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May 13 2010
Posted in
Find It -
Detroit
I recently attended a mead tasting. Yes, mead. And no, I hadn't wandered into some Babylonian tent during a tribal feast to steal a sip or two from a clay pot; I was at a warehouse in Ferndale, MI, sampling the latest seasonal flavors and year-round favorites of the B. Nektar Meadery. The place was packed despite the heavy rains and booming thunder.
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| Stainless steel aging tanks. Photo courtesy of B. Nektar Meadery |
The Fun
Ian, the assistant mead maker and fun czar, was dispensing mead and knowledge at a long metal table set up in front of the stainless steel aging tanks. Ian's toothy grin, waxed curled mustache, and witty delivery are only half the fun of the tasting, the rest, of course, being the mead itself.
The Sauce
The two star varieties up for tasting were the seasonal pineapple coconut mead made with pineapple juice fermented with honey and real coconut, and the limited edition Bourbon Barrel Mead, aged for a year in oak barrels. One taster described it as "the best parts of bourbon without the hurting."
The History
The meadery is run by husband and wife team Brad and Kerri Dahlhofer and their friend Paul Zimmerman. Brad has been an avid home brewer since 1998. He started brewing, because, as he puts it, "I couldn't afford the beer I wanted to drink." Brad made a home brew mead for the toast at his and Kerri's wedding in 2005, receiving rave reviews from the guests.
The three decided make mead professional getting out of their basement and into the warehouse working directly with beekeepers to ensure the highest quality mead. The company plans on releasing a new variety later this year made from honey collected in Detroit called The D's Bees Mead. B. Nektar can be found all over Michigan and has started making its way across the country.
Are there local breweries near you that depart from standard wine and beer?
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