Everything old is new again.
In the case of mead, it’s a resurgence that’s taken more than 20,000 years.
“Mead is the oldest form of alcohol,” said Nathan Ryan of the Fallentimber Meadery. “We’re still just scratching the surface.”
The ancient drink of the Vikings is defined as any alcoholic beverage made from honey. That’s where it all began for the family-run Fallentimber: father Blake ran a honey operation on their farm northwest of Water Valley when Ryan and his siblings were kids.
“He ran bees and he ran cattle,” recalled Ryan. “We built this based on his business.”
When the cattle operation shut down, the boys wanted to diversify the bee side of things, so they started to tinker with the nectar of the Gods. At first, it was not as simple to create as it may have once been in medieval times.
“It’s tricky. There are not a lot of people you can look to or follow the lead of. We screwed up a lot of small test batches,” Ryan laughed.
The boys eventually got the hang of it, and today, six years later, Fallentimber boasts some of the best in the business. Their traditional mead, as well as different types of specialty meads – like Saskatoon berry, cinnamon and ginger – line the shelves in liquor stores across Alberta.
“The honey may have mild differences, but you can tell that the landscape delivers,” said Ryan. “We’re starting to develop a pretty good following.”
To celebrate their accomplishments, the meadery will host an anniversary party this Saturday Oct. 1. The day begins at 11 a.m. and activities run well into the night, including live music, honey house tours and food.
This year also includes a unique charity raffle that will see one lucky guest take home a handmade wood-fired pizza oven worth $3,000. Proceeds go to the Cremona Fire and Rescue Association. Delivery of the massive, 2,000-pound item is thankfully included in the prize.
Finally, for those who want to imbibe, but not drive, Fallentimber is even offering camping spots – followed by a Sunday morning stampede-style breakfast.
“At our party, you will find lots of people drinking mead out of horns,” Ryan laughed.
Ryan said the type of people who are drawn to the drink are not easy to pin down, but usually have some interest in its ancient roots.
“Often you have people that have read about mead and are curious about the historical relevance of it,” he said. “We’ll have everything from the 85-year-old lady that lives right down the road to the 18-year-old kid that loves reading Harry Potter.”
To toss a drinking vessel into the air at the Fallentimber Meadery anniversary party this weekend, register at www.fallentimbermeadery.ca/event-registration.
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