The Colorado Meadery Guide
Since ancient times, in early civilizations such as China, India, Greece, and Egypt, mead has historically been known as the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage. Mead comes from an old English word medu, which translates to “honey wine” and dates back 8,000 years; it has historically consisted of fermented honey, rice, and fruit. Thanks to the evolution of the classic alcoholic beverage, mead has only bettered with skilled craftmanship and centuries of practice.
Colorado’s history is laden with the implementation and development of mead and can be tasted and enjoyed at several deliciously perfected Meaderies. But how do you choose which Colorado meadery to visit?
Many Mead Meaderies in Colorado
There are plenty of mead meaderies to choose from in Colorado, so we’ve put together this guide of some of our favorites to help you get started.
The Meadery That Started It All: Meadery of the Rockies
The original Colorado meadery is Meadery of the Rockies (one part of the Talon Wines brand) located in Palisade, the heart of Colorado’s wine country. Meadery of the Rockies is one of Colorado’s most beloved Meaderies, featuring perfectly balanced, honey-based wines. The tasting room itself is a quaint, one-story building adjacent to its vineyard.
There are a variety of meads to sample from or purchase, all ranging in flavor profiles and alcohol content:
- Traditional: Lightly Sweet, Medium Sweet, and Sweet
- Fruity: Apricot, Blackberry, Cherry, Peach, Raspberry, and Strawberry
- Dessert: Chocolate Cherry Satin, Chocolate Raspberry Satin, and Honey Sheré
Travel back in time during your Mead experience when you book a tasting at this iconic, year-round winery and treat yourself to the beverage of kings!
Drink Like A Viking: Drekar Meadery
Fancy a tasting fit for a Viking? Head to the Viking-themed tasting room, Drekar Meadery (named for the infamous dragon-headed Viking warships) in Colorado Springs to sip on a cold glass of mead fit for a Norse God (we’re looking at you, Thor).
In their take on one of the oldest drinks known to mankind, co-owners Tim Martin and Mike Sonderby aimed to keep mead simple and classic:
“We call it traditional Viking style because we do a lot less to it. We don’t have any complex clarification process. Ours isn’t very clear, much more a homespun product in that way,” Martin said for the Gazette.
Drekar meadery has been made available at various events including Palmer Lake Wine Festival, Northglenn Pirate Festival, and more! Stop in to get your Game of Thrones on and sip on their award-winning rendition.
More to Mead Than Meets the Eye: Dragon Meadery
What began in a garage for friends and family soon became a commercial mead business known as none other than the much-talked-about Dragon Meadery. Located in Aurora, this Denver meadery is an easy stop just outside of Denver city limits. Started by two former chefs, the meads here are made completely from scratch featuring a variety of fruits, herbs, and a range of sweetness suitable for any palate. If that’s not enough to sway your trip out their way, one of their batches even won a silver medal at the International Mead Festival.
The Craft Beer Drinker’s Mead: Redstone Meadery
Redstone Meadery is the dream of one homebrewer, David Myers, now the Chairman of the Mead (or, the Maze Cup as it is known to those in the industry). Redstone got its roots with the development of its flagship brew, Black Raspberry Nectar. Since its establishment in 2001, it’s gone on to expand to an array of fun new flavors, quickly becoming a local favorite. In keeping with the ‘natural’ approach, Redstone does not add any sulfites, a known allergen, as honey is its natural preservative. Redstone Meadery is a beloved brick building in Boulder, CO, open for tastings from visitors and locals alike.
Antelope Ridge Mead
Antelope Ridge Mead or “Elevated Craft Mead,” as its mission statement describes it, is a Colorado Springs tasting room with 20 taps of skillfully crafted mead to choose from. Their mead selection is impressive enough, but the amount of awards and hype that this unique meadery has garnered makes it worth the visit!
