Let's Talk Sugar

Sugar is a real hot button issue right now, and lots of folks who come through the door want to talk about it. They don’t like sweet bevvies (cool, neither do we). They’re watching how much sugar they consume (we actually don’t use any refined sugar). They’re into something dry (fantastic, that’s what we specialize in).

Put on your Bill Nye hat for a sec and let’s talk the science of it. Here’s the basic recipe for how we make our meads and ciders:

1 Add water and local honey or raw cider to a tank. Maybe add some seasonal fruit or herbs.

2 Wait for it to ferment completely. All of the natural sugars in the fruit or honey have then been converted to alcohol.

3 Taste. If best dry, leave it the heck alone. If the flavors don’t pop yet, sweeten slightly with more fruit or a little honey.

So, what are the main takeaways here?

We don’t use any refined sugar. And most of our meads and ciders are incredibly dry, especially when compared to the commercial market. Any sweetness you do experience comes from pressed seasonal fruit or honey or maple syrup and is used sparingly to balance acidity and tannins.

The fact of the matter is that there’s a time and a place for plain ol’ sugar. Making my Nana’s strawberry freezer jam. Or the lime curd for my mom’s birthday cake. Or in the entire package of Haribo gummy bears I will eat before the previews are over at the theater. But it doesn’t belong everywhere. Refined sugar doesn’t add flavor to our drinks, so we just don’t use it.