Recent articles espouse the emergence of the modern mead industry, with Yahoo declaring, ‘We’re Seeing It Everywhere’ and The Oregonian arguing, ‘Mead is the new cider,’ both in just the last week! And it’s true. Meaderies are popping up all over the place, at an ever increasing rate. The Oregonian cites that there were just 90 meaderies in 2009, more than 200 today, and at least another 150 in the works. (I’d like to think TBM is included in the last category, except that in reality I am years away from making the professional plunge. A website is difficult enough to keep updated with a weekly post!)

The brutal honesty about mead is that today, the general public is very much oblivious to its existence. When I bring it up with friends, many look at me funny and ask “How can you make meat?” Or, “What is a ‘meatery’?” (This is an especially interesting conversation given that our house is vegetarian…) Mead isn’t just Beowulf’s drink, or something to be enjoyed at the Renaissance Fair. But many do not know this.

There is more information about mead available today than 5 years ago when I started making it, but we have a long way to go. The mead industry is ever expanding (see an industry map here), but it hasn’t been around long enough to assess the viability of the movement. Can it replicate the craft brewing movement, that continues to make inroads against the brewing giants? I do think in five years mead really will be the new cider, and bars across America will stock it as a staple product.  Then again, my wife likes to remind me that even today she can’t find cider at every restaurant.

So if you can’t find it in your neck of the woods, how do we solve that problem? Check out the map again and see what is local. Maybe take a trip to the meadery to pick it up in person. Mead tours make for great dates! Or ask your liquor store if they can order some. Odds are they may even have some in stock, it just isn’t properly labeled and only a few die-hard fans really know where to find it. There is that long list of mead options (list of mead types here), and with names like metheglin, melomel, cyser, or braggot, only the initiated will know what to look for. If that doesn’t work, maybe bug an out of town friend with your birthday or Christmas list that includes a mead option.

Last of all, your option is to join the ever growing ranks of home meadmakers. I highly recommend this option to anyone who wants to learn more about mead and wine, brewing, or in general wants to make a product they like, even if they can’t find it on the market. Last week I posted on some great resources to get you started. If you are the patient type (admittedly not me), I will be bringing up much of the information in the coming weeks. Until then, here’s to the developing mead industry. May it continue to grow!