When we say hitting the pavement, we mean hitting it in style with Austin Concrete Pros! Their thoughtful and intelligent designs create beautiful spaces for both yard and home.
With the help of their experienced designers, they plan a space using cost efficient and sustainable material – concrete. Now is the perfect time to invest in your home and plan the space that you’ve always wanted. Contact Austin Concrete Pros with any questions you may have regarding your new design.
Austin Concrete Pros is giving away $50 to MeridianHive.com. To enter, head over to ConcreteProsAustin.com and scroll to the bottom of the page. Fill out the quote form and enter “Meridian Hive contest” and your email in the ‘What do you need help with?’ box. Contest will remain open until September 12th. The winner will be contacted through the email they gave.
Make the smart choice today! Go with Austin Concrete Pros for a sustainable, beautiful, and long-lasting floor option for all of your projects.
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Smell that in the air? That’s the crisp, cool scent of fall in the air… well, we can dream right? Austinites are preparing for adventures like ACL, Longhorn Football, and Oktober Fest. Fall means that it also may be time to move and we all know how difficult that is in this town. Finding the right apartment is almost impossible.
Our friends at Everything Austin Apartments have made the impossible, possible and will help you find just the right place. With thousands of apartments listed, they can assist in finding an apartment perfect for your lifestyle and budget.
Everything Austin Apartments is giving away a $50 gift certificate to MeridianHive.com. To enter, simply head over to Everything Austin Apartments and sign up for their mailing list. It’s as easy as that! This contest is open to new and existing mailing list members. Contest is open until August 22nd. Winner will be contacted through the email that they signed up with.
So cool off, find your new apartment and pop open a can of Meridian Hive thanks to Everything Austin Apartments!
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Spring showers have rolled through and the hot temperatures are officially here. You know what that means for Central Texans – adventures! This summer, we at Meridian Hive have curated a list of events that are perfect for beating the summer heat that don’t include the typical Barton Springs suggestion.
Located about 45 minutes west of Austin is Krause Springs. This site feeds
into Lake Travis and consists of 32 springs. It’s absolutely perfect for a day trip or camping alike. Grab your favorite Meridian Hive hard honey four pack – we love the Lemon for hanging out by Krause Spring’s waterfall – and relax on this 115 acre private property. Check out the butterfly garden and rope swings while you’re there!
Entrance fee: $9 for adults; Camping fee: $15 for adults
Deep Eddy Pool is the oldest running man made pool in all of Texas. This pool, once originally part of a resort in the early 1900s, was purchased by the City of
Austin in 1935. Two weeks after the purchase was complete, floods completely decimated the original buildings and the City of Austin reopened the pool the following the year. Undergoing massive renovations in 2011, Deep Eddy Pool is currently open to the public Monday – Friday for lap swimming and Saturday and Sunday in the shallow end and lap swimming. Go across the street to Tumble 22 and find a Blackberry on tap after taking a dip in the oldest pool in Texas.
Entrance fee: $5 for adults; $2 for children
After closing in 2011 (with an expected opening date of 2015) the Waller Creek Conservatory, now the Waterloo Greenway, has officially opened its Phase One space including the new Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park. This summer, head to the 11 acres (will be 35 after all three phases open) and enjoy all of the activities that the park has to offer. Go to one of our favorites, Scholz Garten, for schnitzel, sauerkraut, and a stein before the show this summer.
See https://waterloogreenway.org/ for shows and events
An hour south of Austin in New Braunfels is Sylver Spoon Dinner Theater. Whether
The art installation at Pease Park by Konstantin Dimopoulos which debuted earlier this spring is a “visual scream” and “a call for some sort of humanity to come into place” when it comes to climate change and deforestation. This paint is made of a mixture of chalk and water according to the Pease Park Conservancy website and will wash away naturally. You can find these trees just north of the Kinsbury Commons. After you check out the trees at Pease Park, enjoy the shady patio at Bar Peached to continue to appreciate the nature.
Co-hosted by Rachel Lauren and Lauren Petrowski, Mimosa Fest is on Sunday May 15th and is a boozy, bougie, brunchy day party for the mimosa brunch connoisseur. Enjoy music, vendors, food truck, and most importantly MIMOSAS with a hit of Meridian Hive. This event is a one day party located on the east side of Austin at the Fair Market grounds. We’ll see you out there for the bubbles!
Meridian Hive is your perfect summer companion. Whether you’re outside enjoying the summer sun or relaxing inside and taking advantage of the AC, we are your summer go-to!
]]>When Meridian Hive first opened in 2013, we began in a small industrial park at 183 and 290. We quickly (and fittingly) dubbed this location “The Hive.” Mike and company had a vision to share just what fermented honey could do. Over the next 9 years, we opened our doors and had thousands come through and taste our products. From still, traditional meads like OM and Fandango to more unique products like Broken Crown to now - our Hard Honey originals. Because of your continued support and purchasing power, we have outgrown our small facility and made the decision to move our production to Thirsty Planet Brewing down in South Austin.
The Hive has been our home for nearly a decade. It is where we began as a company and it was where many tried our Hard Honey for the first time. When we first opened our doors in 2013, the micro-brewing world was exploding, and we were excited to share this unique product to a new world of excited new drinkers. Mike created Meridian Hive with the intention of providing a reprieve to the oversaturated hoppy and heavy beer market.
At the Hive, we created a space that was perfect for both drinking and educating! While we were a taphouse that provided our core drafts as well as our pilot seasonals, we also gave tours and educated people on the process of making Hard Honey and mead. We demonstrated the processes to make honey into alcohol to the canning process.
We hosted several events over the course of nearly a decade. From parties to private events, to launches, and fundraisers – the Hive served as a home base for many occasions.
The buzz around our first digs was truly un-bee-lievable, and we couldn’t be more thankful for the guests that made The Hive feel like home.
When 2020 and the pandemic occurred, we here at Meridian Hive made a choice. As we expanded our brand to include Skinny Bee and our canning production increased, we invested in a two-story canning line.
