US Travel: Craft Mead Tasting in Michigan’s Traverse City

Uncorking the Mitten: A Journey Through Traverse City’s Craft Mead Renaissance

Nestled along the sun-drenched shores of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, the city of Traverse City, Michigan, has long been celebrated as the cherry capital of the world and a burgeoning hub for viticulture. Yet, beyond the sprawling vineyards and bustling wineries, a quieter, sweeter, and profoundly ancient beverage is experiencing a remarkable renaissance: craft mead. For the discerning traveler seeking an authentic taste of Northern Michigan’s terroir, a journey into Traverse City’s meaderies offers a unique and intoxicating adventure, one that connects the palate to the region’s pastoral landscape and innovative spirit.

Mead, often romantically dubbed “the nectar of the gods,” is arguably the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage, a simple yet sublime fermentation of honey and water. In Traverse City, this ancient libation is being reimagined through a modern, culinary lens. The mead here is not the cloyingly sweet, one-dimensional drink of medieval lore. Instead, local meadmakers are artisans, treating honey as a winemaker treats grapes—a complex base ingredient that expresses the unique characteristics of its origin. The result is a dazzling array of styles, from bone-dry sparkling metheglins to rich, barrel-aged melomels bursting with local fruit.

The story of Traverse City mead is inextricably linked to its environment. The surrounding Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas are not only prime wine country but also a haven for pollinators. Local apiaries benefit from a diverse palette of nectar sources: the delicate spring blossoms of cherry and apple orchards, the summer bounty of wildflowers and clover, and the deep, robust notes of fall goldenrod and aster. This botanical diversity translates directly into the character of the honey, and consequently, the mead. A mead made from light, floral spring honey will taste entirely different from one crafted from dark, caramel-like fall honey. This sense of place, this gout de terroir, is what makes the tasting experience here so special.

A pilgrimage for any mead enthusiast begins at St. Ambrose Cellars, a pioneer in Michigan’s mead scene located just a short drive from downtown in the village of Beulah. Housed in a renovated old church, the setting is both rustic and reverent. Stepping inside, the air is perfumed with the scent of honey and oak. St. Ambrose is known for its commitment to using 100% Michigan honey and for its experimental prowess. Their tasting flight is a revelation, guiding visitors through the spectrum of possibilities. One might start with a classic semi-sweet mead, all floral aromatics and smooth honeyed warmth, before moving to a metheglin infused with locally foraged juniper and spruce tips, which imparts a crisp, botanical complexity reminiscent of the Northern Michigan woods. Their pièce de résistance is often a melomel, like the “Cherry Pie,” which harmoniously blends tart Montmorency cherries—the very fruit that made the region famous—with sweet honey, creating a balanced and profoundly local flavor profile.

Further exploring the Leelanau Peninsula, Tandem Ciders in Suttons Bay offers a unique crossover experience. While primarily a cidery, their foray into “cysers”—a magnificent hybrid of apple cider and mead—showcases the creative synergy between local producers. Fermenting apple juice with honey instead of sugar results in a profoundly aromatic and structured beverage, with the acidity of the apples cutting through the richness of the honey. It’s a perfect example of how Traverse City’s beverage makers are not working in isolation but are constantly collaborating and drawing inspiration from the region’s abundant agricultural resources.

No tour of the area’s mead would be complete without a visit to Iron Fish Winery & Distillery in Thompsonville. Although a full-scale farm distillery, their seasonal mead offering is a testament to their farm-to-glass philosophy. Sourced from honey harvested on their own property, where crops like wheat and barley are grown alongside pollinator-friendly habitats, their mead is the literal taste of their land. It’s a powerful concept that adds a deep layer of connection for the traveler, who can look out over the very fields that fed the bees that created the drink in their glass.

The act of tasting mead in this setting is a lesson in slow travel and mindful consumption. Unlike the often-quick pace of a wine tasting, mead invites contemplation. Its aromas are more subtle, its flavors unfold more gradually on the palate. Meadery staff, typically passionate and knowledgeable proprietors or meadmakers themselves, are eager to educate. They explain the nuances of different honey varieties, the fermentation process, and the art of blending fruits and spices. This educational aspect transforms a simple tasting into an immersive cultural experience.

The appeal of this journey extends beyond the tasting rooms. It encourages exploration of the surrounding countryside. A day of mead tasting is best paired with a drive along the M-22 highway, with its breathtaking vistas of Lake Michigan, stops at farm stands selling fresh fruit and local honey, and hikes through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The mead itself becomes a delicious souvenir, a liquid memory of the landscape’s sights and smells.

Furthermore, the rise of craft mead aligns perfectly with a growing consumer interest in sustainability and supporting local agriculture. By visiting these meaderies, travelers directly support local beekeepers, whose work is vital for pollinating the region’s famous orchards. It’s a cycle of sustainability that benefits the entire ecosystem, from the soil to the consumer.

In conclusion, Traverse City’s craft mead scene offers far more than just a novel drink. It presents a new lens through which to experience this beloved Michigan destination. It is a journey into the heart of its agricultural soul, a celebration of the humble honeybee’s alchemy, and a testament to the region’s spirit of innovation. It connects the past with the present, turning an ancient beverage into a modern culinary delight. So, the next time you find yourself in the Mitten State, venture beyond the cherry orchards and wine trails. Seek out the quiet tasting rooms where golden liquid is poured into glasses. Take a sip, and let the taste of pure Michigan honey, transformed by time and craft, tell you its unique story of place, passion, and renewal. You’ll discover that the nectar of the gods feels right at home in the Great Lakes State.