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Chicago’s Wild Blossom Meadery introduces new generation to ancient elixir By CELESTE HUTTES Illinois Farm Bureau Partners Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery works to bring back an ancient elixir, testing out new and unique flavors all while paying ode to the bees that make this buzzworthy beverage possible. Once known as the “nectar of the gods,” mead was a celebrated part of ancient cultures around the world, prized by Greek philosophers, Viking warriors, Egyptian priests and Chinese nobility alike. The fermented honey drink reigned supreme for thousands of years. But, with wine and beer emerging as simpler, lessexpensive options, mead became a luxury lost to time. Aside from the occasional Renaissance fair, mead has not been part of modern life. However, interest in this honey of a drink has grown in recent decades. Once a sign of status and privilege, today, mead can be found at wineries, craft breweries and retail stores everywhere. According to the American Mead Makers Association, the number of commercial Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery works to bring back an ancient elixir, testing out new and meaderies in the U.S. grew from approximately unique flavors all while paying ode to the bees that make this buzzworthy beverage possible. (Photo by Nathan Lambrecht/©Journal Communications) 60 in 2003 to an estimated 650 in 2022 – and _________________________________________________________________________________ one of the first began right here in Illinois. Everything Old Is New Again offerings. Fischer’s signature creations include the awardClearly, mead is making a comeback, thanks to skilled meadmakers like Greg Fischer, owner of Wild winning Chocolate Cherry Honey Buzz and PB&J, made Blossom Meadery & Winery in Beverly on the South Side of by pumping mead over fresh-roasted peanuts, then cofermenting it with Concord grapes. Chicago. “People are just dumbfounded by it,” Fischer says. “They “We were Illinois’ first meadery,” Fischer says. “We started at this location in 2001, built up a good following and say it’s like drinking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” A Mecca for Mead expanded into a world-class tasting room and winery.” As a pioneer in Illinois’ mead industry, Fischer believes For a time, Fischer worked as a beekeeper, transporting bees around the country to pollinate crops. Conveniently, honey is the Midwest is poised to become one of the mead capitals of one of the main ingredients in mead, so his beekeeping roots the world. “We’re the Prairie State, and we produce some of the best came in handy. “My family grew apples in upstate New York, and we honeys in the world right here,” he says. “Our meads really needed honeybees for pollination,” says Fischer, who first do wow people.” Meanwhile, Fischer stands in awe of his honeybees. They became enamored with bees as a child. “That’s how I got so fly as many as 15,000 miles and pollinate up to 2 million attached to bees.” Today, he channels his love for bees into making new flowers to produce the honey needed for just one bottle buzzy beverages. Nestled against the Dan Ryan Woods, of mead. “Bees are just so amazing,” says Fischer, noting the Wild Blossom Meadery’s location is both picture-perfect concern of serious threats bees face, such as mites and the and productive. “Instead of raising grapes, we raise honeybees,” Fischer changing climate. “When they’re pollinating, they’re either says. “Instead of vineyards, we have forests and fields and producing more food or more seeds. That’s why mead is the most sustainable wine on earth.” meadows that we farm.” So, the next time you’re in the mood for merrymaking, He also maintains hives on the Marriott hotel rooftop and other locations in downtown Chicago, a surprisingly bee- grab a glass and rediscover what our earliest ancestors knew: Mead is something to celebrate, along with the hard work of friendly place. “Chicago’s lakefront is just teeming with flowers,” he pollinators. “Mead production supports honeybees, so you can feel says. “Cities with parks and flowering trees often have more nectar sources than rural locations. Bees are one agricultural as good about drinking mead as you feel when you’re done endeavor that can work pretty well in an urban environment.” drinking mead,” he says. This story was distributed through a cooperative In the winter, Fischer’s bees become snowbirds. To protect them from Illinois’ increasingly volatile weather fluctuations, project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois he transports his hives to Florida, where they make honey that Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit hints of local botanicals like palmetto and orange blossom. In ILFBpartners.com. the springtime, Fischer’s bees help Michigan farmers boost blueberry production by as much as 40%. The Art of Mead Making After those busy bees do their job, it’s Fischer’s turn to roll up his sleeves. A relatively simple process, mead making takes approximately two weeks and three ingredients: honey, water and yeast. During the first, or primary, fermentation, the yeast converts the honey to alcohol, creating a basic dry mead. SPECIAL OFFER During an optional secondary fermentation, the mead maker can add honey back into the batch to sweeten it up as well as flavors ranging from cranberry to chocolate. By varying the amount of honey added to the water, the mead maker can adjust the alcohol content from very light to as much as 20%. Many people mistakenly assume all meads CALL NOW are sweet, but the varieties are endless. Add’l terms apply. Offer subject to change “Mead can be dry, sweet, spicy – whatever you want it to and vary by dealer. Expires 9/28/25. 866.753.9521 be,” Fischer says. “It’s the ultimate craft beverage.” Wild Blossom produces very dry meads comparable to pinot grigio as well as sweet varieties similar to port. None is more sought after than the Blueberry Nectar mead. “After primary fermentation, we pump the mead over beds of blueberries, and it will ferment on that fruit again, which builds flavor and complexity,” Fischer says. “In the end, we get a really beautiful blueberry flavor with honey in the background. It’s better than eating blueberries.” One can only wonder what the earliest mead drinkers would have thought of Wild Blossom’s more adventurous
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