This canning line allowed us to produce more Hard Honey drafts for you, however this also meant that we were losing a significant portion of our tasting room. With that decision and with the health of our guests in mind at the pandemic’s height, we decided to shut down our tasting room. This was a tough choice, but one that we knew would be temporary.
In late 2021, we penned an agreement with Thirsty Planet Brewing Company to officially take over our assembly and move our production down to their incredible new facility in South Austin. We were able to bring our same production team onto their staff. This ensures that the quality of our products remains the same, and that your favorite Hard Honey products are still being made with the same love and care!
This move means that we can make more beverages for our amazing customers as well as the promise of a tasting space of our own! Thirsty Planet has intentions to open this space near the end of 2022 and we’re enthused to be included in those plans.
It’s been an exciting 9 years and it’s only getting better! From The Hive to new Hard Honey adventures, we are so thankful to have y’all along for the ride.
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Pure Honey, Real Fruit – that is what we are all about here at Meridian Hive! As a local Austin company, we strive to be as sustainable and promote ethical materials as much as possible. Obviously, we are such huge fans of honey, and you should be too! Not only for all the incredible varietals but for the sustainability practices as well! Here are three reasons why honey is the most sustainable products on earth.
We lose 80,000 acres of tropical deforestation a day along with another 80,000 acres of significant degradation a day according to Scientific American. One of the many reasons deforestation is so prevalent is due to the need for sugarcane fields. These fields stretch for acres and acres destroying the natural habitat of thousands of animals – including bees. In order for honey to be produced, all that is need is pollinators (bees) and flowers.
Supporting bee health means supporting bees. Eating honey is not harmful to bees because producers promote best practices that support bee nutrition, well-maintained apiaries, and the appropriate application of pest control. Modern beekeepers also pay attention to clean foraging areas and hive placement.
Meridian Hive has partnered with a high-quality honey producer out of Mexico, who sources pure honey through healthy sustainable apiary partners. Our honey quality and consistency is guaranteed. We NEVER mix our honey with cheap mixers like Sugar and Syrups and we believe you can taste the quality in each sip of our products.
Our commitment is to share the vital role honey bees play as premiere pollinators and stewards of our environment. Without them, the food we depend on would dwindle as pollinator foods, including those pollinated by bees, represent one in every three bites of food that we eat.
In support of our bee friends, we launched the ‘Grow With Us’ campaign to make it easy for our customers to choose quality drinks and do their bit for the bees by providing……. plant bee friendly wildflowers to support local bee colonies.
Sugarcane farming has fueled deforestation in some of the world's most threatened ecosystems—including Brazil's Atlantic Forest, which once covered a massive area but has been reduced to just 7% of its original size. Growers will need to cultivate almost 50% more land by 2050 to meet projected global sugarcane demand.
Sugar mills produce wastewater, emissions and solid waste that impact the environment. The massive quantities of plant matter and sludge washed from mills decompose in freshwater bodies, absorbing all the available oxygen and leading to massive fish kills. In addition, mills release flue gases, soot, ash, ammonia and other substances during processing.
Land laid bare in preparation for cane planting is stripped of any protective cover, allowing the soils to dry out. This impacts overall microorganism diversity and mass, both of which are essential to fertility. Additionally, exposed topsoil is easily washed off of sloping land, with nutrients leached from the topsoil. Further, the continual removal of cane from the fields gradually reduces fertility and forces growers to rely increasingly on fertilizers.
While all food production emits greenhouse gases, raising bees and producing honey is one of the lowest options out there. There are no tractors needed to harvest. There are no large machines to collect from the hives, There are no fertilizers used. There are also very few steps from the hive to the cupboard making honey not only one of the most sustainable products out there, but also one of the most natural.
Burning sugarcane affects the environment negatively, and primarily by causing air pollution.
The burning of the leafy parts of sugarcane supports the emission of various toxic and hazardous substances that can affect air quality. Examples of these substances include nitrates, carbon compounds, and sulfates.
These substances are then related to the menace of climate change. For instance, a combination of various compounds from the burning of sugarcane reduces oxidization efficiency and increases ozone concentrations.
Even worse, sugarcane burning also has a significant effect on human health. And this becomes even more compelling when you consider it from the perspective that we are part of the environment.
For instance, burning sugarcane causes particle pollution. These particles usually find their way into the lungs. And this often results in various health issues.
For example, research shows that these particles in the lungs share a connection to irregular heartbeat, lung or heart diseases, and nonfatal heart attacks. It also causes a reduction in lung function, resulting in aggravated asthma, difficulty in breathing, and coughing.
Also, burning sugarcane causes various toxins that cause liver damage, neurological damage, headaches, and drowsiness.
As mentioned earlier, honey comes in many different forms. This is because honey tastes different based on the region. If there are orange blossom trees in the area, the bees will be producing Orange Blossom Honey. If the wildflower population is thriving, the honey will be a Wildflower Honey. Bees only travel up to 3 miles around their hives. Whatever flora is in their immediate vicinity will be the honey they produce. This allows individuals to enjoy what is local to them – unlike large sugar cane and corn syrup factories.
Honey is the sustainable sweetener of the future. We at Meridian Hive believe that promoting the use of a product that is local, sustainable, and most importantly, delicious, is the future of how we are going to be consuming food. By avoiding mass produced sweeteners, not only are we enjoying a higher quality product, but we are also able to enjoy local honey, buy products that don’t promote deforestation, and avoid high greenhouse gas emissions. Are you looking for some local honey? Check out this amazing finder!
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-honey#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11
https://honey.com/about-honey/honey-benefits
https://honey.com/bees-sustainability
https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/sugarcane
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/environmental-impact-sugar.php
https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/soil-erosion-and-degradation
Spring 2021, we launched the Skinny Bee Variety pack. This was the culmination of over a year of planning and testing. Skinny Bee is Meridian Hive’s answer to the barely-there, unnatural flavors of all the seltzers on the shelves. Just like our classic line, Skinny Bee is made with only the purest of Orange Blossom Honey and the highest quality real fruit puree. Let’s take a further look!
