Miami, Arizona: Meading of the Minds celebrates one year rooted in community

From silverbelt.com

Meading of the Minds, what has quickly become a Miami staple, recently celebrated its one year anniversary. Owner Christa Jennings shared what it means to be a business owner in a flood zone, the goal of becoming a community hub, and the direction the business is headed.

Many know Christa Jennings—formerly Christa Linblad—as the face behind many new events in Miami. She is behind Last Saturdays in the Hole, Open Mic night on Last Fridays, the Climb on Second Sundays, as well as a leader on Trashy Thursdays. Whenever something new comes up in Miami, chances are she is either the sole leader or a strong force behind it. “We want more people to know about Miami.”

Using the movie Cars as a metaphor, she explained that Radiator Springs was thriving until a freeway was built to bypass it. Once the freeway was there, no one needed to stop in. Miami—more specifically Sullivan Street—is like Radiator Springs. The freeway passes by all that it has to offer. Instead, she wants Miami to be known as the place to stop for a bite, a flight, and a relaxing rest while people make their way over to Show Low.

Despite all that she does for the town, her driving goal behind Meading of the Minds is not strictly wealth generation. “I just want it to sustain itself, have it be a place where people want to come…I want to help everybody.”

She currently works a day job in the medical field as a project manager, helping offset the costs of a new business while providing for herself and her son. Many new businesses take years to reach profitability, though her goal remains simple: sustainability. With a keen eye for advertising, an understanding of how to foster community, and a natural flair for shared space, that goal feels within reach.

With local goods, live music, a revolving menu of mead and cider, and her strategic marketing skills, the business has drawn people from all over town, earning a calm crowd of chatter and joy. “I like making something that others can enjoy,” a sentiment she shares that applies to the place of business, as well as the flavours of the mead.

                               Christa poses behind the available flavours at the Mead hall    Courtesy of Trinity Murchie

Involved as a homebrewer for four years, Christa recently invested in more 16-gallon fermenters to keep supply flowing. This is welcome news for locals who know limited-edition meads fly off the shelves and who have long awaited the return of favourites. Some limited editions can take up to six months to ferment, while classics—such as the aptly named OG—take about two months. Ciders, on the other hand, take only four to six weeks.

Each of the six 16-gallon fermenters can produce roughly 65 bottles of mead, which are then split between flights, bottles, and pours in the mead hall, as well as a growing venture into distribution. Dirtwater Springs in Apache Junction currently carries Meading of the Minds bottles, and Bella’s in Superior—among others—has expressed interest as well. This step supports the sustainability of the mead hall, which Christa plans to keep running as long as possible.

Newer to town and unaware of the flood plain Miami rests in, the floods did not scare her away from calling the Copper Corridor home. If it floods again, “we’ll just clean up again,” she explained nonchalantly—a testament to her love for the town. She elaborated further, sharing that “this place is a community, people help each other.” Shortly after the flooding, she witnessed people who openly don’t like each other helping one another—the very definition of community. “You can’t find this in the Valley. I lived in an HOA and still didn’t know my neighbours.” It is in this contrast that Miami comes into full focus.

With the lingering threat of rain washing away hard work once more, Christa still keeps her pricing as low as possible. For many recipes, pricing reflects about $2 per ounce, while limited editions—with pricier ingredients—reach closer to $3. Ingredients for mead are not cheap. A five-gallon tub of honey can cost upwards of $225, enough for only two batches, before factoring in juices and other fresh ingredients that drive flavour and demand.

Since ciders are significantly quicker to make, fans should keep their eyes out for new flavours. The next release, expected toward the end of February, is called The Poisoned Well. The cider features an antioxidant-rich blend of raspberries, cherries, blackberries, acai, strawberries, and more—packing a punch of joy.

Valentine’s weekend also saw a chocolate raspberry limited-edition mead. When limited runs sell quickly, they earn strong consideration for a return. The popular caramel berry—despite requiring a six-month ferment—will eventually make its way back into rotation.

Whether you are a lover of music, camaraderie, activity, or good honey wine, stopping into Meading of the Minds offers more than a drink. It offers a glimpse of a business built carefully, by someone choosing to stay—choosing community, even when life asks a lot. In a town that understands rebuilding, Meading of the Minds stands as a place where things are still being made, slowly, with intention, and with heart.

https://silverbelt.com/stories/meading-of-the-minds-celebrates-one-year-rooted-in-community,100314

Hive Mind Launches Dark Cherry Mead With Proud Norse Origins

From grocerytrader.co.uk 

Mead may be one of the world’s oldest alcoholic drinks, but its story is far from finished

This February, Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co. unveils a Dark Cherry Traditional Mead, a rich, fruit-forward melomel inspired by the Norse tradition of infusing honey wine with foraged berries. The result is a beautifully balanced mead that combines deep cherry fruit, British honey sweetness with a balanced tart finish.

