Merry Meadery
The Meadery's Start
Merry Meadery is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and became a Pennsylvania Limited Winery in October of 2021.
Founded by Meadmaker Mike, Merry Meadery is dedicated to educating consumers about mead as well as creating unique and delicious flavors to try along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mead? - Mead is any alcohol where the main fermented sugar is honey. For a more in-depth description, see above.
How is Mead Made? - Mead is made just like beer or wine, but with some minor procedural and ingredient differences. To see Meadmaker Mike make a small batch of mead, check out this video.
Does Merry Meadery have a tasting room? - Not yet, we're focused on online sales and holding tasting events at local markets.
Where can I order some Merry Meadery mead? - Our products are sold through a compliance coordinator, Vinoshipper. Using their website allows us to reach more states outside of Pennsylvania.
How can I ask my question? - Right here! Use the form below to ask us anything and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Mead History
Mead is Ancient
Honey has been used in fermentation for thousands of years. While many associate Vikings or Romans with mead, this historical drink predates both; early examples of honey being used for fermentation were 9,000 -year-old jars found on ships from neolithic-era China.
Mead can be found referenced in many ancient texts:
Meteorologica - 340BC - Aristotle refers to mead in his observations.
Rig Veda - 1500-1000BCE - A selection of sacred Hindu hymns hints at mead-like beverages.
Naturalis Historia - 77AD - Pliny the Elder provides a recipe for mead involving rainwater in his agglomerated works.
Want to learn more? Check these books out:
Mead: The Libations, Legends, and Lore of History's oldest drink.
The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes, and Other Home Uses
From dry to sweet, even sweet to savory, mead is a very versatile term. Any fermented beverage where the primary source of fermentable sugar is honey can be considered a mead.
Various styles of mead also exist, including:
Show Mead - A honey-only mead
Melomel - Mead with fruit added.
Metheglin - Mead with dry spices, like cinnamon, clove, or ginger
Braggot - Beer-style mead made with hops and malt
Rhodomel - Mead made with rose petals
Sack Mead - An extra sweet, high ABV mead.
And many more!
Meet your Meadmaker
Meadmaker Mike is a Pittsburgh native that grew up in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. He studied Health and Science Education at Slippery Rock University, and then went on to earn his MBA online at Strayer University. He is also currently working on a Ph.D. at Capella University.
Mead Enthusiast
Michael's love and fascination with mead started at Slippery Rock University where a local wine label offered a sweet "honey-wine" Unable to find his preferred brand of mead or a suitable replacement, he taught himself how to homebrew. These early adventures were inspired by YouTube meadmakers City Steading, ManMadeMead, and Doin' the Most.