While Meridian Hive is built on honey and fruit, the unsung ingredient of our products is water. Unlike other wineries where using water in their product is called amelioration and is considered a bad thing, it is a necessary step to everything we make. We use filtered water from the Austin Municipal Water source in all our drafts. According to Mike, our brewer, Austin Municipal Water has low minerality, meaning there is no negative impact on the flavor to Skinny Bee (as well as all our other Hard Honey drafts). If we were to produce Skinny Bee anywhere else, it would not taste the same! Water is truly the backbone of the entire Meridian Hive operation.
Now that we have the correct water, our next ingredient is honey! Why do we use Orange Blossom? Orange Blossom honey a more expensive ingredient, but we believe that this particular varietal is the best for our product. Orange Blossom has a distinct flavor that is left after the yeast consumes all the sugar.
The first steps to produce Skinny Bee is pure Orange Blossom honey. To prep the honey, we warm it up and blend it with water until they’re combined. Once combined, we add more water to cool down the honey. We can take that 80% sugar honey and bring that down by adding yeast to make alcohol. To produce Skinny Bee, we stop this process when the mixture has reached 4.2% alcohol, 73 calories, and 0 sugar. We then filter the boozy brew to get rid of the extra yeast. At this point, this honey mixture is consumable, however we advise trusting the process and letting it finish!
Once we have this mixture, it’s time for the real fruit! At Meridian Hive, we use only the top-of-the-line fruit purees. Why purees? Simply put: production.
We want to be able to deliver you our products on a consistent basis with the best flavors possible. To do so, we use fruit puree that must be stored refrigerated! None of the fake stuff that won’t go bad because it’s full of chemical preservatives.
Also, by using the highest quality purees, we are able reduce the production time from months to weeks. We also use real ingredients to accentuate our main flavors. In Skinny Bee Grapefruit, we add real rosemary – not extracts.
The flavors in the Skinny Bee line were chosen to deliver you the biggest flavor with the least calorie impact. Grapefruit, Blueberry, Cranberry, and Acai all deliver big punches of flavor without impacting the calorie or sugar count.
Those were just the final flavors we settled on - Mike tested a few other flavor options that we couldn’t make work. One of our first attempts was Skinny Bee Strawberry.
According to Mike, some fruits do not hold up well during our process. When the sugars are removed from strawberries, the flavor profile that comes back is not anywhere near strawberry flavor.
Another failed flavor choice was Mango. While this fruit was able to handle the manufacturing, the amount of filtration and time that would be needed to deliver a top-quality light hard honey was simply not possible.
After this infusion of the fruit into the honey booze mixture, we filter this into the bright tanks. Our bright tanks is where the carbonation happens! These tanks hold 200 gallons and are one of the last steps in the Skinny Bee journey.
After the carbonation process, it is time for canning.
Once canned, Skinny Bee is ready for boxing and distribution, and to finally end up in your hand for your enjoyment.
]]>Along with our focus on producing stellar beverages for you, one of our major goals here at Meridian Hive is to encourage sustainability and promote environmentally friendly options.
]]>Along with our focus on producing stellar beverages for you, one of our major goals here at Meridian Hive is to encourage sustainability and promote environmentally friendly options.
To further this message, we have launched two new endeavors.
The first being that we have made the switch to Grip-Pak rings on all of our 4 packs as well as going completely plastic free for our mixed four packs and Skinny Bee Variety boxes. While these rings may look like the old-school plastic rings, they are infused with new technology making them one of the best options out there and our new boxes are made with recycled cardboard. Along with the environmentally friendly box, we are also very excited to launch our wildflower packets with Skinny Bee. Wildflowers are an easy way to beautify your neighborhood as well as provide a safe home and treasure trove of pollen for the bees.
The switch to Grip-Pak tops was made to provide ease and sustainability to deliver our products to you. These Grip-Paks are less plastic than the old Packtech tops. They may look similar to the old plastic rings, but these Grip-Paks are made from a photodegradable plastic that will break down in sunlight. We still recommending snipping the loops! You will notice these rings on all single-flavor four packs in the future.
The employment of the recycled cardboard boxes in another method of going as sustainable as possible. These boxes allow us to eliminate all plastic in the packaging of our Core 4 mixed-packs and Skinny Bee Variety packs. Our boxes are made of unbleached, kraft paperboard and made with up to 15% recycled fibers. Cayce Rivers, CEO, explains, “In the current retail environment, can carriers are a necessity for our products. For the craft beverage industry, the standard has been plastic 4 or 6 pack carriers. Last year, our team was determined to find more environmentally-friendly options, and I'm proud to see that we now have two new options hitting the shelves.”
Another sustainability project we’re launching is our Grow With Us campaign. Your favorite summer beverages now comes with wildflower seed packages.
Why wildflowers? The short answer is, they’re awesome. Wildflowers are one of the easiest flowers to grow. The most important aspect of wildflower growth is seed to soil contact, meaning you don’t have to do anything other than bald your grass!
If you decide to plant in the ground, it is recommended to plant at the beginning of spring or during fall – this is when the rains are best suited for germination. If you choose to plant in a moveable planter or bed, you can plant at any time of the year. Once seeds have been sprinkled across soil, gently water the thoroughly the first day and lightly water every 3 days for the next 3 weeks after that. You should begin to see sprouts in 10-20 days.
When the wildflowers begin to bloom is when the real magic starts. The USDA says that “Wildflowers can improve soil health, prevent erosion, improve water quality, increase yields and enhance forage conditions for livestock,” and according to a Nature.com study, bees who are near a wildflower source have a hive survival rate 4x greater than those who don’t.
