About

About Redstone Meadery

After years of homebrewing, Chairman of the Mead David Myers founded Redstone Meadery in 2001 with his flagship Black Raspberry Nectar. The business quickly grew to add several new flavors, becoming a local favorite. In 2003, Redstone Meadery brought the International Mead Festival (now known as the Mazer Cup) to Boulder, Colorado. Since Redstone opened for business it has become one of the leaders in the industry. Over the years, Redstone has innovated by bringing draft mead to the market and has won numerous awards. Our meads are some of the most widely distributed in the nation. Redstone's philosophy has always been one of all-natural, balanced meads, using only high-quality honey with real fruits and spices. In keeping with the 'natural' approach, Redstone does not add any sulfites, a known allergen, as honey is its own natural preservative. Redstone only pasteurizes the must (unfermented mead) and never boils. We strive to feature the flavors of the honey as much as possible.  

More About Mead

What is mead?

Mead is also known as honey wine. This descriptive name pretty much tells you what you need to know: mead is an alcoholic beverage where the alcohol is created by fermenting the sugars from honey, rather than those found in grapes (grape wine) or grain (beer).

This might lead you to think that mead is sweet like honey. That's as true as saying that wine is sweet like grape juice: the end product could be sweet, but it could also be very dry. It all depends on the brewing and fermentation process.

Why mead? It beautifully showcases the flavors of honey. Varietal or "show" meads may use a single honey - just as different grapes make different grape wines, different honeys make different honey wines! Mead can also be an excellent canvas to play with different fruit or spice flavors - the possibilities are endless.


History of Mead

Many texts provide a good overview of the history of mead. The short version of the story is that mead is likely the world's oldest alcohol beverage. Hunters and gatherers in Africa and Europe; mead drinkers millenia ago in Asia; citizens of the Roman Empire; Vikings; medieval nobles; and various modern cultures today have all made and enjoyed mead! Mead fell out of favor when honey got expensive compared to fruit and grains, but it never died out completely. Today, mead is a small but growing part of the U.S. alcohol market, with over 500 meaderies (at least for now).

It is so ancient a beverage that the linguistic root for mead, medhu, is the same in all Indo-European languages where it encompasses an entire range of meanings, which include honey, sweet, intoxicating, drunk and drunkenness. For this reason it has been suggested that fermented honey may be the oldest form of alcohol known to man. —Mikal Aasved, 1988
May Maelgwn of Mona be affected with mead, and affect us, From the foaming mead-horns, with the choicest pure liquor, Which the bees collect, and do not enjoy. Mead distilled sparkling, its praise is everywhere. —XCIII Song to Mead, Book of Taeliessin XIX
Take mead to the river... —Anonymous
 

Our Meads

Four blue glass bottles of mead and a glass of mead being poured

Nectars

Nectars are 8% ABV and carbonated session meads. Light, crisp and refreshing!

Bottle of mead and mead being poured into a wine glass

Mountain Honey Wines

Mountain Honey Wines are 12% ABV and still (non-carbonated) meads. Full-bodied and complex.

Three bottles of Reserve mead and a small glass of mead

Reserves

Made only every so often, our finest dessert meads are aged for at least five years. 13-14% ABV and still (non-carbonated).

 


Mead Cocktails

Meadmosa
2 parts Redstone Black Raspberry, Sunshine or Boysenberry Nectar
1 part orange juice
A dirty little cocktail that will make you smile
Nectar-Aid
2 parts Redstone Black Raspberry, Sunshine or Boysenberry Nectar
1 part lemonade
Aids your thirst, mead style
Apple Nectar Campfire
1 oz bourbon
1/2 oz cinnamon schnapps
1/3 oz brown sugar
Top with Redstone Apple Nectar and serve in a rocks glass over ice.
Apple Dumpling
3 parts Redstone Apple Nectar
1 part Redstone Vanilla & Cinnamon Sticks Money Hountain Wine
Apple pie in a glass!
Redstone Spritzer
1.5 oz Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
1.5 oz Redstone Traditional Mountain Honey Wine
Splash of soda water or 7 up or Sprite
Serve over ice in a rocks glass
Nothing beats a mead cocktail
The Sunshine
Jigger of Stohl’O
2 thin slices of orange
Shaker of Redstone Sunshine Nectar
Serve over ice in a rocks glass or tulip glass
A nice mixer without the heavy alcohol taste
June & Tonic
2 parts Sunshine Nectar
1 part Juniper Berry
A staff favorite!
Redstone Tea
½ oz each of vodka, gin, run, triple sec, tequila
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Serve on ice in a tall glass with lime & orange slices
Redstone Lunchbox
Fill pint/mug ½ high with
1 part Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
1 part orange juice
Pour 1 oz amaretto in a shot glass
Hand both glasses to customer to drop shot glass in pint/mug & slam
NecTai
1 oz rum
1 oz amaretto
1 oz dark rum
Splash of orange & pineapple juices
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Serve over ice in a tall glass
Mead Stinger
2 parts Traditional Mountain Honey Wine
1 part bourbon
Serve it on ice in a rocks glass
Euro Trash
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
1 oz Tuaca
Shake it with ice & serve as shots
Nectar Slammer
2 oz Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
½ oz sloe gin or rum / ½ oz Amaretto
2 oz orange juice
Serve over ice in rocks glass & garnish w/ a cherry
Tubesteak Boogie
1 oz Jim Beam or Jack Daniels
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Serve over ice in rocks glass
Surf’s up
Nectar Breeze
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz Malibu Rum
2 oz pineapple juice
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Serve over ice in a tall glass
Tropical beach in a glass, without the sand
Nectar Be Darned
1 oz peach schnapps
1 oz vodka
Splash of soda water or 7 up or Sprite & orange juice
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Serve over ice in a tall glass
So darn good!
The Ophelia
Muddled orange
½ oz Tuaca
1 oz Jim Beam or Jack Daniels
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Shake it with ice
Serve as a martini or tall umbrella drink/tulip glass
A Rose
½ shaker Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Jigger vodka
1 wedge lime
Shake it with ice, but do not bruise it
Serve in a champagne glass
Sexy rosy drink. Great with brunch.
Honeycomber
1 ½ oz light rum
½ oz Triple Sec
1 oz Sour Mix
Shaker of Black Raspberry, Sunshine or Boysenberry Nectar
Shake with ice & strain into martini glass with sugared rim & lime
The Lost Sunrise
1 oz tequila
½ oz Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Splash of orange juice
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Serve over ice in rocks glass with lime
Try these tasty beer and mead cocktails!

Black Forest Cake
2/3 Heavy Stout
1/3 Black Raspberry
Even better than the cake!
Nectarweiss
2/3 wheat beer
1/3 Black Raspberry
A great summer sipper!
The Gilded Nipple
Mulled orange
1 oz brandy
½ oz Tuaca
Shaker of Redstone Black Raspberry or Boysenberry Nectar
Serve over ice in a rocks glass & cherry
Succulent yet subtle