Until recently, you’d be hard pressed to find a bay-area brewery that offered mead and cider along with their more standard craft beer options. There are a few small meaderies throughout the state # area breweries Cigar City Cider and Mead and Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company have introduced mead to the bay area on a much larger scale.
What is mead? Mead is an alcoholic beverage, legally classified as a type of wine, that is brewed with fermented honey and water. Considered to be the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man, mead predates wine, beer and all other forms of alcohol.
Although the local craft beer industry is booming, few breweries produce mead or cider due to licensing obstacles. If you’re looking to branch out and try something different on your next evening out, both of these breweries are certainly worth the drive.
Mad Beach Brewing is located in John’s Pass, an area filled with shops, restaurants and bars on Madeira Beach. The brewery is surprisingly large, with a large seating area for customers. The room includes two pool tables, two dart boards and a stage. The lion’s share of their beer, wine and cider is brewed in house, although they have several guest taps for beers from other breweries in the area.
Cigar City Cider and Mead opened last November. Located on 15th Street N, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, its quaint location is typical of a smaller brewery.
There are no fancy lights or games, just a well-sized seating area and bar, and a clear view of the brewing area. The atmosphere is calm, thanks to the distance between CCB Cider and Mead and the crazier parts of Ybor City. A majority of what they have to offer is cider, but there were three meads available and a few of their traditional beers as well.
IF YOU GO:
Cigar City Cider and Mead is located at 1812 N 15th St. in Ybor. Mad Beach Craft Brewing Co. is located at 12945 Village Blvd. on Madeira Beach.
What to try at Mad Beach Brewing:
Kalypso Cider ($5) – A delicious, key lime-flavored cider that is highly drinkable.
I Yam What I Yam ($5) – A rich, imperial sweet potato ale with a brown sugar rim.
Bee Tang Mead ($5) – A smooth, delicious mead with welcome hints of mango and habanero pepper that compliment the overall flavor nicely.
What to try at Cigar City Cider and Mead:
Cowboy Dan’s Holiday… Extravaganza ($5) – An interesting caramel apple cider. An absolute must try.
Orange Blossom Mead ($6) – A strong honey flavor, 13 percent alcohol content, and all locally sourced ingredients.
Wise Prick ($5) – A cider flavored with elderflower and cactus. Smooth, sweet and highly drinkable.
