National Mead Day - Saturday, August 2
August 1, 2008
Wait, hold on, what the heck is mead?
The definition from the Brewers Association website describes it as: A fermented beverage made from honey which is sometimes referred to as “honey wine.”
Plausibly humankind’s first fermented beverage, mead has evolved and expanded its range through the millennia to include other fermentables such as fruit and malt as well as various flavorings such as herbs and spices.
Mead Day has been organized by the American Homebrewers Association to introduce the hobby of mead making to curious brewers as well as to increase camaraderie among homebrewers.
I had my first mead at a F.O.R.D. homebrewers club in Lincoln Park, MI. Brad Dahlhofer of B. Nektar Meadery had brewed some amazing meads for all of us to try. It was a while ago, and I can’t remember all of the flavors, but I do remember a hot pepper mead that I was fascinated with. The others were sweet, tasting kind of like wine. Brad said a few times “making mead is REALLY easy.” It’s definitely on my list of things to try someday, but Brad has become an expert. He recently opened his Meadery with wife and friend in Ferndale, MI. Check out an article from Detroit News website published yesterday: B. Nektar offers an education in honey wine - DetNews.com (click here).
For National Mead Day, Brad and crew, will be releasing 5 new meads: Wildberry Pyment, Oaked Orange Blossom, Cinnamon Vanilla, Tupelo and Bourbon Barrel Orange Blosssom and Buckwheat.
Festivities begin Saturday, August 2nd @ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bring your own meadmaking equipment or purchase equipment from B. Nektar. Recipe kits will also be available for purchase. Hot dogs, burgers, drinks, meadery tours, tasting and demonstrations will be going on all day.
If you’ve ever been curious about mead, make the trip up to Ferndale this weekend. Brad is a really down to earth guy who explains the brewing process very well.
B. Nektar Meadery is located at
1505 Jarvis
Suite B.
Ferndale, MI 48220
See B. Nektar’s website for more information.
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Posted in Mead
August 4th, 2008 at 10:59 am
What a great day. Over 200 people walked through the doors and the mead was not only delicious, but you could also purchase the kits to make your own. Brad and the gang were great hosts!
August 5th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Wow, a whole new world opened before me within this post! Sounds like fun, and it sounds like a great treat! Forgive my ignorance, but are any Meads available “off the shelf” or is it something that is produced, consumed, produced, consumed very locally? Love to try some of those varieties! -Scott
August 6th, 2008 at 3:46 am
I’ve never checked my local liquor store for meads, but the last time I was at Merchant’s in Dearborn, they had a nice selection. I couldn’t even tell you a brand name. I’m planning on making a trip up to B.Nektar soon, one of my questions for Brad will be if he’s going to start selling his brand around the state. I’ll keep everyone posted.
September 15th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Thanks to everyone that came out to our opening. It was a HUGE success. We’ve been very busy ever since. You can find our meads all over Metro Detroit, as far North as Midland, and as far West as Jackson. We’re all out of 4 of the 5 styles we started with, but don’t worry. We have more on the way! Check our website for a retailer near you. Also, tastings at the meadery are held on the first Friday of the month from 5PM to 10PM.
http://www.bnektar.com
Cheers,
Brad Dahlhofer
B. Nektar Meadery