The NOCO Pour: Meadkrieger

MeadKrieger is a family-owned and operated meadery in the historic downtown Loveland district. Producing delicious meads from locally sourced honey. If you are new to mead or just unfamiliar, I highly recommend stopping by MeadKrieger. They make serious meads and honor and embrace the Nordic traditions associated with it.

Meadkrieger- Loveland Colorado

What is mead?

Mead, honey wine, or hydromel is a simple mixture of fermented honey, water, and yeast. Mead is widely regarded as one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world, and it makes perfect sense. It can practically make itself. Imagine a beehive filled with rainwater after a storm. The natural yeasts already present in the honey kick-start fermentation, and someone foraging for honey could stumble upon it, and become stumbling drunk as a result.

Wine, by contrast, demands more human effort by way of harvesting and crushing grapes, then patiently guiding the fermentation. This is likely why the ancient Norse viewed mead as a gift from the gods. It was a divine, sacred beverage, believed to provide profound wisdom and the gift of composing beautiful poetry. Often reserved for feasts and special occasions.

The process of mead

One common misconception today is that all mead is sweet. In reality, meads span the full spectrum of sweetness, from cloyingly sweet dessert styles to completely bone-dry versions similar to a crisp white wine. The old Nordic accounts likely describe drier meads. During fermentation, yeasts eat up as much sugar as they can, leaving alcohol as a byproduct. Left to its own devices in my rainwater-filled beehive example, the result would be a dry, high-ABV beverage. 

The Terroir of Mead

Terroir is a term used almost exclusively in winemaking. It is a French word that translates to “sense of place”. Cabernet Sauvignon, or any other wine grape, will taste vastly different depending on where it is grown. Due to the climate, soil, elevation, winemaking practices, and much more. The same thing is true in mead. Depending on where the bees source their nectar, it can have a huge impact on the honey's flavor. Clover, orange blossom, lavender, manuka, wildflower- these are all common flower nectars bees source for honey. Each one imparts a different flavor to the honey. Once the mead brewer has the honey, depending on their own brewing style and choices, this “honey terroir” can shine bright in a finished glass of mead. 

More on MeadKrieger

Having won several Colorado Govender's Cup medals for their mead, you can rest assured it is well worth the visit. They have a wide variety of meads, including traditional, fruit, oak-aged, and one of my favorites, the Freyja, a peach tea mead; you are sure to find a favorite of your own. Also on the list on my last visit was the Muninn, a wine/mead combo with Shiraz wine and sunflower blossom honey. The oak aging of mead is a growing trend among craft meaderies that are taking a more serious, wine-style approach to mead. Not just the oak-aged, but many of the meads from MeadKrieger drink more like a crisp white wine with more complexity than most any mead you’ve likely had.

They also have a small food menu, with some great options like flatbread pizza, Bavarian pretzels, hummus, and more. Every Wednesday, they do a “hot off the grill” special for $10 a plate or $15 all you can eat! Also, plenty of options aside from mead, such as soda, tea, coffee, cocktails, mocktails, and more. 

Downtown Loveland

If you haven’t been to Downtown Loveland in a while, I’d highly recommend checking it out. They have done a lot of construction projects and really made the area a charming and beautiful destination. Lots of local shops, restaurants, and family fun to check out. In 2015, Downtown Loveland was officially recognized as a Colorado Historic District. It is obvious that they are investing in the area to make it a destination for both locals and tourists.

Hours, Events, and More 

MeadKrieger is open Tuesday-Sunday with some varying hours:

Tuesday-Thursday 4-9

Friday 3-10

Saturday 12-10

Sunday 12-6

They host some fun weekly events like board game night on Tuesday and Jeopardy night every Thursday. Also, the occasional live music, trivia night, guest speakers, and more. They are very active on Instagram @meadkrieger, so be sure to give them a follow to keep up with their calendar of events. 

Be sure to also give my Instagram a follow @wineguy307, where I share more stories of the local beverage scene, informational-style wine videos, and much more!

Cheers!