Dragonmead facts for kids
Dragonmead logo
|
|
| Location | 4600 E. 11 Mile Road I-696 Service Drive, Warren, Michigan 48089, U.S. 42°29′27″N 83°03′38″W / 42.490908°N 83.060446°W |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1997 |
| Key people | Larry Channel, Bill Wrobel, Earl Scherbarth |
| Owned by | Earl Scherbarth Larry Channel Bill Wrobel |
| Employees | 27 |
Dragonmead is a special kind of company that makes many different drinks. It's called a microbrewery, a meadery, and a brewpub. Three friends, Earl Scherbarth, Larry Channell, and Bill Wrobel, started it in January 1997. This small company creates many types of special drinks, including mead and sodas. They have won many awards, even gold medals at the World Beer Cup.
Contents
How Dragonmead Started
Before starting Dragonmead, Larry Channel and Bill Wrobel worked at Chrysler. Earl Scherbarth worked at Ford. Their interest in making drinks began with a home brewing kit. This kit was a birthday gift for Earl.
The friends started trying new ways to make drinks. They used different ingredients to create unique flavors. At first, they thought about starting a computer or printing business. But Bill Wrobel suggested they start a place to make drinks. They learned a lot about the process. A year later, in May 1998, they opened Dragonmead. The company still helps people who want to make drinks at home.
In 1998, a newspaper called the Bay City Times wrote about Dragonmead. They said that news about Dragonmead's special drinks was spreading. Even famous chef Jimmy Schmidt offered Dragonmead drinks in his restaurants.
In 2015, Dragonmead grew much bigger. They moved to a new building that was 11,000 square feet. This new place had a large area for visitors to try drinks. They also got new equipment. This helped them make many more types of drinks. They can now offer over 100 different kinds! This expansion also means they can send their drinks to more places.
Special Drinks They Make
Dragonmead uses many different types of grains to make their drinks. They use at least 57 kinds, sometimes up to 75 in one year. These grains come from seven different countries. They also use special yeast strains, which are tiny living things that help make the drinks. They have fifteen different kinds of yeast.
One of their most popular drinks is called Final Absolution Trippel. It is a special bottled ale. In December 2014, they made their brewing system bigger. This allowed them to create an even wider range of drinks.
Dragonmead has recipes for 26 different kinds of drinks. These include many styles from America, England, Germany, Belgium, and Scotland. They also make a Russian Imperial Stout. Some other popular drinks are "Under the Kilt Wee Heavy" and "Sin Eater." Their "Big 5" drinks are very popular. You can find them in stores in packs of four bottles. At their pub, they have many drinks on tap, including seasonal ones.
The company tries to use ingredients from the right places. This helps them make drinks that taste like they should.
The Dragonmead Building
The Chicago Tribune newspaper wrote about Dragonmead's bar. They even took pictures of it. The bar has many unique handles for the drink taps. There are also beautiful stained-glass windows. The newspaper said it felt like a medieval place or a fantasy world.
Some of the tap handles are shaped like characters, such as Erik the Red. Others have special shields. The building also has two large glass tile pictures called "Shields." William Wrobel made these. He also created two big stained-glass windows. These are called The Knight's Window and The Dragon’s Window.
The bar itself took 6 years to build! Dragonmead owner D. Earl Scherbarth made it. It has a special copper top and custom oak cabinets.
Awards and Recognition
Dragonmead has won many important awards. In 2006, they won a Gold Medal at the World Beer Cup. This event is sometimes called "The Olympics of Beer." Their drink, Final Absolution, won this award. Another gold medal winner was "Crusader Dark Mild Ale." In 2012, Dragonmead won two medals at the World Beer Cup.
By the end of 2014, Dragonmead had won five World Beer Cup medals. They also won five medals at the International Mazer Cup Mead Competition. Because of all these awards, Dragonmead Microbrewery is known as one of the most awarded breweries in the United States.
RateBeer, a website that rates drinks, named Dragonmead one of the "Top 50 Breweries to Visit in the World."
Other Products They Make
Dragonmead also makes mead. Mead is a special drink made from honey. In 2014, they won five awards at the Mazer Cup International Mead Competition for their meads. They won for drinks like ESB Braggot, Crooked Door Braggot, Strawberry Mead Dessert, Medieval Spice Pumpkin Dessert, and Cherry Mead Mellomel Dry.
The company also makes and serves its own root beer and other sodas.
The Dragonmead pub now has a kitchen. They offer a special menu with food designed to go well with their drinks. Visitors can also get growler bottles filled with their favorite drinks to take home. They also serve "beer flights," which are small samples of different drinks.
Working with Others
Dragonmead works with other companies and groups. They joined with another company in Warren, Michigan, called Kuhnhenn Brewing Company. Together, they made a special drink called "Dark Heathen." This drink took 6 months to prepare.
Dragonmead is a member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. They are also part of the national Brewer’s Association. Their individual brewers are members of the Master Brewers’ Association of the Americas Detroit chapter.
They also support "Fermenta." This is a special group started by women in Michigan. It helps women connect and learn more about the craft beverage industry. Dragonmead is one of 11 Michigan companies that work with this group.
Images for kids
-
Dragonmead logo
