Mead is shaking the beverage world like craft beers did to bars 10 years ago. Never heard of mead? The honey-rich, fermented beverage is far from new, but it’s just now getting the opportunity to dance across menus and palates. At the forefront of the mead frontier are the spirited beverage revolutionaries at Liquid Alchemy Beverages in the Delaware Valley.
The Wilmington duo of Jeff Cheskin and Terri Sorantino are shaking the bottles with their young-but-burgeoning meadery replete with the flavorful chemistry that has locals packing the cutely refined industrial space.
“We are combining local history with a little whimsy,” said Cheskin. Pouring the ancient fermentation for just over a year now ushered Liquid Alchemy Beverage to life. The preceding years included home brewing and “flying blind.” The liquid repertoire now runs to nine core offerings, two seasonal selections and a feature each of red and white varietals.
Of note is the Overly-Hoptimistic beer/wine hybrid, chalking up a 12.5% ABV. The bright, balanced and full of bubbly levity of the beverage, which smacks of an IPA, softens even the hardest of beer and cider devotees.
Although honey plays the key role in the fermentation process across the portfolio, Thai-Grr, Currant-Lee and O4, among others, do not exert overtly sappy sweetness. Rather, the distinct flavors come from the fruits with which the meads are fermented. Local apple grower Fifer Orchards drops into Liquid Alchemy with an unsurpassed variation of an honest and classic rendition with The Dark Cide(r).
The process of fermenting a honey-based beverage dates back to biblical times, yet less than 200 meaderies dot the country, with fewer than 50 producing any sizeable quantities. Liquid Alchemy is adding to the supply with a six-barrel system and plans to expand production as well as heighten involvement with the Delaware Wineries Association to amplify interest in this new/old drink. Like the names of famous discoverers that adorn the mead tanks in the warehouse expanse, it is the impassioned drive of the Liquid Alchemy crew to share their spirits with the uninitiated who have yet to discover the appeal of mead.
Local foodies have reason to rejoice as well. Chef Manuel at Olé Tapas is embracing Liquid Alchemy’s contribution to the food scene. You will find Thai-Grr folded into the chicken tacos on the restaurant’s menu. Maiale captures the citrus overtones of O4 in its orange-walnut sausage. Cakes by Kim is all over the fruity libation in its use of mead flavor in its desserts.
Even with craft beers making a noted an impact on bars and restaurants, mead is an alternative. “Some people get tired of beer and want something different,” joked Sorantino. “And it’s all gluten-free! People who want that hoppy beer flavor [but can’t have gluten] can have this,” said Cheskin.
Snatching up 30–40 gallons of local Harvey’s Honey every month or so, the gluten-free elixir makes an appealing run for those looking to curb wheat cravings while not willing to surrender big flavors.
What’s coming for Liquid Alchemy? Release number 13 rings in with the New Year on January 1 with “Black 302.” Blackberries from Hockessin’s Berry Good Farm fortify the latest mead, keeping in step with the nod to local flavors. Liquid Alchemy is even planning a New Year’s Day pajama party to ring in 2017 with excitement as the spot looks to make even more beverage waves in and around the area.
Following this year’s very successful Meat & Mead Festival, Cheskin and Sorantino are booking food trucks to widen the circle of interest. Already, Maiale and the Outlandish truck have played parts in driving the food culture that parallels this slightly offbeat, randy approach to beverage making. Competitions are in the crosshairs for the alchemists to bring more trophies to the block. Already a winner at the Texas Cup, a competition sponsored by the Home Brewers’ Association, Liquid Alchemy and its team’s confidence are blossoming with each new iteration.
Find Liquid Alchemy Beverages at 28 Brookside Dr. in Wilmington; phone (302) 438-0252.
- Photos: Jim Berman
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