10-20-26 Tonight we’re talking with Joe Leigh, co-owner and meadmaker at Zymarium Meadery in Orlando, Florida.
Based in Orlando, Florida, Zymarium Meadery is a visionary collaboration between Joe Leigh—an award-winning mead master crafting the beverage since 2014—and Ginger Leigh (professionally known as Synthestruct), a globally recognized multidisciplinary artist who shapes every detail of the Zymarium brand with intention.
Rooted in modern wine science, Zymarium crafts its meads with the future in mind. Designed from day one to age beautifully for decades, each batch begins with the freshest, unheated, and unfiltered honey sourced directly from local Florida pollinators to preserve its natural enzymes, pollen, and rich aromatic profiles.
The fermentation process is meticulously managed. Every mead style receives a tailored acid and water profile, undergoes aging in new oak, and is strictly protected from oxygen without filtration. Finally, the mead is gently vacuum-bottled and vacuum-corked, making it flawless for immediate enjoyment or long-term cellaring.
As Zymarium’s head mead-maker, Joe Leigh has earned over 100 awards and has been named one of the top 10 mead makers in the world by the American Mead Makers Association. Together, the duo unites complex flavor, meticulous craftsmanship, and the pure science of fermentation. The resulting lineup spans from timeless traditionals to bold experimentals influenced by global cultures—including their signature “Endless” meads, a line of waterless fruit meads made entirely from fruit and honey for an exceptionally intense, concentrated flavor experience.
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Joe has put together a special for Gotmead listeners!
Use the code “gotmead” before October 26 for free shipping on all $100+ orders!
https://shopmeads.com/zymarium_meadery
Join us to talk with Joe and see what’s happening for them now!
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Sponsor:
Discover Honnibrook Craft Mead with two Colorado locations to serve you! Visit our original Castle Rock tasting Room and Production facility or our brand new Littleton Mead cottage and garden! Choose from our twenty taps of wonderful light and refreshing craft mead.
Find us using your favorite map app or visit us at honnibrook.com
If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we’ll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026.
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Upcoming Shows
Show links and notes
- Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff
- The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff
- Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff
Upcoming Events
- Oct 21 – Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH – Trivia Night
- Oct 22 – Burnt Barrel Brewery, Distillery and Mead, Lake Saint Louis, MO – Trivia Night
- Oct 22 – Bumbling Fools Mead, Minneapolis, MN – Trivia Night
- Oct 24 – J. Bird Wines, Cambridge, MN – Hallo-Mead
- Oct 25 – Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD – Acoustic Jam
- Oct 26 – Moon Dog Meadery, Durham, NC – Monday Board Game Night
- Oct 26 – Bragging Rooster Beer and Mead, Warrenton, MI – Smooth Groove Line Dancing
- Oct 26-27 – Bløm Cider and Mead, Ann Arbor, MI – Candle Making
- Oct 28 – Oran Mor Artisan Mead, Portland, OR – Full Spectrum Song Circle with Ah’Nexus J. Silverhorn
- Oct 31 – MeadKrieger – Old Norse Mead, Loveland, CO – Halloween Movie Night
- Oct 28 – Drunken Smithy Mead Hall, Lebanon, PA – Open Mic Night
- Oct 29 – Oran Mor Artisan Mead, Portland, OR – Make Your Own Moon Lamp
- Oct 30 – Black Rabbit Mead Company, Reno, NV – Chrome Teeth Premier with Angel Rose
- Oct 30 – Bløm Mead and Cider, Ann Arbor, MI – Witchy Woo Fest
- Oct 30 – Obscurity Brewing and Craft Mead, Elburn, IL – Wagon Wheel Country Live
- Oct 31 – Curmudgeon’s Honey Mead, Gatesville, TX – Mead Monster Mash
- Oct 31 – Wyrd Leather and Mead, Portland, OR – Halloween Bash
- Oct 31 – Black Rabbit Mead Company, Reno, NV – Funk Around and Find Out with Bad Pussycat
- Nov 7 – Bragging Rooster Beer and Mead, Warrenton, NC – Sip and Shop Pop Up Market
- Nov 7 – Meads of Midgard, Bowling Green, OH – Commander Night
- Nov 10 – Battle and Brew, Sandy Springs, GA – Mead and Minis
- Nov 14 – Drunken Smithy Mead Hall, Lebanon, PA – Combat Comedy Night
- Nov 20 – Oran Mor Artisan Mead, Portland, OR – The Derry Aires live music
You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com
She is also an experienced marketing coach and consultant who has recently decided to focus her marketing expertise exclusively on the craft beverage market to help meaderies, cideries, breweries and distilleries expand their business and get more customers while doing what they love.
- 10-20-26 Joe Leigh – Zymarium Meadery – Orlando Florida - October 20, 2026
- 9-22-26 Cody Lenz – Three Hands Mead Company in Plant City Florida - September 22, 2026
- 8-25-26 – Matt Carroll – Funktastic Meads & Beer in Midlothian Virginia - August 25, 2026