From reporterherald.com
The MeadKrieger co-owner talks about mead’s ancient roots, common misconceptions and building a modern-day mead hall in downtown Loveland
Like the chicken and egg conundrum, it’s not immediately clear what the primary driver behind MeadKrieger’s founding was — a love of the fermented honey beverage or a fascination with the ancient Norse culture that embraced it. What is clear is that the two are inseparable for Matt Ackerman, who with business partner Erik Davis has created one of downtown Loveland’s most distinctive hangout spots.
“The mead hall was such a big part of Norse society — it was a place where everyone came together to drink and celebrate and feast, tell stories and sing songs and really bond,” he said. “And that’s what we were going for here: to make a place where we can foster some community.”
Mead, which is made by fermenting honey and water, is often considered the world’s oldest alcoholic drink and is a recurring trope in ancient and medieval literature — most famously in Beowulf, but also in the writings and mythologies of ancient Greece, Scandinavia and parts of Africa and Asia.
Ackerman describes it as a ‘blank slate,’ allowing makers to experiment with flavours, sweetness and style, unbound by the conventions that define other craft beverages.
“You can kind of do whatever you want with it,” Ackerman said. “If you’re making a wine and you’re using Chardonnay grapes, you’re making a Chardonnay, and people expect it to taste like a Chardonnay. Mead doesn’t have any kind of restriction like that.”
Ackerman and Davis opened their tasting room at 452 N. Washington Ave. in 2023 and will celebrate its third anniversary later this month. In addition to serving mead, MeadKrieger also hosts weekly events, a monthly lecture series on Old Norse language, myth and culture and “Barbarian” nights on the solstices and equinoxes. The meadery also displays work from local artists and participates in community events, like the annual Honey Festival at the Farmers Market.
Ackerman, who studied chemical engineering before the pandemic, serves as the technical backbone of the operation, focusing on fermentation science, quality control and system design, while Davis handles recipe development. Before co-founding MeadKrieger, he played guitar in a metal band, touring Europe at least twice.
The Reporter-Herald caught up with Ackerman this week to talk about the history of mead, common misconceptions and the vision behind MeadKrieger.
1. Why mead? What first got you interested in it?
My business partner got me interested in mead. We met playing in a band that was also Norse-inspired, and he was getting really interested in Norse culture, history and religion. Mead was such a big part of that world that he wanted to start trying his hand at it. That was my introduction to mead, and I kind of fell in love with it.
2. Why did you choose Loveland as the place to open MeadKrieger?
I’ve always been around Northern Colorado — Greeley, Fort Collins — and Loveland felt like a mirror of the mead industry itself. It’s relatively low-key, but it’s growing and getting more interesting every year. This location is right next to downtown but close enough to the neighbourhood that it still feels like it has that neighbourhood vibe. We just thought it was a perfect fit.
3. Mead has existed across many cultures. Why emphasize Norse mead in particular?
Mead has been part of almost every culture in the world, but the Norse had a really integrated connection to it through their religion and society. The mead hall was a place where everyone came together to drink, celebrate, feast, tell stories and sing songs. That sense of community is what we were going for here.
It also helps that I’m Norwegian, so there’s an ancestral connection for me. The Norse theme was the inspiration for us making mead in the first place, and it just felt natural to lean into that.
4. What’s the biggest misconception people have about mead?
The biggest one is that people think it’s always really sweet. A lot of folks tried mead at a Renaissance festival or had a homemade version years ago and assume that’s what it is. But mead is a blank slate — it can be dry, sweet or anything in between.
Another misconception is that it’s like beer, when it’s actually much closer to wine. And it’s gluten-free, which surprises a lot of people.
5. How has your taste in mead changed since you started?
A: Being in this business has made me try a bunch of new things and really expand my horizons. I really like complex things now — unique flavour combinations with a lot going on. I like tasting the depth and complexity that can come out of different kinds of fermentation and different flavour combinations.
One of our meads has coffee, orange, bourbon and caramelized honey, which sounds like a crazy mishmash of flavours. It’s definitely something I wouldn’t have liked before I really got into making mead. But the complexity and the balance there — there’s something that keeps you thinking every time you take a sip. You keep noticing small little details. That’s my favourite part.
No comments:
Post a Comment