Wildflowers are a beautiful way to feed the bees who need our help! These wildflower patches provide a haven for all pollinating creatures while also transforming a dull patch into a beautiful mini-meadow, teeming with nature. We at Meridian Hive are excited to start these wildflower patches all over Texas in honor of the bees.
Remaining conscious of our earth is one of our top priorities at Meridian Hive. We aim to deliver unique products with an intentional message in order to provide you with the best experience and best product.
We look forward to seeing the wildflowers for many years to come. Remember, Bee Conscious.
Step 1: Soak sheet overnight
Step 2: Find a place to distribute sheet in direct sunlight with no foot traffic
Step 3: Tear to distribute seed paper
Step 4: Place 1/4" soil over paper water daily for 10 days
This last year has been one of massive growth and change in the brewing world. In May of 2020, the issue of police violence in the United States boiled over and Black people’s struggle became a world-wide issue. This led to discussions of race, equality, and diversity throughout the world, including the brewing industry.
This last year has been one of massive growth and change in the brewing world. In May of 2020, the issue of police violence in the United States boiled over and Black people’s struggle became a world-wide issue. This led to discussions of race, equality, and diversity throughout the world, including the brewing industry.
Marcus Baskerville of Weathered Souls in San Antonio, Texas is one of the few Black owners and head brewers in the United States. After witnessing the events of last year, he created the Black is Beautiful program for other breweries.
The team at Weathered Souls created a base recipe but gave creative freedom for other breweries to create whatever they liked from that base. They provided art and concept design giving only these requirements:
Donate 100% of the beer’s proceeds to local foundations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses to those who have been wronged
Choose their own entity to donate to local organizations that support equality and inclusion
Commit to the long-term work of equality
Since June 2020, over 1,200 breweries in all 50 states and 22 countries have participated in the Black is Beautiful program. Many launches of these brews sold out and people turned up in droves to participate. With such amazing support, many breweries were able to extend their Black is Beautiful to stores like HEB and Walmart. The Black is Beautiful movement has had a lasting impact on the industry.
Meridian Hive is a proud participant of the Black is Beautiful movement. As a classified winery, we are unable to produce beer on our premises, but we were eager to join the cause. The Meridian Hive Black is Beautiful bottle was our take on the rich stout beer recipe that Weathered Souls provided.
Black is Beautiful is a rich, full-bodied mead using black-currant and blueberries for a smooth and juicy finish. Our first launch of the limited release bottles was so successful that it sold out within 10 minutes. Due to this incredible response, we produced another round of bottles and sold out in less than an hour. We were so grateful that our wonderful customers showed up to support this cause!
As a company, we chose to donate the proceeds to the Austin Justice Coalition who “serves people who are historically and systematically impacted by gentrification, segregation, over-policing, a lack of educational and employment opportunities, and other institutional forms of racism in Austin.”
As we approach the year anniversary of the release of Black is Beautiful, we remind ourselves of the impact of this campaign. We were fortunate enough to form a relationship with Marcus and the team at Weathered Souls.
In March 2021, they released a collab bottle to their membership club with Jester King using the barrels that we aged our Black is Beautiful mead in. This continued effort to grow and support each other is a lasting impact of this movement in the brewing industry.
We were honored to be a part of this collaborative effort and will continue to promote the message.
#BlackisBeautiful
Meridian Hive creates unique and flavorful beverages crafted with versatility in mind. Cool, crisp, and delicious right out of the fridge, Meridian Hive also turns your standard cocktail into an Austin mead surprise!
]]>Meridian Hive creates unique and flavorful beverages crafted with versatility in mind. Cool, crisp, and delicious right out of the fridge, Meridian Hive also turns your standard cocktail into an Austin mead surprise!
After careful thought and curation (and some hands-on testing), we are building our cocktail recipe list so you can bring these drinks into your home.
No boredom here: by creating a cocktail using Meridian Hive products, we pulled out different and distinctive flavors to create a special experience.
This cocktail list contains simple, easily-made cocktails and more craft-style drinks if you’re feeling a little fancy. We blend the flavors of fruit and honey with spirits that highlight those notes.
We are Austin-made, Texas proud so we chose local liquor brands that pair beautifully with our products.
If you’re not in Austin, we suggest checking out local brands near you. Not only is supporting local important to us, but we like to cut down on our carbon footprint, which is excellent for our other partner – the bees! Meridian Hive is, after all, honey wine and we love our pollinating friends.
We made our products to be as versatile as possible, so you can customize a drink that’s perfect for you. From new takes on classic cocktails, to innovative pairings that you’ve never had before, this list is sure to have a beverage for everyone.
We first hit you with Skinny Bee Blueberry in the summer of 2020. Then came Cranberry just in time for the holidays. Now, Meridian Hive is excited to launch our new Skinny Bee variety pack including our two newest flavors – Acai Berry and Grapefruit!…
We first hit you with Skinny Bee Blueberry in the summer of 2020. Then came Cranberry just in time for the holidays. Now, Meridian Hive is excited to launch our new Skinny Bee variety pack including our two newest flavors – Acai Berry and Grapefruit!
Over are the days of boring, barely-there flavored hard seltzers and watered-down light beers! Skinny Bee has just 100 calories and 2g of sugar per can to deliver a beverage from nature, not filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce.
“Skinny Bee is a continuation of Meridian Hive’s vision, which has always been to deliver high-quality, hand-crafted, delicious honey-based beverages for the everyday person to enjoy,” says our CEO, Cayce Rivers.
When asked about why Meridian Hive went the natural route when most beverage manufacturers use artificial ingredients, Rivers replied, “with the explosion of hard seltzers and ready-to-drink beverage choices, consumers continue to look for beverages not made in a lab or marketing meeting, but rather sourced from good old Mother Nature.”
We use pure honey and real fruit in all of our products - always have, always will. Skinny Bee is a natural extension of exploring fruit and flavor. As the seltzer market moves forward, we look beyond the current trends and created a beverage that’s completely different than anything else on the shelves.
Skinny Bee is refreshing, easy to drink, crushable, and the perfect beverage to share with your friends or keep to yourself.
