The honey in our meads comes from our own hives located in the Central Valley and from other beekeepers we have partnered with. We never pasteurize honey in order to preserve the volatile aromatic compounds in honey.
In the cellar, the honey is mixed with water until it is at the correct concentration for fermentation. Then, we also add the fruits, herbs, spices or grains that are going to be fermented along with the honey. While our honey is mixed with water, the yeast is rehydrated with yeast nutrients to ensure that the yeast is healthy, and has enough nutrients to begin fermentation.
Making mead is very practical. During the fermentation stage, we mix the yeast back into suspension and take measurements. After fermentation is complete, the mead is stabilized and refined. It is then transferred to stainless steel tanks to age. During the aging process, we take samples to determine how it is progressing. The fermentation and aging process usually takes around 6 months, with the exception of some of our special releases that can be aged for a year or more.
Once the aging is complete, the mead is filtered and bottled or stored in barrels. Our carbonated meads are either bottle conditioned or force carbonated with C02.