Reviving mead in Kinsale after 200 years

The lost art of mead making has been resurrected in Cork thanks to Kate and Denis Dempsey.

Kinsale Mead is Ireland’s first meadery in 200 years and and is located a short walk from the town centre in Kinsale.

If you’re curious about this drink of our Celtic kings and chieftains, then a tour of the meadery is a real treat. Mead, often referred to as honey wine is fermented from 100% pure honey, 12% ABV and a great Irish alternative to wine. The tour is a fun entertaining mix of myths and legends of mead, honey tasting, mead making and tasting.

Relive some of the tales of St Gobnait the patron saint of bees in Ireland, who used her bees to defeat raiders from Kerry who came to steal her honey in Ballyvourney.

Do you know about the connection between the McCarthy Cup and our ancient mead drinking cups known as methers? Have you heard about our ancient bee laws – the Bechbretha from the seventh century when bees were more protected than they are today?

You’ll get a chance to taste some of the unique real raw honey we have in Ireland as well as further afield that are used in the mead making. Learn about honey bees and wild bees and why we must do all we can to support pollination friendly practises.

Find out how mead is produced in Kinsale as you tour the meadery and of course the highlight; taste a selection of the amazing meads. Their newly released Miskey meads are a meeting of West Cork and East Cork – Dark Forest Honey Mead from Kinsale aged in whiskey casks from Midleton distillery, a real sensory treat. Overall, it’s a must visit on your next day out in Kinsale.