served chilled and had a slight effervescence to it. I enjoyed the Basic but this Little Batch blew me away. Next, I tried Sweet Baby Ginger, a honey-candied ginger mead. It had a nice refreshing crispness to it with just a bit of heat from the ginger. There was also an underlying flavor that I couldn’t pinpoint until Matt, the mazer or as he proclaims, the Resident Mad Scientist, explained to me later. Apparently this mead had originated as a bochet and the caramelized honey gave it hints of toasted marshmallow. My next sample was a rhodomel they named, quite appropriately, Bouquet Toss. This enticing nectar had rose hips, linden flower and hibiscus in the mix that not only gave it a rosé color but also delivered a citrusy-floral taste with just a bit of bite. My next savory sip came thanks to Honeytree’s Signature Series which they hope to use to highlight small-batch honeys. This particular mead used honey sourced from Honeytree’s own colonies and had a very different flavor profile from the Basic Batch sourced from Johnson’s Honey Farm. The terroir from the two were similar but still different if that makes sense? The final mead, or meads I should say, were from the meadery’s Sneaky Batch. That’s what they call their experimental batches they brew in secret as a way of surprising the other members of their leadership team. On opening night, the Sneaky Batch I tried was a Pineapple Sage while the one I missed out on was a tomato mead. The Pineapple Sage was highly flavorful with the pineapple up front on the initial tasting but then you get the earthiness and a little heat from the sage. I would never of thought about combining these two flavors in a mead but then again, I don’t run a meadery. So, who am I to argue with the experts?

After I tried all the samples, I eventually settled on the Little Batch to start with but then switched over to the Signature Series release. While enjoying my drinks, I wandered out back to the fenced-in patio area then back inside where I checked out the fermenting area which is closed off by a wall and glass panels. Eventually I had to leave, just before the trivia began, but not before I snagged a bottle of the Basic Batch which I will sit down and review in the near future. I want to see if the bottled version lives up to the kegged expression. But that’s a post for another time.

In case you couldn’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Honeytree and I was glad I could participate in this historical night. I talked briefly to Matt and Ross, the men behind the meadery, and they have big things planned for the future and we all need to get onboard because I think it will be a hell of a ride. With that said, if you are ever in Nashville, make your way over to 918 Woodland and pay the guys a visit. For now, they are open Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (subject to change but they will announce any changes). Hit up their website and make sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram as well for all the latest news. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Caught on COLA - Mead

Hey all you meadheads! Thanks for checking out Caught on COLA - Mead. I hope you will find some interesting upcoming releases today and if you do, please support the meaderies and grab a bottle or six. Now, let's see what's buzzin' cousin!

We are going to get things started, not with one, but with two upcoming releases from Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona. The first label is for a hopped grape mead called King Lir which is bottled at 13% Alc./Vol. in 375 ml bottles.

Our second release from Superstition is Aperçu which is a 14.1% Alc./Vol. apricot mead that has been aged in new French Oak barrels for nine months. This release is a collaboration between Superstition and Rowley Farmhouse Ales. Both releases are listed on their website and are available in their tasting room. However, they are not yet available to order online.

Next we have The Colony Meadery with Momeado. This is not actually a new release but it appears to be a relabeling of one of their original releases. According to the label and their website, this is the mead that actually launched the meadery. This 13% Alc./Vol. combination of mint and lime is basically a riff on the mojito, hence the name, Momeado (Mo-mead-oh). You can find more information on their website and even purchase this release online.

Here we have three new entries from Mechalore Meadworks from Loveland, Colorado. Up first is Nowhere to Hide, Volume 3. This is Mechalore's traditional mead release that features changing honey varietals. Volume 3 features Star Thistle Blossom honey at its base and has "notes of mandarin oranges, earthy honey, hint of anise and an oaky vanilla & caramel finish that somehow reminds us of bread pudding." This mead is aged in oak barrels, is 9.8% Alc./Vol. and is bottled on the lower end of semi-sweet.

Then there is Mechalore's Patriots & Tyrants made with Alfalfa Blossom honey and registering 10.1% Alc./Vol. Added to the alfalfa is "a bounty of tart and fruity hibiscus flowers, tropical tea olive flowers with bright mango notes, fruity-spicy pink peppercorns, citrus-peppery grains of paradise and tart lime peel."

Finally from Mechalore is Epiphany and Soliloquy. This mead features Orange Blossom honey with orange peel and vanilla added. Bottled at 11.4% Alc./Vol., it was "finished just a hint over semi-sweet to accentuate the creamsicle-like character of the ingredients." None of the releases are mentioned on Mechalore's website yet but you can bet they will be available soon.

Now let's take a look at Dallas, Texas' own Breaking Brew Meadery that plans on releasing Honey Creek Golden Grail. This bochet is aged in bourbon barrels for three to six months and "has notes of caramel, toffee and vanilla." Weighing in at 13.5% Alc./Vol., this mead looks to pack a decent punch and is one that I am dying to try. There's no mention of it on their website and no online sales, so does anyone in Texas want to ship me a few bottles?

Well, that's all for now so let's raise a horn of mead and remember - drink like a viking! Skål!

Caught on COLA - Mead

Hey folks! Welcome to the initial installment of the Caught on COLA - Mead edition. As I explained in the previous COLA post, I'm bringing you information and labels on interesting releases I've found on the COLA registry. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about it all but if you tuned in while the show was already in progress, just go back and check the previous post and it explains everything. Now, on with the show.

The first mead is Bochet from Honnibrook Craft Meadery and is 25 proof (12.5% Alc./Vol.). According to the label, after caramelizing the clover honey and fermenting the mead, Honnibrook backsweatened with some meadowfoam honey (my mouth is already watering) adding toasted marshmallow notes before aging it in oak. Anyone in Colorado want to track this down and send me a bottle?

Our second entry is from The Colony Meadery in Allentown, PA, and is called 911 is an Oak. Not much is known about this release yet as there is no information about it on their website and the label only states that its mead aged in oak. I've included it here for the simple fact The Colony pays homage to Public Enemy, not only in the selection of the name, but also the rhyme on the label.  Given I am sucker for oaked mead, I'll well probably hunt this down when its released.

Last, but not least, is another mead from The Colony Meadery that pays homage to Captain Picard and Star Trek. The Earle is a light dry mead that is flavored with Earl Grey tea giving it the citrusy flavors from the bergamot in the tea. The label features a space ship (not the Enterprise) and the lettering is reminiscent of Star Trek. The Earle is weighing in a 19 proof (9.5% Alc./Vol.) and comes in a 375 ml bottle. Like most entries in Caught on COLA, there is no information on a release date but I will definitely be looking for it.

Okay all you meadheads, that's it for now but keep your eyes open because I will be back soon with another edition of Caught on COLA. Until then, skål!