5/4 Meadery is set to become the newest addition to Roswell’s growing craft beverage industry since signing an 1,800-square-foot lease at 23B Oak Street in Roswell, Georgia.
Once open, the meadery will manufacture and sell a variety of unfiltered, still to sparkling meads and ciders with dry, semi-sweet, or sweet variations—both with and without fruits and spices.
The meadery space, located in the back of the same building occupied by Tap & Six and The Whiskey Project, will house both production facilities along with a public-facing storefront for tastings and direct-to-consumer sales.
Mead is a unique alcoholic beverage made from honey that predates both wine and beer. To honor the ancient origins of the drink, 5/4 Meadery will be using traditional processes for both its meads and ciders in addition to using natural, locally sourced ingredients.
Starting this business has been a labor of love, innovation, and creativity for the owner, who came up with the name for the meadery during the initial testing phase of the company’s first meads.
“5/4 is a time signature in music, one with an unusual number of beats in a measure,” said Sean Walcek, owner of 5/4 Meadery. “Believe it or not, first tastings of our experimental dry mead recipe elicited delightful comparisons with creative music innovators. It didn’t take much deliberation to accept a name that incorporated the 5/4 signature written into many original and exciting compositions.”
According to the American Mead Makers Association, mead presently enjoys the same status that craft beer experienced a few decades ago, with strong growth that includes a 42% increase in mead makers who increased their gross revenues by 85% from 2014-2015.
“Mead’s growth in popularity makes this meadery a welcome and exciting addition to Roswell’s craft beverage industry,” said Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc. “We were honored to work with Sean and all those involved to help bring this project to Roswell, and we look forward to the way it will continue to strengthen Roswell’s economy and our city’s identity as a destination for craft beverage entrepreneurs.”
“We cannot wait to share our passion for meads and ciders with the community,” said Walcek. “Our hope is to establish ourselves as a premier maker of inventive mead and original fruit fermentations, and along the way, help cultivate a deeper awareness of, appreciation for, and love of meads and ciders in our community.”