THE MAKING OF MEAD WINE
One of the oldest fermented beverages becomes a new twisted adult drink when combined with flavors such as bourbon, apple cider and orange juice. Explore Dutch Creek Winery's unique brand from conception to shelf.
Where Mead Begins
Press Play to get a quick lesson on how mead came to be and how Paul manipulates this formula to create his own flavors.
"I don't know who is more nervous right now. Okay, I do know–it's me. Let's do this." -Paul before bottling his very first batch
The Trial Run
"This is our first time. There are going to be roadblocks and hiccups and it's going to take some time before you are ready to do this easily."
-Cyndi reassuring Paul
After an entire day of trial and error, the first batch of The Commonwealth's Revenge was bottled and capped, reaady for labeling. The process definitely had some hiccups–it took three filters, numerous times pouring out and refilling the bottles and painstakingly trying to level the liquid amounts before the 120+ bottles were back in their boxes, filled. As with starting anything new, the first time is the most grueling and taxing. After the first bottling and labeling session, it was clear that Cyndi and Paul were exhausted, proud and prepared. "That surprisingly didn't take as long as I really expected," said Paul. "If it only took us a handful of hours this time, think of how quickly we'll have it down by our 5th or 10th batch. This is exciting. It's only uphill."
The First Retailer
Paul and Cyndi found Coonskin Crossing in Amesville, Ohio, to be the very first retail store to officially sell two brands of their mead wine: Winter Spice and Commonwealth's Revenge. Press Play to hear Paul after he finished his first deal.