Historically, fruited meads were crafted for ceremonies, harvest celebrations and moments of significance. It was a drink worthy of a gathering. Hive Mind’s Dark Cherry continues that legacy, created for modern occasions that demand something a little extra special.

According to co-founder Kit Newell, the timing reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour:

“Mead appreciation in the UK is growing rapidly and is now an £11.6m category. This mirrors the momentum we have seen in North America, which has rapidly evolved into a vibrant £650m market. The momentum shift has come courtesy of younger drinkers moving away from overly sweet, synthetic fruit ciders and unremarkable generic wines towards small-batch, crafted drinks offering authenticity, provenance and clear environmental upsides.”

While fruity ciders historically operated as an entry-level introduction to alcohol, today’s consumers are increasingly prioritising quality over quantity. They are seeking complexity, craftsmanship and an engaging back story. Mead, particularly when made with locally sourced honey, offers flavour, depth and robust environmental, credentials supporting local pollinator populations, sustainable agriculture and the countryside economy.

“As authentic mead advocates,” Kit adds, “we are seeing growing demand across retail and hospitality. Specialist wine merchants, off licences, delis, farm shops, garden centres and food halls are all creating dedicated mead sections and our own listings now span progressive supermarkets such as Co-op in Wales and M&S, a far-flung network of independent fine food wholesalers and a proud cross-section nationwide institutions; including Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Trust and an expanding network of Michelin-listed restaurants.”

Dark Cherry Traditional Mead represents both a celebration of heritage and a confident step forward for Britain’s original craft drink, reimagined for a new discerning generation.

Hivemindmead.com

700ml £22-25 (12.5%)

https://grocerytrader.co.uk/hive-mind-launches-dark-cherry-mead-with-proud-norse-origins-for-younger-drinkers-disillusioned-with-overtly-sweet-synthetic-tasting-fruity-ciders-feb-26/

How to Brew Your Mead Like a Viking: 3 Bold Recipe Variants

From advancedmixology.com

The oldest alcoholic concoction in the world, mead’s history can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Evident in the Scandinavian culture, literature, and mythology, mead played a vital role in the lives of Vikings. How to make Viking mead during the medieval period is an exciting process that many of us would like to know.

It is well-known that Vikings brewed their own drinks, including mead. By combining honey, yeast, and natural flavourings and allowing the mixture to ferment, they make Viking mead the traditional way. What set the Viking mead apart from the conventional mead we all know and love are the ingredients and how brewers during that time procured them.

Honey and Beekeeping

Vikings were knowledgeable when it comes to beekeeping. They used skeps or coiled domes of straw for the honeycombs. They would then collect the honeycombs from the beehive and place them in a cloth bag, allowing them to drain as much honey as possible. To get every drop of honey, they would crush the drained honeycombs (and sometimes, even the beehive) and put them into a pot of water.

The pure raw honey would produce the highest quality of mead, while the crushed combs and beehive would make mead with lesser character. But both meads would be consumed accordingly.

Traditional Flavourings and Additives

In addition to the ones that they could grow in their homelands, Vikings had access to various ingredients, thanks to their extensive trading routes. Common fruits they used for the mead include raspberries, elderberries, cherries, hawthorn berries, crabapple, rowan berries, and rose hips.

For added flavouring and preserving effects, Vikings tried adding herbs to their mead. They also traded for exotic spices such as cumin, pepper, and cardamom, which they could have used for their mead-brewing.

Wild Yeast

Today, brewers can easily buy packaged yeast and yeast nutrients from grocery stores. Vikings, on the other hand, did not have this luxury. In fact, during their time, they didn’t even know what yeast was and that they needed it to make their mead. They could have drawn wild yeast from the raw honey, fruits, and herbs to their mead must, initiating fermentation without realising it.

Here is a mead starter recipe by Jereme Zimmerman—a writer and traditional brewing revivalist who advocates natural and holistic home brewing. This mead starter, as the name suggests, can help in instigating fermentation in your wild mead. You can use it as a replacement for store-bought yeast and brew your mead just like a Viking.

