Mead may be the next frontier in the world of craft -- craft beer, craft food, craft wine -- and Ferndale will soon be home to two meaderies.
The latest,
Schramm's Mead, is under construction at 327 W. 9 Mile and will open in May. It's just a couple of miles from
B. Nektar Meadery, which opened a production facility and tasting room several weeks ago.
Schramm's is owned by Ken Schramm, a connoisseur of mead and go-to guy in honey wine circles that are buzzing as mead finds its niche.
Schramm authored
The Compleat Meadmaker, the Bible for mead-makers, and founded The Mazer Cup international mead competition.
His meads, often fruity or spiced, will be produced and sold at the new store in downtown Ferndale. There will be a tasting room and food menu. Schramm and his family will run the business and hire several employees.
During a presentation before the Ferndale City Council, when Schramm requested a small winery license, he said he and his family are carrying on a family tradition that goes back to ancestors who came here from Germany, fought for the union in the Civil War, and are still in possession of family farms that go back 100 years in their family.
"The Schramm family has a 160-year history of providing food and drink to metro Detroiters," Schramm says, pointing out that his mother came from Ferndale. "We are thrilled at the opportunity to do business in Ferndale."
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Ken Schramm, founder, Schramm's Mead
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