Using local wildflower honey, Antelope creates many sweet, tasty refreshments for nights out and friendly gatherings, taking a modern spin on the fermented beverage. Previously this year, Antelope’s Sangria Azteca, an oak-aged grape mead with sour cherries, was named “Best of Show Mead” at the Colorado State Fair.
If you’re looking to drink ‘the nectar of the Gods’ and live in or are visiting the area, look no further!
Sweet Nectar Denver Meadery: Queen Bee Brews
Brew’s mission is to provide small-batch handcrafted mead produced in the old-world style to satisfy the thirst of craft beverage connoisseurs in the new millennium. This meadery creates several styles of mead:
- Metheglin: made with herbs, spices, or flowers – either as a single note or in combinations!
- Traditional: made with honey derived from a single flower source, creating a tantalizing taste to your palate and tempting nose as you inhale the aromas!
- Pyment: meads that are blended with Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir, or San Giovese grapes and are paired beautifully with meats and cheeses, for the perfect midday snack or dinner companion!
- Prickly Pear: a sweet cactus fruit originating from the Southwest!
- Chile: another Southwestern favorite, this fire-roasted chile mead is sure to add just the right heat to your glass!
You can catch a nice “buzz” from several Queen Bee’s uniquely blended meads at their tasting room in North Denver, located between Commerce City and Berkley.
A Dream Come True: Miracle Stag Meadery
After losing his job in 2014, founder Arpad Lazslo Kovacs decided it was time to bring his vision of Miracle Stag Meadery to life. After wine-making experience from wineries in Hungary and Germany, Kovacs always dreamt of continuing in the industry of wine – and did so through his very special, authentic meadery.
In 2012, Kovacs’s dream came to life in the basement of his home, and soon developed into the outstanding tasting room experience it is today. Miracle Stag offers ten styles and five varieties of mead, providing something for everyone that visits this Loveland meadery!
Meadery For A Cause: Slaymaker Cellars
When drinking at Slaymaker Cellars you can drink knowing each sip is doing some good in the world, outside of your taste buds. Slaymaker is a B Corp meadery, meaning that they make quality products, support farmers and work with local apiaries to infuse local honey into their meads, educate about pollinators and advocate for pollinator health, and live and work sustainably. Each mead is ethically sourced from local, independent suppliers, cellar aged, and above all, handcrafted with love! What’s not to like?
The Renaissance of Mead: Hunters Moon Meadery
Kim and Greg are the masterminds – or should we say master hives? – behind Hunters Moon Meadery, a small, family-owned business located just outside Fort Collins in Severance, Colorado. The meadery tasting room is open for business and sits right behind their home, providing that family feel with every visit. When visiting, guests can find a variety of at least 12 different types and flavors of mead ranging from Palisade Peach, Saffron, and Clove spice to Kona Coffee.
Hunters Moon stands out from the rest by producing their honey from over 60 beehives! It doesn’t get more local or fresh than that.
Honnibrook Craft Meadery
Honnibrook has been recognized as one of the “game-changing Meaderies across the US” and has created refreshing craft mead since its opening at its Castle Rock location in 2018; it even ranked #1 for Best Winery and #1 for Best Wine with Peach Habanero in Thirst Colorado’s reader’s choice results! In the 2021 Colorado State Fair, Honnibrook won three silver medals for its Blueberry Lavender, Prickly Pear, and Boysenberry meads. This award-winning meadery has continuously been praised for its light and refreshing craft meads which continue to rake in more mead-lovers over the years. Will you be one of them?
Enjoy Colorado Honey Wine
From ancient cultures to modern-day Colorado, mead is a beverage that has only become more sought out with time. With Colorado making a name for itself among the hundreds of meaderies in the nation, there is no better place for a self-guided tour of the best of the best. Let us know if there’s another Colorado Meadery that should be on this list.
More Made-in-Colorado Alcohol
If you’re looking to quench your thirst, you have a lot more options than just Colorado honey wine. Check out these other guides we’ve put together:
