5-11-21 This episode, we’re headed off to the Netherlands, and hanging out with Jeroen Krikke, owner of Kollectiv Mead in Den Haag (The Hague). Jeroen is a long time mead maker, and has taken his love of mead commercial, with his small, but growing meadery.

Jeroen used a sabbatical to start Kollektiv Mead in 2018, following his ambition to introduce The Netherlands to “Dutch Craft Mead”. At Kollektiv he makes small batch Dessert style meads, often very fruit heavy, made with modern mead practices. His fermentation journey started with beer in 2015, with mead entering the picture around 2017. Inspired by great examples from the U.S. (Think NEIPA’s, Pastry stouts, Dessert and Pastry style meads) he makes meads based heavily based on science rather then artistry.

He learned a lot at the Mead Making 301 course at U.C. Davis, was present at the first ever EMMA conference and became a MJP certified judge. all the while making more and more mead.

Kollektiv Mead was started on pretty much a shoestring budget causing batch sizes to be on the smaller side. Mead is hardly known at all in The Netherlands and when it’s already known, it’s from the medieval or fantasy angle. That has proven both a challenge as well as an opportunity, as a new path could be paved. From the 3-5 other commercial meaderies operating in The Netherlands, Kollektiv has clearly positioned itself on the modern craft side, introducing complex and intense meads.In response to a demand that is continuously rising, the decision was made to transform Kollektiv to a membership meadery with currently 120 spots and a waiting list several times that size.

Currently Jeroen divides his time between occupying and permitting Kollektiv Meads first very own production facility, introducing a brand new session mead style beverage, current production at Kollektiv, starting a hot sauce brand and a full-time job in IT.

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Upcoming Shows
  • May 25 – Kon and Julie Paseschinikoff – Bee Boyzz Honey and Meadery – Manitoba, Canada
  • June 8 – Anders Reising & his partner Jarl- Askheimer Meadery, Norway
  • June 22 – Gert Smet – Blacksmiths Meadery, Belgium
  • July 27 – Danique Staal- De Noordelijke Mederij, Netherlands
  • August 10 – Gordon Baron – Lancashire Mead, Great Britain
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Vicky Rowe
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