It’s no secret that Tampa Bay has some of the finest meaderies in the United States, but further proof came from the National Honey Board Mead Crafters Competition recently.

From The National Honey Board’s Press Release:

A standard mead that combines wildflower honey with angelica root, lemon balm, lemon peel, lavender, juniper berry, coriander and orris root took home the top prize in the National Honey Board’s fourth annual Mead Crafters Competition, which featured an astounding 350 entries from commercial meaderies in the United States. Milton, Delaware-based The Brimming Horn Meadery took home Best of Show honors for Gin Barrel Metheglin, a specialty sweet standard mead with a variety of herbs and aged in a gin barrel.

In total, 33 gold medals were awarded at the Mead Crafters Competition in categories ranging from session meads to traditional meads to melomels, which is mead made with fruit or vegetables. Wyldewood Cellars rounded out the podium with their Elderberry Mead taking home Silver and Raspberry Mead earning Bronze Best of Show honors. Elderberry Mead came out of the meadery’s Peck, Kansas, location, while Raspberry Mead was crafted at the Saint Joseph, Illinois, meadery.

“Once again, our Mead Crafters Competition hits its capacity limit of 350 meads, which is a testament to the growth of the mead category and the reputation of our competition,” Catherine Barry, National Honey Board’s director of marketing, says. “The mead category is on the verge of a real breakthrough in the
alcohol industry, and our medal winners will lead the way with a high-quality product that appeals to both beer and wine drinkers.”

Tampa-based Garagiste Meadery took home:

Gold Medal – Varietal: Semi-Sweet: Mamane — Garagiste Meadery, Tampa, Florida

Odessa-based Pye Road Meadworks took home:

Gold Medal – Dessert Mead: Set Adrift — Pye Road Meadworks, Odessa, Florida
Gold Medal – Specialty (Open Category) Sweet: Arrangement of Beliefs — Pye Road Meadworks, Odessa, Florida

Hear Pye Road Meadworks co-founder Matt McDonough talk about the meadery on the BeerWise Podcast.

About The National Honey Board
The National Honey Board (NHB) is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. The Board’s work, funded by an assessment on domestic and imported honey, is designed to increase the awareness and usage of honey by consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers. The 10-member Board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, represents producers (beekeepers), packers, importers and a marketing cooperative.