Maryland Meadworks to Open Meadery in Hyattsville After Successful Kickstarter Campaign
After a successful Kickstarter campaign raised more than $12,000, Maryland Meadworks will open a meadery in Hyattsville. By raising $12,820 the company exceeded their original goal of crowdfunding $10,000 through Kickstarter. Maryland Meadworks plans to open their meadery sometime in early 2018.
Ken Carter, Maryland Meadworks’ owner, says that mead — “the oldest alcoholic beverage on the planet” — is currently undergoing a Renaissance. “There are now more than 300 craft meaderies throughout the United States and modern mead makers are producing an amazing variety of flavorful meads, with fruits, herbs, spices and other local ingredients,” he says. “They range from dry and sparkling to sweet and luscious desert meads; and from 6% alcohol to 20%.” Carter also notes that different varieties of the drink appeal to beer, wine and cider drinkers, as well as non-drinkers.
According to Carter, the success of the Kickstarter campaign accelerated the opening of the Maryland Meadworks meadery by months. “Our Kickstarter campaign was critical for purchasing some much needed equipment and it gave us a way to judge the level and depth of interest in opening Maryland Meadworks in Hyattsville,” Carter said in an email interview. “We wanted the Kickstarter video to be a fun introduction to Maryland Meadworks and to the quirkiness of Hyattsville in general.”
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot recently announced his proposal to reform craft beer legislation in the state to make laws more craft brewery friendly. While Maryland Meadworks (a non-farm winery) is not considered a craft beer brewery under Federal law, Carter says the “brewing, winery, and distillery communities have been very supportive of the small number of craft meaderies in Maryland.” He says he looks forward to “working together in the future to broaden the spectrum of fine craft-made beverages throughout the state.”
Other partners integral to Maryland Meadworks success include local beekeepers and their honeybees. “Our rallying cry at Maryland Meadworks is: Drink Mead, Save the World!” Carter says. “Honeybees are a vital part of our ecosystem. They pollinate 1/3 of the food crops in the U.S., and they make the nutritious honey that we use to make our delicious mead.” Maryland Meadworks buys honey from local beekeepers and supports the University of Maryland’s Bee Informed partnership.
Carter estimates the meadery will create approximately four part-time jobs once it opens, with hopes to double that number and add full-time positions over the next five years. Updates and an official announcement of the meadery’s opening will be posted to Maryland Meadworks’ Facebook page.
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