Skinny Bee variety pack is hitting Austin area HEBs the second week of March and expanding to the rest of Texas by the end of March. It is also now available for online orders.
Mjǫðr. Miel. Honing. Honey. Nearly every language in the world has a word for honey. It is one of, if not the oldest sweetener in the world and is found almost everywhere. Honey has a long and interesting history that spans thousands of years and has impacted the world. Honey has been used for medicinal purposes, preservation, and to create booze throughout the course of humanity. Let’s dive into this honey pot of information!
]]>Mjǫðr. Miel. Honing. Honey. Nearly every language in the world has a word for honey. It is one of, if not the oldest sweetener in the world and is found almost everywhere. Honey has a long and interesting history that spans thousands of years and has impacted the world. Honey has been used for medicinal purposes, preservation, and to create booze throughout the course of humanity. Let’s dive into this honey pot of information!
Honey has been noted in Babylonian and Sumerian writings as far back as 2100 b.c.e. As the Babylonians began to farm, they also harnessed the power of the bees to produce honey for themselves. In Mesopotamia, honey was commonly used in pharmaceuticals as a method of delivering herbs and botanicals. They also discovered the antiseptic qualities of honey through trial and error. Ancient Chinese, Arabic, and Egyptian cultures even had a form of bodily preservation called mellification.
When combined with water and yeast, honey turns into alcohol also known as mead. While the actual origins of mead, or honey wine, are debatable, we do know that it is believed to be the oldest alcohols in the world. Mead is usually around 16% ABV. It is often attributed to the Vikings and Norse people however the history is much more ambiguous than that. The area that these individuals lived in (modern day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark), is too cold for consistent honey production. It is believed that the stories of mead and honey coming from these people are from importing these ingredients. It was celebratory and served to the higher class making it a beverage of the gods.
One of the first occurrences of fermented honey was between 20,000-40,000 years ago as nomadic people traveled around Africa and the Mediterranean with bees. The naturally occurring yeasts would ferment this honey into an alcoholic beverage – mead. Styles of meads have been popular in different places throughout history ranging from China to Mexico. Despite honey and mead’s luxurious reputation, it is an expensive product to produce and when other methods of alcohol became popularized, honey wine would lose fashion. In India, the style became unpopular 1,700 years ago. In China, 1,500 years ago. And in Europe, about 500 years ago.
While these products may have gone off trend, there have been groups who have preserved mead making throughout history. In Europe, monastic communities would cultivate beeswax for candles and had quite a bit of honey. They began to produce mead using the honey. There are certain places in that have been producing mead for over 400 years and have truly kept the spirit of fermented honey alive.
There has been a resurgence in the production of mead and honey-wine. Using up-to-date technology in combination with old world methods, meaderies like us have been able to take the world of honey wine to the next level. There are many different styles of meads. We have produced a number of these styles over the years. While we are going on hiatus with producing stills, we have a handful for sale here.
Which leads us to modern times. Meridian Hive has taken a forward and 21st century approach to this ancient beverage. Forgoing the classic high alcohol percentage beverage, we have opted to lower the ABV to that of a beer or cider for a more session style drink. Meridian Hive is about creating a community experience through our beverage while still respecting the origins. Our draft style, modern meads are melomels and hydromels. All of our real fruit flavored products are melomel while Honey is a hydromel. Hydromels, or show meads, are made with exclusively honey.
Honey is the source of all that we do at Meridian Hive and we will continue to feature just how versatile and unique it is through all of our amazing beverages. You can find us on shelves all throughout Texas and a number of states. Check out our finder for the closest location to you or order online, some states are restricted due to alcohol laws.
#PureHoneyRealFruit
-Meridian Hive
All nutritional information will be present on Meridian Hive cans produced in 2021 (you may still find some older cans out in the wild!). Here’s what one of the nutritional labels will look like…
Hello Meridian Hive Fans, welcome to 2021! We got so much done in 2020, with many more plans coming up this year.
The first project we’re launching is a couple of slight changes to our original cans.
Many of us are trying to lose the COVID 19, and we had a lot of requests for the calories in Meridian Hive.
What this means:
All nutritional information will be present on Meridian Hive drafts produced in 2021 (you may still find some older cans out in the wild!). Here’s what one of the nutritional labels will look like:
We’re also making all of our session crushers 5% ABV across the board, by reducing sugar and lowering ABV from 6.5%.
What this means:
You get a more pace-able, easy-to-drink style with no change to how it tastes.
You can find our freshly redesigned drafts in stores now – cheers!
Welcome to Meridian Hive! Established in 2013, Meridian Hive is an Austin based company that is on the cutting edge of honey alcohol (Mead). We create delicious beverages made from real honey and pure fruit for your drinking pleasure. Whether you are new or a loyal customer, we are so glad you are here!…
Welcome to Meridian Hive! Established in 2013, Meridian Hive is an Austin based company that is on the cutting edge of honey alcohol. We create delicious beverages made from real honey and pure fruit for your drinking pleasure. Whether you are new or a loyal customer, we are so glad you are here!
A Bit of History
Meridian Hive started as the brainchild of Mike Simmons and Eric Lowe. Coming from the homebrewing world, the guys wanted to bring something new to the table. While visiting breweries with their buddies, they soon discovered that beer wasn’t the right option for all of their friends. Some had gluten intolerances, some weren’t beer fans, and some simply wanted something new. As an avid and experienced homebrewer, Mike decided to try to accommodate these friends. Mike decided to bring back an ancient drink style using honey, also known as mead.
Mead is the oldest alcohol in the world. Evidence suggests honey fermentation from 7000 B.C.E predating both wine and beer. Mead was a chance discovery by early foragers drinking the contents of rainwater flooded beehives that fermented naturally with the help of airborne yeast. Gotta love nature!
