A Honeyed History

*Disclaimer: This content is not paid or sponsored in any way. It is written as an informational guide for readers to explore and experience the winery mentioned in the post.

It is time to switch it up a bit to talk about a drink with a ‘honeyed history’.  As much as I enjoy the nuances of wine, there are other forms of elevated beverages out there.  Distilleries, for instance, are centuries old institutions which make whiskey and moonshine while breweries create craft beers.  In this post, I will be discussing a meadery, a place where honey is turned into a delicious relative, neigh, ancestor of wine.

Mead- a fermented beverage made from honey and water.  Simple enough, right?  But like wine, there is an art and every meadery has a different artistry when it comes to their production.  Believed to be one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages, the art of mead making dates back over 4,000 years.  I have read that because it is known to boost fertility, mead was drank in tradition after a marriage.  Which is said to be the reason for half of the title “honeymoon”.  So be careful with this one!

One meadery that has the art down to a tasty science is Silver Hand Meadery in Williamsburg, VA.  Set in a former doctors office just back off of Monticello Ave., Silver Hand boasts a visually interesting atmosphere from its facade to its shop, bar and tasting room.  Once you have entered and taken stock of the reclaimed items like the corrugated metal on the walls to the wood on the bar, it is time to taste some delicious honey and its products.  Read on to see if mead might be for you.  

The Wine:  

Though it is sometimes called ‘honey wine’, mead is in a category of its own.  At Silver Hand, their approach is to take the old and make it new.  Taking traditional herbs and adding them to honey, water and yeast, this meadery comes up with interesting and exciting drinks.

One such drink was the Lullaby.  Chamomile tea and lemon balm are mixed with rose and peppermint to create a calming and smooth mead.  The peppermint comes through strong, but not overpowering.  I tried this one along with the Cinnamon Whipped Honey that they have and it was the flavor of a warm blanket on a crisp autumn evening.  

One of the more interesting flavors of mead that I tried was called Today is the Greatest.  This one is what is called a metheglin, which comes from a Welsh word which loosely translates to ‘healing liquor’. I’m not sure how much healing this one might do, but wildflower honey and pumpkin spice aged in a bourbon barrel could at least cure the blues!  The flavor was reminiscent of holiday fruitcake.  I know that may be off putting to some, and while I tend to like the holiday treat, I say give this one a try.  It has a warm fruit cobbler appeal to it.

The last one I want to mention out of the eight different styles of mead I tried is the Bye Bye Miss Pyment.  It was my favorite of them all.  This one is a melomel, honey fermented with fruit.  The fruit in this one is chardonnay and sauvignon blanc grapes.  Can ya guess why this one was my fave? 😉  Imagine adding just a touch of warm honey into your chardonnay then cooling it down.  Yea, there you have the Bye Bye Miss Pyment.  But I recommend trying Silver Hand’s mead instead of trying to make this flavor on your own.  

The Experience:

The experience for me was like no other.  I was fortunate to spend it with one of my closest and most supportive confidants and friends, so it was a special moment for me.  We were first led to the bar area as we arrived a bit early.  We sat and admired the atmosphere, noticing the area for their Jazz Jams. 

Once we were in the Mead Hall, we took our seats at one of the long tables as patrons filled in the other seats.  From there we were guided through a tasting of ten honeys and eight meads.  It was a flavor experience like no other.  Throughout the tasting, our guide was informative and open to questions and comments.  

Afterwards we were invited to go to the bar to order anything we liked or to the shop to purchase honey or mead or other items.  There were many things to look at in the shop, even though we passed through on the way in.  Being the nerd (and former educator) that I am, I was super intrigued by the indoor bee observation module.  It is certainly fascinating and adds to the experience.

Tastings:

While you can order or purchase an at-home tasting experience, nothing beats the experience of attending a tasting inside the location.  Silver Hand does offer mead by the glass as well as flights and self-guided honey tastings without reservations.  

My recommendation is to reserve a honey and mead tasting experience. It is about a thirty to forty minute tasting of a plethora of honeys as well as different meads.  The approximate cost was about $15 per person, well worth the experience.  You will be guided through honeys that have vastly different distinctions as well as commonalities.  The possibility of how all of these may alter the flavor of foods they are added to is endless.  Then comes the mead and all I can say is, honey can be turned into some of the most interesting drinks ever.  

Also, given the health benefits of honey, you are sure to find a reason to need a few of them.

My Takeaway:

I thoroughly enjoyed this experience because of the moment to slow down and connect with my friend as well as trying something I have only had a handful of times before.  One thing I appreciated about Silver Hand Meadery is how they conducted the tasting.  It was enlightening, sensory building and mellowed.  I will definitely plan to do this again on my next trip to Williamsburg, VA.  It fits so well in a city steeped in history but adds so much new life to traditional things.  

Upon further research after my trip to the meadery, I have learned that Silver Hand Meadery is even more committed to sustainability.  As of this year (2024), they are working with a local composting business to further reduce waste.  This is in addition to the recycling and reusing of products that they have been doing forever.  Kudos to Silver Hand Meadery for making great mead and honey as well as caring for our environment!

For more information, go to: https://www.silverhandmeadery.com