11-4-25 Tonight we’re talking with Bill Bellair, founder of the Michigan Mead Coalition. We’re going to talk about mead in competition.
Bill Bellair began his mead-making journey in 2008 when his mother expressed interest in trying tej, a traditional Ethiopian honey wine, which was unavailable locally. His early attempts—while not without the occasional "bottle bomb"—yielded surprisingly delicious results.
Following this, Bill turned his attention to beer brewing, and it would be several years before he returned to crafting mead. During this time, he joined the Metro Enologist 'n' Zymurgist (MENZ) club, where he expanded his skills in winemaking. This experience gave him valuable insight into the mistakes he had made in his early mead-making efforts, reigniting his passion for the craft.
This marked the beginning of a dedicated era of mead production that continues to this day. In 2019, Bill founded the Michigan Mead Coalition, the state's largest mead-exclusive organization. The coalition has fostered a thriving community of skilled brewers, many of whom have earned prestigious awards and even pursued the coveted title of Mead Maker of the Year.
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Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees.
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Upcoming Shows
November 18 - Blair Houseley - Etowah Meadery
December 2 - Blöm Meadworks
Show links and notes
Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff
The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff
Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff
Upcoming Events
Nov 7 - Funktastic Meads and Beer, Midlothian, VA - Mead and Music by Damian Allen
Nov 7 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Open Mic Night Comedy
Nov 8 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese Pairing with the Cheese Lady
Nov 8 - UNL Bee Lab & Kimmel Orchard, Nebraska City, NE - Mead Making Workshop
Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Mead Making Course
Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Harvest Mead Fest
Nov 8 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Potions, Poisons and Snake Oil
Nov 9 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Sunday Brunch
Nov 13 - Silver Hand Meadery, Williamsburg, VA - 10th Anniversary Dinner Series - Mead Pairing Dinner
Nov 15 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese with the Cheese Lady
Nov 18 - WTF What to Ferment Meadery, Milford, DE - Mead and Cookie Pairing
Nov 20 - Nucleus Mead, Linesville, PA - Mead and Read
Nov 22 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Mead and Meditation
Nov 22 - Dawg Gone Bees Meadery & Apiary, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class
Nov 22 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Tom Borek and Veronica Mary Agnes Musician live music
You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com