From hickoryrecord.com
Owner: It's nothing like you've ever had before
Written in silver and gold on columns inside Battle Axe Mead House are the names of customers who have imbibed a glass of mead within the first week of the business’s opening.
Owner Jason Hart opened Hickory’s first mead house on May 24. He works with his wife Martha Hart to, he says, offer something new to the Hickory area.
The Battle Axe Mead House in downtown Hickory. ROBERT C. REED, RECORD
The couple moved to Hickory from Chicago in 2017 because they wanted to be closer to family here in North Carolina.
Jason Hart has spent most of his adult career working in higher education, and Martha Hart works for Carolina Caring, but the pair wanted to venture into the mead business to be a “channel for local meaderies,” Jason Hart said.
Jason Hart was a craft beer drinker who moved on to mead. He compares the beverage to honey wine, but as far as taste goes, “It’s nothing like you’ve ever had before,” Hart said.
“It’s not really wine, and it’s not really beer. It’s its own thing,” Hart said.
Jason Hart, the owner of the Battle Axe Mead House, displays a bottle of mead at his new Nordic-themed business in downtown Hickory. ROBERT C. REED, RECORD
Because of the limited access to mead in the Hickory area, Hart took it upon himself to start Hickory’s first mead house by offering mead from local brewers such as Moonjoy Meadery in Lenoir and Keeper’s Cut Meadery based in Marion.
In addition to the meads from the western part of the state, Hart said they will also be bringing in mead from Retro Meadery, which is based in eastern North Carolina.
Because of mead’s Nordic origin, the Harts decided to incorporate Nordic elements into the mead house’s decorations but with a more modern flair.
Jason Hart said he plans to utilize Battle Axe’s location downtown with private parking to bring in food trucks on Saturdays and host events such as pet adoptions, music bingo and game nights.
Hart said he also hopes to offer space to local clubs and organizations who want to use the mead house as a place to gather. The meadery is family friendly as well as pet friendly. “I have kids and I have a dog, so they’re welcome here anytime,” Hart said.
Hart said the goal of his business is to “intrigue people into trying something different,” and to give people of Hickory something that is not only new to downtown but new to the Hickory area as a whole.
Hart’s mother Johna Fruz drove to Hickory last week from Chicago to help with the grand opening of her son’s business on June 3, and said it was the first time she had seen the mead house finished and ready for business.
“I’m proud of him, he’s worked so hard,” Fruz said. “He and Martha are good people.”
Hart said customers are pleasantly surprised by the 15 to 20 flavours that Battle Axe Mead House carries.
Customer April Yoder said she and her husband have been waiting for Battle Axe to open. She said the first visit was a pleasant experience.
“There is definitely something for every palate,” said Yoder, who tried mead prior to her trip to Battle Axe. “I’m definitely not a connoisseur so it was nice to learn about them and try a variety.”
Yoder’s experience went beyond the quality of the beverages she tried. “The décor is really tasteful and thoughtfully done, and it was a chill, peaceful place,” Yoder said.
“It’s a lovely place and the owner is very friendly and helpful,” Yoder added.
Battle Axe carries Pineapple, Dark Horse, Dry Traditional, Russian Tea, Freya’s Magic, Ginger Brig, Limonadi, Jordbaer, Love Spell #19, Litha and Pineapple Mango from the Moonjoy brewers.
Battle Axe also offers a number of meads from Keeper’s Cut, including Melissa’s Gold, Zeus’s Gold, Autumn, Peach, Razzberry, Anann-Te, Apple of My Eye and Pomenade.
Yoder said a flight of four 2-ounce pours is $12.
Customers can also purchase from the non-mead section of the menu, which offers beer and ciders.
Battle Axe is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m. as well as Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. The mead house is closed on Mondays.