Across the globe, people developed methods of fermenting honey into alcohol, often called ambrosia or nectar. This is how the term “nectar of the gods” became popularized. Meads can vary from very dry to sweet and typically range between 10% and 16% ABV. Mead is a very versatile drink with limitless possibilities to combine different fruits, spices, and botanicals to create unique flavor profiles. We love the canvas that honey provides. Different variations of mead have been made around the world. From Acan in Mexico to the Nepalese version, Dandaghare, mead is a global drink.
Meridian Hive has its own range of award-winning, high ABV, still meads. We produced stills with flavor profiles ranging from smokey chipotle peppers to juicy black currant highlighting the versatile nature of honey.
Mead for the Modern Era
However what makes Meridian Hive unique is that we took the idea of traditional fermented honey drinks and made them modern by creating unique, flavorful low ABV carbonated honey beverages. This new concept took the old-school mead product which has a small but loyal fan base and turned it into a drinkable beverage for everyone to enjoy on any occasion. Served cold, they are refreshing and highly crushable, perfect for the Texas heat.
We love reintroducing the world to mead - a drink that people have forgotten about or have never tried before - and we are proud to lead the way with innovative, modern, low-ABV draft meads that are quickly developing their very own fan base.
Meridian Hive initially launched its draft mead into the Austin craft scene. In a market full of amazing craft beverages, our unique spin allowed us to stand out from the crowd. We went from Mike’s homebrewing days back in his garage to today, where we are the leader in honey wine across Texas! We distribute across 10 states and deliver via our online platform to 37 states. Our drafts continue to grow and we are excited to see where we will be going in the next year.
The Goods
Our drafts, while still using pure honey and real fruit, step away from the typical still mead style. We dropped the ABV down to 5.0% and lightly carbonated our products for a juicy and refreshing flavor bomb perfect for everyday consumption. We developed our core four flavors – Honey, Blackberry, Lemon, and Peach – to highlight the crisp nature of our drafts. These drafts are available year-round. You can find them in four-packs or our mixed pack where they are all together.
We also create two seasonal drafts. For spring/summer we offer Tropical – a dry-hopped mead that is sweetened with pineapple juice. For fall/winter – our Cherry hits the spot with a tart and crisp bite joined by an awesome combination of almond, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Introducing Skinny Bee
In 2020, Meridian Hive took a look at the world of seltzers and realized that we could do better. We could deliver a ‘better for you’ craft drink that has all the flavor but none of the fakeness. At just 100 calories, Meridian Hive is pleased to present Skinny Bee!
We aren’t your sister’s seltzer. Instead of the stuff that the other guys put in it (does anyone actually know?), our Skinny Bee products use only the highest-quality pure honey, real fruit, and botanicals to deliver a refreshing beverage at 4% ABV, 100 calories, 2 grams of sugar, 7 grams of carbs, and, as always, a gluten-free drinking experience.
We kicked off summer 2020 by launching Skinny Bee Blueberry and just in time for the holidays, released Cranberry in November. Skinny Bee is the perfect choice for people looking for a lighter option or who simply enjoy a fruity and tart beverage. Skinny Bee it’s what you drink when you graduate from seltzers.
Bee Conscious
Meridian Hive not only believes in producing amazing better-for-you beverages but also in giving back to our community. Our motto is “Bee Conscious.” Whether we are donating a portion of the sales from our Lemon to Texas musicians, bringing awareness to the bee crisis, working with organizations like Southern Smoke who provide financial aid to service industry members, or joining the Black is Beautiful movement from Weathered Souls Brewing Co., we know it is our duty to be a conscious, active leader in our community and we enthusiastically perform that duty. We will continue to bring awareness to issues that remain important to us. Meridian Hive is honored by our ability to give back to causes.
So welcome to Meridian Hive! We are so excited that you’re here and we are honored to have shared a little part of our story with you. Stay tuned with us for new product information, environmental news that impacts our world, and any fun events that we may have going on in the future.
Bee Conscious!
-Meridian Hive
]]>Honey has been used in medicine in cultures around the world for thousands of years. It’s many health benefits have led scientists to continue to integrate it into Ayurveda, eastern medicine, and even some western medicinal practices. Here are a few of the numerous health benefits of honey:
Honey has been used in medicine in cultures around the world for thousands of years. It’s many health benefits have led scientists to continue to integrate it into Ayurveda, eastern medicine, and even some western medicinal practices. Here are a few of the numerous health benefits of honey:
Honey Nutrients:
Nutritionally, Honey is a contains all the types of sugar: Fructose, Sucrose, Glucose and Maltose. Honey contains virtually no Protein or Fat but is a great source of Carbohydrates. It is not a great source of Vitamins but contains almost all the Trace Minerals with predominantly high levels of Potassium and Folate. Honey also contains all essential and nonessential Amino Acids and enzymes.
Honey Antioxidants:
Though Honey is not rich in Vitamins, it is soaked in bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants. The two main bioactive compounds in Honey are Flavanoids and Polyphenols. These compounds contribute to the antioxidant value of Honey by acting as Antiinflammatory, Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative agents.
Honey and Disease:
Honey has been proven to reduce factors contributing to heart disease and metabolic disorder. It is also an active ingredient in most Traditional and Eastern medical practices for Upper Respiratory Diseases/Infections, specifically in children.
High Cholesterol plays a major role in Atherosclerosis (the build-up of plaque within the arteries) and is a key player in heart disease and strokes. Honey actively lowers LDL cholesterol (the BAD kind of cholesterol) and can drastically increase HDL (The good type of cholesterol that cleans arteries).
Adding honey to tea, or even using honey by itself, is an effective way to suppress coughing, and act as an antimicrobial/antibacterial agent in fighting respiratory infections. Honey helps with the physical symptoms and unlike over the counter medicine, does not have any side effects.
Honey and Wound Healing:
Topical honey treatment goes all the way back to early history with the Ancient Egyptians. Honey is extremely antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial so it is a perfect wound healing agent. Medicinal honey (Manuka) is a great topical treatment for different severity levels of burns and also is beneficial for infected post-surgery wounds. It nourishes the skin to increase new skin cell regeneration while killing all of the necrotic tissue and any outside contaminants.
