Produce mead in a brewery

[Jawsfree]

Do you have to have a separate license to produce mead in a production brewery? My wife loves to make mead at home and I would like to have the option to produce small batches to be served in our tasting room.

Jason

 

[smertz001]

Check with your local government officials. These rules change from state to state and county to county.

Since mead is considered by wine, and wine isn't allowed to be brewed in a brewery in someplaces you will need to check on that and see what's up with that...

-- Steve

 

[Get_Wiggly]

highly likely you need a separate license.

 

[mfalenski]

Yes, you need a winery license to produce mead commercially.

 

[Chevette Girl]

You didn't indicate what country you're in, it totally depends where you are. Meadery and winery are different in Canada, in Ontario at least you have to be a registered beekeeper and be running at least 100 hives at any given time in order to have a commercial meadery, in order to have a winery you have to have enough land of the correct zoning to grow and process all your own fruit. Despite any apparent regulation that indicates you must use only your own fruit or honey... It's kind of annoying, because with wine and mead, it's go big or go home, whereas I've seen city corner microbreweries here so they're obviously under less exacting regulations...

 

[LuckyHoneyCo]

If in the U.S. Look up a Custom Crush arrangement. You will still be required to get your distributors license but is much less prohibitive than starting from scratch. The brewer or winery would produce your product with your recipe and use your ingredients. You will take possession after bottled.
Some variance from state to state.

 

[mannye]

If in the U.S. Look up a Custom Crush arrangement. You will still be required to get your distributors license but is much less prohibitive than starting from scratch. The brewer or winery would produce your product with your recipe and use your ingredients. You will take possession after bottled.
Some variance from state to state.

I think there is a meadery in Georgia (Monk's Mead) that was operating out of a brewery. The way they told me is that for one day a month, when they make mead, the brewery is a licensed winery. That's how strange and ridiculous the laws can be. Workarounds usually spawn some interesting situations. Like the pastie.

 

[skunkboy]

I think in michigan you have to have 'seperate' facilities, can't be doing grain and grape in the same rooms ...

 

[IamAwake]

depend on the state, I think? In California you can produce 100gallons per adult in the household per year. So as long as you and the wife can survive off half a gallon of mead a night, you should be able to satisfy the urge