The dictionary defines mead as “an alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water.” Mead is considered to be the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage. Instead of using grapes and using honey instead, the mead-making process is similar to winemaking. Hence, Texas Wine Lover lists meaderies in the website Guide and mobile app just like wineries. Use the Wines menu in the mobile app to search for Mead.
On a recent visit to the Houston area, I had a free Friday night and made a point to visit Celtic Cross Meadery in League City which is League City’s first meadery. The meadery opened in March 2020 with owners Derek Tift, Ocie Herring, and Tanner Bogren.
The meadery’s website states, “We’ve found that most modern meaderies tend to produce a dry, light, mellow mead which, while good, we feel is too similar to wine. At Celtic Cross we strive for bold, strong flavors that highlight mead’s unique characteristics and pay homage to the traditional meads of the past.”
Like some wineries, the meadery is located in a warehouse complex. The tasting room had a side room with a couch and chairs and the main tasting room had seating plus a small tasting bar. I sat at the bar and met Brandi who would lead my tasting for the evening.
There are two options for a tasting flight, four or six pours, plus you can get mead by the glass. Since I had time, I opted for the six pours. Little did I know it was going to be more than that.
These were the meads I sampled at the time of my visit:
- Texas Wildflower. 14% ABV. This is their signature Honey Wine with a bold, sweet flavor inspired by traditional mead.
- Orange Blossom. 11% ABV. California. Mild citrus flavor, light, semi-sweet.
- Spicy Texan. 13% ABV. Sweet, spicy, Texan wild honey infused with habanero.
- 10% ABV. Local honey, sweet.
- Blend of Cranberry and Orange Blossom.
- Brewed Awakening. 12% ABV. Savory, pecan coffee, vanilla finish.
- Lavender Dream. 12% ABV. Strong lavender, blackberry with vanilla.
- Texas Traditional. 14% ABV. Local floral honey, heavy, sweet.
- Traditional Blackberry. 13% ABV.
- It was aged with American oak and tastes like a Bourbon.
- Buckwheat #13. 6% ABV. Dark, beer like, hopped.
- Dragons Breath. 18.5%. Pyment (mead with grapes), Concord grape, hibiscus, habanero.
I really enjoyed most of the meads except for some of the spicy ones. But I do know people that would really enjoy those. All the meads are made onsite.
During my tasting people were coming in to either get takeout of some mead or stay there to enjoy the evening like I was. One of the people I had the chance to meet was Derek Tift, one of the owners, who had stopped in for something and I had the chance to show him their listing in the Texas Wine Lover mobile app.
The meadery has a Horn Club where you can get a ram’s horn with your name engraved on it. Then when you come into taste, you can drink your mead out of the horn. One of my new friends sat next to me during my tasting and he was in the club and he really enjoyed drinking from the horn.
Celtic Cross Meadery will be participating in the 11th Annual Texas Mead Fest on September 28th, 2024, at Rohan Meadery along with 18 other meaderies! Check the festival’s website for more information.
Seeing the number of meaderies who will be at the Texas Mead Fest shows that mead is increasing in popularity. I had a wonderful evening at Celtic Cross Meadery and can understand the popularity. I look forward to visiting more meaderies in the future.
951 FM 646 Rd STE B8, League City, TX 77573
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