We meet such incredible people along our travels, enjoy places we may never have had the chance to see otherwise, and always keep an open mind on what’s next for us. Our encounter with Bardic Wells is thanks to our travels from Charlevoix to Muskegon with our good friend Alice Argyros and her introducing us to a new good friend, Steve Heystead. He was a lifesaver to our journey in multiple ways and as a bonus, he’s also the owner/operator of Bardic Wells.
Bardic Wells is Michigan’s first licensed, commercial Meadery producing delicious Honey Wines. Mead is the original alcoholic beverage dating back to medieval times. The main ingredient is fermented honey but other flavors like fruit, herbs, or spices can be added for different variations. Melomels are meads made with fruit and Metheglins are meads with spices or herbs. He makes each variety and are all delicious!
We had the opportunity to tour the Meadery as it was only a short walk from the Whitehall Municipal Marina. The tasting room has a simple look and gave us a cheery crowd to walk into. Still plenty of room for us to sit at the counter to enjoy Steve’s witty hospitality. Although he doesn’t partake in any libations, his thorough survey to guests quickly provides all the feedback needed. There are only two questions & nothing is written down – 1. Does it get you drunk? 2. Does it get you laid? All you need to know really!
Throughout our time at the Meadery we met great people, enjoyed so many different flavors of mead, listened to one of a kind songs, and laughed the afternoon into evening into night. Steve drove us back and we smiled the entire ride back to the boat from such an amazing time.
The next day, Steve picked us up to visit his property and the the apiary where most of his honey is made. It was incredible to see his home and the bees which provide the crucial ingredient to mead. His bees are lucky to have him because his property is filled with so many different types of flowers. The dogs ran around in excitement and although Elwood did get stung once or twice, they could not be happier to be running around freely. We strolled around the property enjoying great conversation while naming different plant species and relaxing from the sailing aftermath. We are lucky to have had the experience and can’t wait to visit Steve again.
If you’re in the Montague area, please visit Bardic Wells. Their tasting room is amazing and if you meet Steve, you’re even luckier to have more amazing company. Cheers, thanks for reading!
