A wrap on 8120 Exchange Dr

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.

Almost 10 years of good times

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. 

The 2020 shift

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. 

Onto bigger and better!

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.