So there you have it, Honey is an incredibly versatile and interesting compound that tastes delicious and helps nourish our bodies.
If you’ve been in Texas for more than a few minutes, you know that there are a considerable array of winged flying creatures. Here is a guide to help identify which pollinators are hanging around your backyard:
BumbleBees:
These big boys are one of the easiest species to pick out. They’re the most prominent species of bees in Texas with big yellow and black stripes and fuzzy bodies. Their hairiness allows them to be excellent pollinators. Their “Pollen baskets,” which is the hair on their legs, will enable them to get the most amount of pollen attached when they land on flowers. Bumblebees are also characterized as one of the only Texas Bee species that nest in a colony.
Carpenter Bees:
Carpenter Bees look very similar to the famous Bumblebee with one significant aesthetic difference, Shiny black abdomens and their propensity for all things wood. These solitary creatures only have one active bee in their nest at all times. They pick weathered wood to create small round holes to lay their eggs in, usually on siding, fence posts, decks or eaves. Although they are destructive to property, these bees are not aggressive and don’t often attack unless handled or provoked. Carpenter bees typically get their nectar from the bottom of the plants. Unfortunately, this makes them weak pollinators since they don’t have as much contact with the flower pollen as the Bumblebee.
Leafcutter Bee:
These exciting insects have a huge set of lips (mandibles) that they use to cut leaves. The Leafcutter Bee nests typically in rotting wood, soil or plant stems. They cut out circles from leaves and line their nests with them. These bees are very passive and will not attack unless extremely provoked. Leafcutter Bees are imperative for commercially grown Alfalfa pollination in the United States
Sweat Bee:
These bees have a unique attraction to the salt in animal or human sweat. They are known to land and “lick” off sweat. They are the smallest of the Texas Bee population. Sweat Bees are only ½ - ¾ inch and can range in color from a dull/metallic black to metallic green, purple or blue. Sweat Bees are very parasitic. They will infiltrate the nests of other bees, destroy the existing eggs, and then lay their eggs to be raised by the unsuspecting foster bee.
Mason Bees:
Mason bees make up 25% of the world bee population and a large portion of the Texas bee population. These solitary natives make their nests using mud or other materials, in between rocks or on the ground. They are great cross-pollinators and are an alternative for beekeepers that are allergic to HoneyBees. Since their venom is exceptionally mild and they are so docile, they rarely sting.
-Meridian Hive
Pollination by Honeybees contributes to at least 30 billion dollars worth of U.S Agriculture. They are one of the most critical pollinators in the world. Honeybees contribute 70 of the around 100 crop species that feed up to 90% of the world. Just to put that into more simple perspective: 1 out of 3 mouthfuls of food in the American diet are because of bees. So pretty much, if the bees go, we are going to have a rough time.
Beekeepers world wide reported steep declines of their bee populations starting in the early 2000’s with no known culprit until late 2006: Colony Collapse Disorder.(CCD)
Known by many other names in the past, (disappearing disease, spring dwindle, may disease or autumn collapse), CCD is a scourge to the modern Honeybee population. In 2015, 42% of bee colonies collapsed in the U.S alone. Both managed honeybee and wild populations have experienced serious declines in the past decade.
Colony Collapse Disorder is specifically defined as a dead colony with no adult bees and with no dead bee bodies, but with a live queen, food sources (honey, pollen) and immature bees (pupae, eggs, larvae) still present. The scientific community has yet to agree on a cause for CCD but they have an idea of contributing factors. Scientists believe that CCD has a more synergistic cause that a single point of origin. Here are a few of the main contributors:
Pesticides:
Neonicotinoids are a commonly used pesticide for corn and other widely grown agricultural crops. Honeybees may be affected when these pesticides are used for seed treatment since they work their way up the plant into the flower. The neonicotinoids are secreted as a residue in the pollen and not only affect the bee that comes into contact, but the whole hive when the bee returns. The EU has taken an active role in isolating and banning three neonicotinoids that they have proven to be an acute risk to honeybees. The U.S has established the Save America's Pollinators Act of 2013, which is currently up for review in the House of Representatives.
Varroa Mites:
The Varroa destructor or “vampire mite” is one of the deadliest Honeybee killers due to the viruses they carry into the hives, and their parasitic nature. Deformed Wing Virus and Acute Bee Paralysis are just a few of the deadly diseases these mites can infest a whole hive with. The Varroa Mites don’t have a preference, they will prey on all types of honeybees (workers, nurse bees, larvae) which make them a huge threat to the bee population
Antibiotics + Miticides:
Most beekeepers that have had losses due to CCD report using Antibiotics and Miticides within their apiaries. Unfortunately the lack of uniformity in what type of chemicals they use make it hard to find a single culprit for the population loss.
Malnutrition, poor quality queen bees (not producing enough babies) and starvation are other contributing factors. Long story short, Bees these days have a lot of obstacles in their way. Understanding these obstacles, staying informed and spreading education is one of the ways you can help save them.
-Meridian Hive
There are many beekeepers in the Austin area, but one of the busiest bees is Texas Beeworks’ Erika Thompson managing multiple Beehives spanning across Central Texas.
There are many beekeepers in the Austin area, but one of the busiest bees is Texas Beeworks’ Erika Thompson managing multiple Beehives spanning across Central Texas. Erika is a huge believer in “Bees Before Honey”, and focuses on bee conservation all around the Austin Metroplex . Although they do sell some bee products, Texas Beeworks is more of a bee advocacy company. They offer beekeeping classes, safe live bee removal and relocation, and Ag based tax exemptions for property owners. Texas Beeworks is also very active in the fight against bee-killing pesticides and stood on the steps of the capital building with Environment Texas in July of 2019, calling for the ban of Neonicotinoids. Erika was kind enough to take time out of her buzzy schedule to provide Meridian Hive with an in-depth view of her day-to-day responsibilities, and some quick insight regarding Texas Beeworks.