How to Make Viking Mead

Ingredients

• ½ cup Raw, unfiltered honey
• 2 cups Spring water
• Natural yeast - any organic fresh or dried berries, grapes, or plums
• An additional source of wild yeast and nutrients (Optional) – a small bunch of any wild, unsprayed botanical such as wildflower petals (violets and dandelions are good)

Equipment

• 1-quart (at least) Open-mouthed vessel (glass jars or ceramic crocks are best)
• Wooden stir stick
• Clean cheesecloth, towel, or t-shirt for covering the vessel

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Put the honey and room temperature water into the open-mouthed vessel and mix them.
2. Use the stir stick to dissolve the honey fully.
3. Add the berries, dried or fresh, and the optional botanicals.
4. Place the vessel in a warm, dark place with no direct sunlight. An ideal temperature is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 degrees Celsius.
5. Cover it with a cloth.
6. Keep the stir stick accessible as you will need to stir the must at least three times a day. This way, you can incorporate any yeast that has dropped in into the mead must. It will also provide aeration to ensure a healthy fermentation.
7. After about five days (or longer during the winter), once the mixture is fizzy and foamy, your mead starter is ready.

Viking Mead Recipe Variations

Now that you already have the wild yeast to help with the fermentation, here are three simple recipes on how to make Viking mead using botanicals that you can easily find in nature.

1. Juniper Hibiscus / Hawthorn Berry and Flower Semi-Sweet Mead

This recipe uses hawthorn berries, an ingredient that the Vikings used to add to their mead during the medieval period. It will yield one gallon of semi-sweet mead. 

Ingredients

• 1 quart (about 2.3 pounds) Wildflower honey
• 1 gal Spring water
• 1 oz. Dried juniper berries
• 1 oz. Dried hibiscus flowers or 2 oz. fresh
• 0.5 oz. Meadowsweet
• 0.5 oz. Yarrow
• 4-5 Raisins
• ¼ - ½ cup Wild mead starter or 1 packet (5 g) of Lalvin D-47 or Lalvin 71-B

How to Make

1. Mix honey with water into a stockpot over medium-low heat.
2. Stir thoroughly until the honey dissolves fully.
3. Using a funnel, pour the mead must into a one-gallon carboy.
4. Add the juniper berries, hibiscus flowers, meadowsweet, yarrow, and raisins.
5. Add the wild mead starter, or if you prefer, one pack of yeast.
6. Cover the vessel with an airlock half full of water inserted into a cork.
7. Place the vessel in a warm, dark area to allow fermentation for at least one month.
8. After a month, your mead will clarify but will still be too sweet and less alcoholic. To help continue its aging and achieve a more clarified mead with high alcohol content, rack the mixture into another container.
9. Rack again at least two times, every two to three months, until you have a clear mead with minimal sediment on the bottom of the carboy.
10. The next step is to bottle the mead. Typically, a one-gallon batch should be ready for bottling in about four to six months. For you to know if it’s time to bottle, drop a bit of sugar into the mead or stir it carefully. If it produces bubbles, then it means that the mead is still fermenting. You may also try to place a lid on the container and wait for a few days before gently opening it. If you hear any fizzing sound, the mead is still fermenting.
11. Bottle the mead using wine bottles, beer bottles, or flip-top bottles with new caps. Let it age for at least six months to one year. 

2. Spring Wildflower Mead

This all-natural recipe will require some foraging during spring when most wildflowers are in bloom. You can use wild violets, honeysuckles, dandelions, clovers, and Rose of Sharon. Be sure to use only the petals, as any greens may cause bitterness. Also, avoid foraging from areas that are not pesticide-free.

You can use other flowers as well, including roses, marigold, lavender, hawthorn (mayflower), and elderflower.

Ingredients

• 1 quart (about 2.3 pounds) Wildflower honey
• 1 gal Spring water
• 1-3 pints of tightly packed flowers
• 8-10 Organic raisins
• Lemon or orange
• A small oak leaf
• ¼ - ½ cup Wild mead starter or 1 packet (5 g) of Lalvin D-47 or Lalvin 71-B

How to Make

1. Put the honey and water into a stockpot over medium-low heat.
2. Stir the mixture thoroughly until the honey dissolves fully.
3. Pour the must into a one-gallon carboy using a funnel,
4. Add the flowers, setting aside a few for later use.
5. Squeeze in some lemon or orange juice. A couple of squeezes should do the trick.
6. Add the organic raisins and small oak leaf for added tannins and nutrients.
7. Add the wild mead starter or one pack of yeast.
8. Install the airlock.
9. Allow the mixture to ferment for at least one month.
10. After a month, rack the mixture into another container, adding the remaining wildflowers for a more potent floral aroma.
11. Rack again at least two times every two to three months.
12. Bottle the mead if you think it’s ready.

