Mead is one of humanity's most ancient beverages, dating back millennia before the birth of Christ, possibly even before the invention of agriculture. It was downed in ancient Greece and Viking lands, brewed at monasteries and celebrated in mythology, folktales and poetry throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.
Now the honey-based brew is making a comeback — sales were up 130 percent last year. Allentown's The Colony Meadery is growing in tandem with its namesake product, racking up awards and fast establishing itself as a major brewer.
The company was established barely a year ago when Greg Heller-LaBelle, a onetime beverage writer, tasted “Mo-Me-Doh,” a mead created by accomplished homebrewer Mike Manning at a beer tasting. The pair calculated that thanks to the craft beer boom, “the market was ready for some new flavors,” recalls Heller-LaBelle.
With sales running 100 percent ahead of projections, Colony is already gearing up for expansion. The meadery is taking an additional 2,000 square feet at the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, “which will allow us to triple our capacity and renovate our tasting room in the coming months, as well as install [specialized brewing equipment] for carbonating mead,” explains Heller-LaBelle.
Colony is also working to get into Pennsylvania state stores. For now, it sells bottles direct, is distributed statewide in New Jersey and is available by the glass at a number of bars and restaurants.
According to Heller-LaBelle, the potential is huge.
“Mead is an incredibly versatile beverage, and can take on a huge range of flavors,” he says. “Our meads range in alcohol percentage from a 5 percent 'cider' to 17 percent dessert meads. And we have meads that range from bone dry and savory to sweet and fruity, with everything in between. Mead is gluten-free and can deliver a distinctive flavor not currently available in other beverages.”
The judges at national mead competitions agree, awarding Colony nine medals so far.
Source: Greg Heller-LaBelle, The Colony Meadery
Writer: Elise Vider