We met up with Erika on a cloudy Wednesday morning at one of her Ag Exempt properties in the Austin area. Tucked away in field and off the beaten path, were four beautiful stand-alone beehives. Before getting a closer look, we had to get suited up in the proper protective garments: a full bee suit complete with a hood and gloves. Erika lovingly greets the bees with a “hello babies!”, as she opens the first hive, revealing about 50,000 bees working together in perfect harmony. While bare-handedly pulling up frame upon frame of beautifully gradient honeycomb and broods, Erika explained the origins of Texas Beeworks and the life cycle of your typical Texas Honeybee. After exploring the hives, Erika then answered some of our questions.
Meridian Hive: “How did you first get into beekeeping?”
Erika: “Growing up I was always collecting bugs, putting them in mason jars and keeping them as pets, even my best friends. When I first started to keep bees, I looked at them exactly like pets, caring for them, learning about them. It grew my respect and admiration for these creatures, and it continues to grow everyday. Everyday I see something different or learn something new about bees and they're remarkable. I'm the luckiest person.”
Meridian Hive: “When did Texas Beeworks come together?”
Erika: “4 or 5 years ago, I started the company to sustain my hobby. Once you become a beekeeper and you really, really love it. It turns into wanting more and more bees, more and more hives, and like anything else you just want to get deeper into it. The way I could support myself and my habit was starting to do some bee work, people started to ask me "hey can you put bees on my property for the Ag Exemption or will you teach a beekeeping class?". I just started to say yes to almost everything and a lot of really great opportunities came my way. I am incredibly lucky that the business is extremely successful and continues to be. I mean, it's my full-time job, I get to do what I love everyday and it's the coolest! I spend a lot of time driving around Central Texas. I get to see beautiful parts, go to amazing properties and get to keep bees in really interesting places. I get to do what I love everyday. It's amazing.”
Meridian Hive: “What is the 5 year plan for Texas Beeworks? What is the ultimate goal?”
Erika: “I just want to see bees and beekeepers, specifically in Texas, continue to grow and thrive. We're starting a YouTube channel so we can give out some free bee education, hopefully reach out to people beyond just locally. I’m trying to start more hives and help beekeepers in the area as well as give more private lessons to allow for more educational opportunities. Through the Ag Exemption there are a lot of people who ask for our services to keep bees on their land but there is also a lot of people who want to become beekeepers. People want to set up a hive in their backyard just casually, which is also great. I might overuse the phrase but, more bees more better. Anyway you want to get into beekeeping, whether it’s for honey or your fascinated by the species, I think it’s great.”
Meridian Hive: “Seven states have voted to ban or have banned Neonicotinoids. Do you think Texas will pass legislation to ban Neonicotinoids on a State level? If not, what do you think is holding Texas back?”
Erika: “I sure hope so. Beyond the seven states, the European Union has recognized that these are extremely harmful to bees. I mean it's scientifically proven, and they have them totally banned. Texas is a huge agricultural state, and it's also a very red state. Both of these will slow down the process of getting these banned. I would love to see the Legislation passed. It's passed locally- on city land you are not allowed to use Neonicotinoids. All credit given to Environment Texas. They are a great group that's working to get this legislation passed on the state level and on many local levels. They're doing amazing work and I'm extremely proud to be able to partner with them. I don't really know what’s holding Texas back except for people's own agendas and mindsets. We might all think differently, but we can all agree that this is proven to be harmful to bees so let’s get it out.”
It was truly a pleasure to spend time learning and observing with Erika and the bees, we can’t wait to for future endeavors with Texas Beeworks! Follow Texas Beeworks on Instagram, Facebook, or at their website for Ag Exemption details, Beekeeping Classes, Live Bee Removals and more!
Nestled into the hills of South East Austin is a beautifully buzzing haven, which serves as a home for 150 thriving bee colonies. Tanya Philips and Chuck Reburn started Bee Friendly as a Backyard Apiary in 2013, but after their hobby became more involved, they officially launched the Bee Friendy Austin Foundation.
Nestled into the hills of South East Austin is a beautifully buzzing haven, which serves as a home for 150 thriving bee colonies. Tanya Philips and Chuck Reburn started Bee Friendly as a Backyard Apiary in 2013, but after their hobby became more involved, they officially launched the Bee Friendy Austin Foundation. Bee Friendly exists to increase awareness of the value of bees, educate beekeepers, encourage good hive management practices, and to support scientific research and education. Bee Friendly partnered with BeeWeaver, created the Texas Honey Bee Farm, and now offer classes, demos, Queens, and equipment for beekeepers.
This past week the staff here at Meridian Hive took a road trip down to the Bee Friendly farm to show our appreciation in its involvement in the community, and volunteer some of our time.
After a warm welcome, Tanya and Chuck ushered everyone inside the gift shop which was filled to the brim with a wide variety of bee paraphernalia:
Artisinal Honey made at the farm (my favorite was a Huckleberry Whipped Honey)
Bee Jewelry
Candles
Body Care Products
Hives for sale
Bee suits
It was like a bee lovers paradise!
Once we all got settled in, Tanya and Chuck gave us a crash course on beekeeping. We learned about the inner workings of Bee Hives, what they teach in their beekeeping classes and the valuable message Bee Friendly promotes.
After we asked a few questions and shared some laughs, we went to work constructing wooden hive drawers (Langstroth Hives to be exact). Typically these drawers are stacked and used as aids in which bees can build their hives. These particular hives will also be primed and used as canvases for local artists during the Annual Tour De Hives. This fundraising event allows local artists or amateurs to show off their talents through hive decor! On Saturday, August 17th be sure to make it out to Bee Friendly and vote for your favorite! There will also be guest speakers, Honey tastings, local vendors, silent auctions, and more! Come and support the Bee Friendly Foundation.
-Meridian Hive
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