INTRODUCING THE MEAD INSTITUTE

2023 US Open

The Mead Institute US Open Competition strives to unite and elevate the mead industry by providing exceptionally high quality professional feedback from credentialed sommeliers and cicerones.

Competition Format

The Mead Institute US Open Competition judging will be performed in an open format. Flights will not be separated by category or style. The top mead or meads from each flight will advance to semi-finals at the discretion of the judges. The top meads from the semi-finals will advance to finals. Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be chosen from finalists. Semi-finalists and Finalists will be published on the Mead Institute websites.

Rules & Regulations

  • Competition entries will open on March 20th, 2023. 
  • Entries must be received no later than May 8th, 2023. Entries received after May 8th, 2023 will be disqualified. 
  • No refund or credit of an entry fees will be given in any circumstances, including circumstances in which an Entry is disqualified, withdrawn, lost or damaged or does not arrive in time.
  • All the entries become the property of the Mead Institute and will not be returned.
  • A maximum of 150 entries will be accepted. 
  • Entries will be limited to 5 per commercial meadery. 
  • All entries must be produced in a state and federally licensed commercial facility.
  • Entries must:
    • contain minimum 51% of the fermentable sugar in the mead from honey
    • have a minimum production quantity of 112.5 liters (25 cases or 300 375ml bottles)
    • be finished and in their final container
    • be sealed with the same closure as the final, commercially available mead
    • specify all ingredients contained in the final product
    • not contain cannabis or cannabis derivative ingredients
    • not have imagery or wording anywhere on the packaging or related marketing materials that convey or portray or are related to sexual connotations, homophobia, racism, sexism, illegal activity, violence, bigotry, or other inappropriate, disrespectful depictions
  • A minimum of four (4) samples of each entry must be submitted to Mead Institute
  • Entrants must send a minimum of 1500ml of volume

Scoring

Meads will be evaluated using the Mead Institute Evaluative Tasting Grid and scores will be given out of 100. At any time during the competition, our judges can award a mead a score of 90 or above. Scores of 90 and above will be published on Mead Institute website.

Meet Our Judges

Madeline Triffon

Master Sommelier

In-house Sommelier at Plum Market. First Master Sommelier to pass on US soil, first American woman to pass the Master Sommelier Exam

Randy Mosher

Author and Educator

Faculty member of the Siebel Institute, America’s oldest brewing school. Author of Tasting Beer, The Brewer’s Companion, Radical Brewing, and more

Zach Typinski

Advanced Cicerone®

BJCP Beer Judge and Owner of Urbanrest Brewing Company in Ferndale, Michigan

Amanda Danielson

Advanced Sommelier

Owner and Advanced Sommelier at Trattoria Stella

Anthony Minne

Advanced Sommelier

National Director of Wine, Beer, & Spirits for Plum Market, a premium grocer with locations across Metro Detroit & in Miami

Michelle DeHayes

Advanced Sommelier

Sales Manager at Little Guy Wine Company

Annette May

Advanced Cicerone®

First Female Certified Cicerone®, Faculty at Schoolcraft College Brewing & Distillation Technology Program

Joseph Allerton

Certified Sommelier

Managing Partner and Sommelier at Bar Pigalle

Catherine Kurth

Certified Sommelier

Sommelier & Wine Director at Freya, Dragonfly & Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails

Mick Descamps

Advanced Sommelier

Wine Director at Red Wagon Wine Shoppe 

Joey Lopaka

Advanced Sommelier

Fine Wine Specialist at Great Lakes Wine & Spirits

Erik Pohl

Advanced Sommelier

Beverage Director and Sommelier at Cascade Hills Country Club

Patrick Jobst

Advanced Sommelier

Beverage Director at Book Tower

Mike Bardallis

Certified Cicerone®

Head Brewer at Full Measure Brewing Co.

Paula Hartson

Certified Sommelier

Assistant Wine Team Leader at Plum Market

David Anderson

Certified Sommelier

BJCP Mead Judge & Data Analytics Manager

Travis Tache

Advanced Sommelier

Territory Manager at Woodberry Wine

Award Winners

2023 US Mead Open Results:

Lost Cause Meadery  Wolf: The Dawning

Beach Bee – Strong Currant

Listermann Fermatorium – Damnation

Finalists

Lost Cause Meadery – Wolf: The Dawning

Beach Bee – Strong Currant

Listermann Fermatorium – Damnation

Lost Cause Meadery – Amaro Curioso

Moonlight Meadery – Desire

Heidrun Meadery – Hawaiian Lehua Blossom

Semi Finalists

Hierophant Meadery – Cherry Bochet

Moonlight Meadery – Desire

Lost Cause Meadery – Amaro Curioso

Listermann Fermatorium – Damnation

Lost Cause Meadery – Wolf: The Dawning

Heidrun Meadery – Hawaiian Lehua Blossom

Beach Bee Meadery – Strong Currant

McGee’s Mead – Earl Grey’s Kumquats

Atheling Meadworks – Rheda’s Longing

Southern Origin Meadery – Chai Mead

Four Fires Meadery – Vanilla Bean Cloak & Dagger

Superstition Meadery – Carvin

Moonlight Meadery – Embrace

Norse Nectar Meadery – Holy Grail

Second City Meadery – City Den

Four Fires Meadery – Barrel Aged Carvin Planet

Manic Meadery – Pymnentia

Ægir’s den Meadery – Dwarves’ Conspiracy

Silver Hand Meadery – Lullaby

Zymarium Meadery – Endless Raspberry: Tupelo Reserve

Hierophant Meadery – Song of the Elders

Moonlight Meadery – Bourbon Barrel Kurt’s Apple Pie

Beach Bee Meadery – Strong Currant

Ægir’s den Meadery – Dwarves’ Conspiracy

Heidrun Meadery – Hawaiian Lehua Blossom

Second City Meadery – City Den

Hierophant Meadery – Song of the Elders

Four Fires Meadery – Vanilla Bean Cloak & Dagger

Four Fires Meadery – Barrel Aged Carvin Planet

Run Amok Mead – Crooked House

Lost Cause Meadery – Wolf: The Dawning

Lost Cause Meadery – Amaro Curioso

Zymarium Meadery – Endless Raspberry: Tupelo Reserve

Zymarium Meadery – Soliloquy Of Nectar: Old Florida Tupelo

Zymarium Meadery – Endless Blueberry

Silver Hand Meadery – Lullaby

Silver Hand Meadery – Bourbon Street Blues

Listermann Fermatorium – Damnation

Moonlight Meadery – Utopian X

Moonlight Meadery – Desire

Moonlight Meadery – Bourbon Barrel Kurt’s Apple Pie

Moonlight Meadery – Embrace

Superstition Meadery – Carvin

Manic Meadery – Pymnentia

Unpossible Mead – Tangerine Blossom Traditional Mead

Norse Nectar – Holy Grail

Southern Origin – Hibiscus Mead

Southern Origin Meadery – Chai Mead

Southern Origin Meadery – Dry Apple Cyser

McGee’s Mead – Persephone

Register Today!

Register for the 2023 US Mead Open today!  Cost is $125 per entry.