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Growing Allentown Meadery Blows Away Competition
The Colony Meadery Wins Commercial Mead Maker of the Year in National Competition
Allentown, Pennsylvania – Over the weekend, The Colony Meadery was awarded the first “Commercial Mead Marker of the Year” award at the Mead Free or Die competition held in New Hampshire.
In addition to taking the top prize, the burgeoning Allentown meadery took home five of the nine awards, including:
- 1st Place in Open Category Meads for their Favorite Child (flavored with raspberry and chipotle)
- 2nd Place in Open Category Meads for their Woofiedog (a hopped mead)
- 2nd Place in Traditional Meads for their Straight, No Chaser (made with orange blossom honey)
- 3rd Place in Traditional Meads for their Queen’s Gambit (made with wildflower honey)
- 3rd Place in Melomel Meads for their Pikwant Field (flavored with strawberry and kiwi)
Mead is one of the oldest beverages in human history, dating back to both the ancient Egyptian and Viking societies. At its base, mead is made from fermented honey. Today, producers like The Colony Meadery often begin with basic mead and then add additional flavorings like fruit, coffee, hops, and spices. The result is a wide range of tasty beverages that find appeal across many palates.
“Mead is completely different from other beverages out there,” says Mike Manning, Cofounder and Mead Maker of The Colony Meadery. “As an artisanal beverage, it finds a lot of appeal with both craft beer enthusiasts and wine drinkers.”
Setting up their operations this past October at the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, the manufacturing business incubation program of Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), The Colony Meadery released the first of its meads to the public in January of this year.
Since its launch, The Colony Meadery has steadily expanded its presence within eastern Pennsylvania at restaurants like,Fegley’s Brew Works, Strange Brew Tavern and Hulmeville Inn. Additionally, they have recently ventured across state lines, distributing mead to New Jersey with Hunterdon Brewing.
“We’re honored that our commitment to quality mead is resonating with customers, and now validated by our peers in competition,” said Greg Heller-LaBelle, Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of The Colony Meadery.
“Having The Colony Meadery do so well in competition is exciting to see and a great milestone for Mike and Greg,” said Anthony Durante, Program Manager for AEDC. “Results like this will certainly drive people to deliberately seek out their mead at restaurants, in stores or by visiting the meadery. It all leads to continued growth and success for the company.”
About The Colony Meadery
The Colony Meadery's mission is to produce the boldest and most innovative meads in the world. We use experimental batches, modern methodology, and precise control of fermentation to create meads that are distinct and varied. We believe in uncompromising quality, flavor and craftsmanship. We are members of both the Brewers Association and the American Mead Makers Association.
For more information, please visit their website: http://thecolonymeadery.com/
About the Allentown Economic Development Corporation
AEDC is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to a mission of identifying, encouraging, developing and managing strategic business opportunities for the benefit of Allentown, its citizens, and the Lehigh Valley. Its goal is to improve vacant and underutilized properties by assisting manufacturers, business owners and entrepreneurs in obtaining the resources and opportunities they require for success in the City of Allentown. AEDC offers access to financing and incentives, assistance with brownfield remediation, and support for growing businesses within the City.
For more information, please visit their website: http://allentownedc.com/
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