About Honey River Mead

Honey River Meads and Melomels

Eight-Time National Award winning Healthberry Farm Honey River Meads and Melomels 

Mead is an ancient wine that predates written language. It is a drink made of honey and water. Melomel is an Old World name for a wine made with fruit and honey.

 Honey River Meads and Melomels are small-batch varietal farmhouse wines, produced in the mountains of West Virginia at Healthberry Farm. As beekeepers, we are generous with our honey, creating a deliciously sweet wine without any refined sugars. We age our wines for two or more years and bottle without added sulfites or chemicals, creating a living wine with many health benefits. Many of our melomels are collaborations with regional farmers, vineyards and orchards, all of which are proudly listed below.

The following are descriptions of our wines, not a list of what is currently in stock. Availability fluctuates based on the honeys and fruits that have been successful in the years we make the wine, which, like all farming, depends heavily on the weather and the harvest.

For ordering information, visit our contact page. 

Most varieties are around 14% alcohol – enjoy in moderation, on a full stomach, and chilled!

Mead

Meads are light-colored “white” wine, excellent chilled or served on ice. While the recipe is the same, the flavor profile will vary depending on which variety of honey is used. Many of our meads are naturally effervescent. Varieties typically available: Basswood, Black Locust, Goldenrod, Tulip Poplar (regular and bourbon barrel-aged) and Wildflower.

Melomel

Blueberry Melomel
Tangy Basswood honey with organic blueberries from Blueberry Ridge near Fairmont, WV. A rose-colored wine that presents the spicy basswood flavor in a subtle fruity profile.

Cyser (apple melomel) (also available: Bourbon Barrel Aged Cyser)
Dark, rich wildflower honey with cider pressed from estate-grown apples.

Elderberry Melomel
Dark and complex Tulip Poplar honey with wild harvested elderberries.

Peach Melomel
Tangy Goldenrod honey and estate-grown peaches. A golden wine with a pronounced peach kiss and unique floral zest from the Goldenrod honey.

Perry (pear melomel) (also available: Bourbon Barrel Aged Perry)
Light spring wildflower honey and a blend of estate-grown pears. We sometimes have the bourbon-barrel aged Perry, a collaboration with Still Hollow Distillery in Job, WV.

Pyment (grape melomel)
Tulip Poplar honey and Chambourcin grapes from Shapar Pond Vineyard, in Ellicott City, MD.  Pyment is a sweet, rich, dark red-colored wine most similar to a port, and pairs perfectly with an equally fine meal. Produced in honor of Ben’s mentor, the late Frank Androzci of Little Hungary Farm Winery in Buckhannon, WV.

Acerglyn

Acerglyn (maple mead)
Wildflower honey with local maple syrup from Canaan Valley Maple in Davis, WV and aged in Bourbon Barrels from Still Hollow Distillery in Job, WV.

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Recognized Nationally as an Award-Winning Mead

We are now an eight-time national award-winning meadery! The Mead Crafter’s Competition has awarded us the following medals:

2024: Silver Medal for Honey River Peach Melomel (Dry Melomel)
2024: Bronze Medal for Honey River Blueberry Melomel (Semi-Sweet Melomel)
2024: Bronze Medal for Honey River Acerglyn (Semi-Sweet Specialty)

2023: Silver Medal for Honey River Elderberry Melomel (Dry Melomel)
2023: Silver Medal for Honey River Cyser (Cyser)

2022: Silver Medal for Honey River Perry

2020: Gold Medal for Honey River Pyment

2019: Silver Medal for Honey River Basswood Mead

Many thanks to the National Honey Board for facilitating this award!