3. Garlic Mushroom Cooking / Dessert Mead

Besides being a refreshing drink, mead can also be an excellent replacement for wine when cooking. This recipe will produce a delicious dessert mead or cooking mead, depending on the honey-to-water ratio that you will use. With garlic as an ingredient, this mead offers many health benefits, including immune system boosting.

Ingredients 

• 2 ½ lbs. Honey or 4 lbs. honey for dessert mead
• 3 gal Spring water
• 4-12 heads Garlic
• 2 cups Chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms or 1 cup mushroom tea
• 8-10 Raisins
• Wild yeast
• ¼ - ½ cup Wild mead starter

How to Make

1. Prepare the must by heating water and honey. Use 2 ½-pound honey for cooking mead or four pounds of honey if you like sweeter, dessert mead.
2. Peel each garlic clove and chop or smash it. Add the garlic to the must, saving some for later use.
3. Add the mushrooms. You can do it in two ways.
4. You may put the mushrooms directly into the must. Or
5. Prepare a mushroom tea, then add the tea to the must. This way, racking will be less messy.
6. Add the wild yeast and let the mead ferment.
7. After a month, add the remaining garlic for a strong garlic aroma.
8. Bottle the mead.

Back to the Basics

The Vikings made their mead the traditional way, taking advantage of the available resources during their time. The result is a sweet-tasting alcoholic drink that has miraculously made its way to our modern times. How to make Viking mead requires going back to the basics of brewing, using all-natural ingredients, and the simplest of equipment.

https://advancedmixology.com/blogs/art-of-mixology/how-to-make-viking-mead?srsltid=AfmBOor4KEL__YZm403ZP5gkyVZDoUfGEdWGgOnkjdBilEL-Q4j6hwSQ

Singapore: Lion City Meadery Launches Limited-Edition Mead for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

From gamerbraves.com

SEGA has partnered with Singapore’s Lion City Meadery to celebrate the release of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties with a special collaboration mead (also called Honey Wine) available for a limited time across the island. From February 12 to March 11, 2026, fans can try a Hibiscus Blueberry Mead featuring custom Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties branding at selected bars and taprooms in Singapore. The drink will only be available during this period and while stocks last.

The limited-edition mead is described as dark crimson in colour with floral and berry flavours. Brewed in a beer style, it’s meant to match the dramatic setting of the Yakuza game series.

Image Credit: Lion City Meadery

The collaboration mead is available at 11 locations across Singapore:

• Yeast Side (Serangoon Gardens, King Albert Park, Farrer Park, and Trifecta locations)
• Orh Gao Peh Gao (Serene Centre)
• SG Taps Restaurant (Duxton Hill)
• Gulp Riverside Taproom & Bottleshop (Rodyk Street)
• Kōki Alternative Bread Bar (Duxton Road)
• The Coup Bar & Kitchen (Ann Siang Hill)
• The Otherside (Erskine Road)
• Smith Street (Chinatown Food Complex)

SEGA and Lion City Meadery are also running a lucky draw during the campaign period. Fans who participate at participating outlets can enter for a chance to win prizes. More details about the lucky draw are available at the participating outlets. This collaboration brings together Singapore’s craft beverage scene with gaming culture, giving fans a way to celebrate the game’s launch outside of playing it.

https://www.gamerbraves.com/lion-city-meadery-launches-limited-edition-mead-for-yakuza-kiwami-3-dark-ties/

A Guide to Popular Mead Styles in Australia

From sheppadviser.com.au

The Australian beverage industry is currently witnessing a profound architectural shift, as the traditional boundaries between viticulture, brewing, and apiculture begin to dissolve into a singular, sophisticated craft: the production of premium mead. 

Historically relegated to the peripheries of the “honey wine” niche, mead has undergone a radical reappraisal, emerging as a high-end artisanal product that mirrors the complexity of fine wine and the experimental agility of craft beer. 

In Australia, this renaissance is fuelled by a biological advantage, the continent’s vast array of over 700 native flowering plants, which provide a spectrum of honey flavours and chemical profiles that are globally unique.   

