You can find a copy of Ken Schramm’s book The Compleat Meadmaker at pretty much every meadery in America. He also co-founded the Mazer Cup International Mead Competition (A.K.A. ‘The GABF of Mead’). 

He is the godfather of the style, and Schramm’s Mead produces 8 of the Top 10 rated Meads in Untappd’s Mead / Melomel category (designated for meads made with fruit).

Schramm’s Mead sets the bar high by going the extra ten miles. Most meaderies use fruit syrups & aseptic purées; Schramm’s Mead uses only the finest whole fruit ingredients & unfiltered raw honey. To get a specific cherry for one of their groundbreaking meads, Ken brought live cherry wood all the way from Belgium to Michigan in order to graft & grow this rare variety he couldn’t buy stateside!

Those who are lucky enough to have tasted Schramm’s Mead understand that all the extra effort is worth it. 

A Smile of Fortune (Batch 4) is an exemplary introduction to their sophisticated mead collection. It’s rated an insane 4.84 on Untappd! 

Schramm’s crafts this mead with black currants and Lutowka cherries from Poland, Heritage red raspberries from Chile, and boysenberries from Oregon.  The resulting mead is a perfectly balanced blend of tart cherry with juicy, ripe berries and sweet, pure orange blossom honey. 

*About 90%% of people open mead/wine bottles within 2 weeks of purchase, but due to their high-end packaging materials and methods, Schramm’s Meads are cellarable for 20+ years under optimal storage conditions — and the flavor & aroma of the meads develop even more over time.

Rated 4.84 on Untappd!