Sip Northwest, Summer 2014
DISCOVERIES DIVERSIONS Modern Mead 1 6 SIPNORTHWEST COM Northwest Meaderies Resurrect an Ancient Libation TRENDSETTERS BY MARGO GREENMAN I ts been a long time coming but the honey based fermented beverage commonly known as mead is making its return Considered the ancestor of all alcoholic drinks and the mother of beer and wine the origins of mead can be traced back thousands of years to various civilizations spanning across the ancient world Made by fermenting honey with water and flavoring with different fruits and spices this age old beverage has experienced a recent resurgence and Northwest based producers are embracing the honey wine renaissance with open arms From homebrewing to small batch production and beyond Northwest mead makers are bringing back this beverage of long ago and reintroducing it for a modern palate TUGWELL CREEK FARM AND MEADERY With a lifetime of beekeeping experience and many years of mead making under his belt Bob Liptrot and his partner Dana LeComte opened this meadery in 2003 as the first in British Columbia With the bees centered at the heart of the operation Tugwell Creeks philosophy is simple Without the bees success we would not have honey Without honey there is no mead HONEY MOON MEADS Established in 2005 after a home brew hobby outgrew itself into a business Bellingham Wash s Honey Moon meads are handcrafted to reflect the spirit of the Northwest Using locally sourced blackberry and fireweed honeys in all of their meads Honey Moon keeps their operation local brewing all of their small batch meads at their downtown Bellingham facility Outside the NW Box In Point Reyes Station Calif HEIDRUN MEADERY plants its flag as the first and only sparkling mead producer in the country Try the Oregon MeadowFoam Blossom made with honey from the Willamette Valley flower PHOTO CREDITS CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT HONEY MOON MEADS JASON VANDERVALK SKY RIVER MEAD BLUE DOG MEAD
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