As consumers increasingly pivot toward authenticity, traceable sourcing, and natural fermentation, the Australian mead market has matured. No longer defined solely by the syrupy, high-alcohol versions of the past, the contemporary landscape is populated by dry, sparkling hydromels, complex melomels infused with “bush tucker” fruits, and medicinal metheglins that draw upon indigenous botanical knowledge. 

Australian Mead Styles

To understand the current market, one must categorise mead according to its ingredients and fermentation parameters. While “honey wine” is often used as a synonym, industry professionals increasingly insist on the term “mead” to differentiate these ferments from grape-based products.   

Traditional Mead: Traditional mead represents the most fundamental expression of the craft, consisting solely of honey, water, and yeast. In this style, the character of the honey is the primary variable, determining the final aroma, colour, and palate structure. Meaderies sometimes focus on capturing the essence of specific blossoms, ranging from the mild and sweet Yellow Box to the robust, medicinal profiles of Red Gum and Ironbark.   

Traditional meads are further classified by their final sugar content and alcohol by volume (ABV). The diversity of Australian honeys allows for a broad spectrum of outcomes, as detailed in the following analysis.

Dry Traditional: Bone dry to slight residual, 11% – 14% ABV, Floral citrus, light acidity. 

Semi-Sweet: Balanced Acidity/sugar, 12% – 15% ABV, Creamy texture, marmalade notes. 

Sack Mead: Intensely Sweet, 14%-20% ABV, Bold, toady, butterscotch undertones. 

Fortified/Liqueur: Fortified with spirits, 18% – 23% ABV, Spiced, oak-aged, dense fruit.   

The Australian preference has shifted toward semi-sweet and semi-dry traditional meads, which offer a more versatile pairing profile for modern Australian cuisine, particularly when served over ice or as a spritzer with soda water.   

The Session Mead Revolution

The most rapid growth within the Australian mead sector is found in “Session Meads” or Hydromels. These are lower-alcohol versions of mead, typically ranging from 3.5% to 8.5% ABV, and are almost always carbonated and packaged in cans. This style aligns with the broader consumer trend toward “sessionable” drinks that can be enjoyed in casual, outdoor settings like festivals or beachside picnics.   

Session meads are often dry, as the low alcohol content cannot support high levels of residual sugar without becoming cloying. The carbonation is critical, providing a “prickly” texture that brightens the honey’s aromatics. For those looking to explore this trend through home production, using a high-quality mead brewing kit australia is the standard recommendation to ensure the precision required for low-gravity fermentations and consistent carbonation.     

Regional Production 

Australia’s diverse climate zones necessitate varied approaches to mead production. In tropical Queensland, temperature control during fermentation is paramount to prevent the production of off-flavours like fusel alcohols. Conversely, in the cooler southern regions, brewers focus on seasonal harvest coordination, timing their fermentations to coincide with the peak availability of temperate berries and stone fruits.   

The Role of Native Stingless Bees

A burgeoning niche in the Australian market involves the use of honey from native stingless bees, known as “Sugarbug” honey. Hives of Tetragonula and Austroplebeia produce only about one kilogram of honey per year, making it one of the rarest food products in Australia. This honey is noted for its high acidity and unique plant resins, providing a flavour profile that is impossible to replicate with European honey bees. While its low volume means it will likely remain a luxury adjunct, its presence in high-end, limited-release meads represents the pinnacle of Australian botanical craftsmanship.   

Mead in the Australian Food Scene

Modern Australian mead is designed to be consumed with food. The versatility of the different styles allows for pairings across a full degustation menu:

Sparkling Session Meads: Ideal as an aperitif or paired with fresh Sydney Rock Oysters and light seafood dishes.   

Traditional Semi-Dry Meads: Complements poultry, charcuterie boards, and soft cheeses like brie or camembert.   

Melomels (e.g., Passion Fruit or Raspberry): Pairs excellently with fresh fruit tarts, pavlova, or spicy Thai and Vietnamese salads.   

Spiced or Liqueur Meads: Served with dark chocolate, blue cheese, or as a “sticky” at the end of a meal, similar to a Muscat or Port.   

What’s Next?

For the professional peer or the dedicated enthusiast, the message is clear: the Australian mead industry has moved beyond its Viking-themed origins into a sophisticated era of botanical expression. Whether it is a crisp, canned hydromel for a summer afternoon or a complex, oak-aged metheglin for a winter evening, mead has secured its place as a permanent and prestigious fixture in the Australian craft beverage landscape.

https://www.sheppadviser.com.au/a-guide-to-popular-mead-styles-in-australia/