DURHAM, N.C. — Meaderies are making a comeback across the country and right here in North Carolina.
Derrick Forrest and Kenneth Thrower opened Mood Dog Meadery just before the new year. It's located underneath Joe Van Gogh Coffee shop on Broad Street.
What You Need To Know
- Mead is a wine made by fermenting honey
- According to the American Mead Makers Association, meaderies have grown from 60 in 2003 to more than 450 today
- Moon Dog Meadery is adding to that growing list. It just opened it's doors in Durham before the new year
The friends both have a shared love for mead and have been home brewing it for years. The sweet concoction is made of honey, water and yeast. Forrest remembers first having mead at a renaissance fair.
"Mead was something that would always be written about in a story or you'd see it on a movie and not really know what it was, so the first time I had it, I was like 'oh wow!'" Forrest said.
But the owners of Moon Dog Meadery aren't the only people interested in this field.
According to the American Mead Makers Association, the number of commercial meaderies in the U.S. has increased from just 60 in 2003, to more than 450 today. A growth of more than 650%.
"I do like the idea of getting into a growing industry, but even if nobody was doing it, this is a product I really enjoy and I think it's something we can offer the community," Forrest said.
Mood Dog Meadery doubles as a meadery and bottle shop. It's open Wednesdays through Sundays.