Mead in the United States facts for kids
Mead is a special drink made by fermenting honey. For a long time, it wasn't very popular in the United States. But starting in the 1980s, more and more small businesses began making mead. This "craft" mead industry really grew, especially by the 2010s.
History of Mead in the US
Before the 1980s, most people in the United States didn't know much about mead. They often thought of it as an old drink from the Middle Ages. There weren't many different kinds of mead available, so not many people were interested in buying it.
A few companies started making mead in the 1960s. For example, Bargetto Winery in California made "Chaucer's Mead." Lingamore Winecellars in Maryland also began making mead in 1978. These early companies often sold their mead at Renaissance festivals. These festivals celebrate the culture of the Renaissance period.
Interest in mead grew as more people started making their own drinks at home. A popular book called The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian, published in 1984, helped this trend. Mead makers started using ideas from craft brewers. They would add unique flavors or age mead in special barrels. This made mead more exciting to try.
The growing popularity of wine and the "local foods" movement also helped mead become more visible. More people wanted to try drinks made close to home. The number of people joining the Mazer Cup competition, which is for mead makers, more than doubled between 2008 and 2011. This showed how much mead was growing.
In 2003, there were about 60 businesses making mead in the U.S. By 2012, this number jumped to 200. The American Mead Makers Association was also started in 2012. This group helps mead manufacturers. By 2020, there were around 500 small mead makers operating in the United States.
Where Mead is Made in the US
Today, you can find mead-making businesses in almost every American state. Some states are especially known for their mead.
Michigan is one of the top states for mead. Some people even call it the "mead mecca" of the U.S. Arizona is another important state for mead. Its central valleys have many wildflowers, which attract mead makers. Superstition Meadery is a famous meadery located there.
California also has many mead-making businesses, especially near the Bay Area. Rabbits Foot Meadery is one example. Colorado is home to the Mazer Cup, which is a big international competition for mead. Some meaderies in the U.S. even work with mead makers in other countries, like Ireland or Brazil, to create new types of mead.
Rules for Making and Selling Mead
Making and selling mead in the United States can be tricky because of different state laws. After the 21st Amendment ended the Prohibition Era, each state got to make its own rules about alcohol. This means that getting the right licenses to start a meadery and ship products can be difficult.
Mead makers also need a license from the federal government to operate. The federal government usually puts mead in the same group as wine. This can sometimes make it hard for mead makers to decide how to make or label their products. Also, federal rules don't always explain the differences between various styles of mead.
