Portland, Oregon is often synonymous with eco-friendly and locally sourced. So, what could be a more authentic Portland experience than exploring the world of craft mead?
Mead is typically made using local honeys which can be produced just about anywhere, so it has very little environmental impact. Also, traditionally mead has a reputation for being similar to a sweet dessert wine, which some people dislike (including me!). However, recently there is a new trend towards drier artisan styles like we see with beer, wine and cider. Because of these characteristics mead is making a resurgence, and what better place to check out the local mead scene than right here in Portland, Oregon!
Our tour of Portland mead will take us to SE Portland where we will find two craft meaderies within 3-1/2 miles of each other: Oran Mor Meadery in the charming Sellwood neighborhood, and Wyrd Leatherworks & Meadery, which features a Viking theme. Afterwards, we can make a stop at the quintessential Portland bottle shop, John’s Marketplace, for a selection of meads from the Pacific Northwest and around the world. But, I am getting ahead of myself.
First of all, what is Mead?
Mead, also known as honey wine, is a fermented beverage made by combining honey, water, and yeast. Mead is the oldest known alcoholic beverage, and pre-dates beer and wine by thousands of years. While mead was heavily consumed in most ancient civilizations, it fell out of favor during the Renaissance times and has only recently been making a comeback.
Compared to other alcoholic drinks mead is much more sustainable and has a smaller ecological footprint. Mead production helps support honeybee populations which are vital to our crops and the environment. Honeybees are used as pollinators for agricultural products and the honey used for mead is a natural derivative. Because of this, it requires little to no resources to produce. In fact, mead makers require just a tiny fraction of the water used to make wine and beer.
Not only is mead considered environmentally friendly but it is also known for its health benefits. Mead is full of antioxidants, and is naturally gluten free. It is known for reducing stress, and furthermore it may contain probiotics which can help with digestion. Mead can be a good alternative to beer and wine.
Where can I find locally-made mead in Portland?
Portland currently has two independent craft meaderies in the city. Both are located in SE Portland, about 3-1/2 miles apart from one another, that is to say an easy bike ride away on a sunny afternoon. (Yes, we do occasionally get sunny days here in Portland!)
First stop, is the Oran Mor Artisan Meadery in Sellwood. This meadery first launched in 2015 in southern Oregon, but just opened their new Portland location in 2025. The mazzer (or mead brewer) has been making honey wine for over a decade and specializes in small batch, handcrafted meads blended with local and varietal honeys, as well as Pacific Northwest fruit, herbs and spices.
We discovered Oran Mor while walking down SE 13th Avenue in Sellwood, a neighborhood full of vintage shops, great eateries and metaphysical storefronts. A sandwich board pointed us down a narrow alleyway adorned with colorful murals tucked in between two vintage shops.
The space is bright with charming retro decor and a roomy covered outdoor space in back with comfortable looking couches. The staff is friendly and will gladly tell you anything you want to know about mead. As of April 2025, a tasting of 5 meads will cost you $15.
We opted for the bartender’s choice, and we ended up with a few sweet meads, and a few on the drier side. Highlights included the 2024 Linnurata, a Finnish Lemonde style mead with orange blossom honey, lemon and raisins. and the 2024 Odin’s Eye a dark spiced mead made with Arizona Desert mesquite blossom honey and aged with 12 whole spices. Next time we want to try the Odin’s Eye Reserve, a rich and complex mead aged for 2 years in Bourbon and American Oak barrels. Just like beer and wine, you can definitely geek out on mead!
In addition to the meads, Oran Mor offers a menu of tapas, paninis, and charcuterie to complement your tasting. The bartender recommended pairing the Sol-Orange Blossom Traditional mead with their chocolate mousse dessert. Sounds delicious! I can’t wait to come back and try it. Oran Mor is currently open Thursday through Sunday from 12pm to 6pm, and are located at 8011 SE 13th Ave in Portland, Oregon.
Hopefully you brought your bike, because it is now time to head to our next stop, Wyrd Leatherworks & Meadery. Our 20 minute ride will take us through the quiet tree-lined streets of the Sellwood and Westmoreland neighborhoods. This area has a small-town feel to it with older, meticulously kept homes, well-tended gardens, and a friendly, welcoming vibe. It is definitely walkable, but today I preferred to cruise the tranquil streets on my bike soaking up the atmosphere.
Eventually our route crosses over busy Mcloughlin Boulevard and winds it way up past enchanting Reed College and the exquisite Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. If the flowers are in season, the garden is definitely worth a stop! Reed College also features several hiking trails down into a canyon along serene Crystal Springs Creek.
FYI: If you are on a bike, I recommend avoiding the extremely busy Holgate Avenue. Make your way east to the Woodstock neighborhood and then up SE 41st. This street is much less traveled and will take you directly to our next destination at the corner of Holgate and 41st.
Wyrd Leatherworks & Meadery already sounds like an intriguing place to check out just based on the name. Wyrd was originally conceived in 2017, a partnership between two longtime friends who decided to combine their talents to create a small leather and mead business.
The name Wyrd comes from Old Norse, and eventually became the word “weird” in Modern English, meaning uncanny or unexpected. Well, I would say that in many ways Wyrd is an unexpected hidden gem here in SE Portland.
Before making my way to Wyrd, I messaged my 22-year old son, Zane, and asked him to meet me at the meadery. As an avid player of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and a dedicated reader of fantasy novels, I thought he would enjoy the medieval theme. Plus, he also prefers sweeter drinks, so I consider him a good counterbalance to my preference for drier beverages with less residual sugar.
Wyrd is located in the basement of a historic building that used to house “Ye Olde Town Crier” back in the 50’s. The entrance is rather nondescript with a few large banners letting you know you are in the right place. Once I went down the steps and opened the door, however, I was surprised to discover a darkly lit, cozy atmosphere with a long bar and two fireplaces. Suits of armor and enormous carved bearded faces adorned the corners.
The ambience at Wyrd is vastly different from that of Oran Mor. I even questioned that I was still in the same city! It felt like another world.
As I waited for my son, I wandered to the back of the bar looking for the leatherworks shop. Beautiful hand crafted leather pieces lay across the space accompanied by antlers, circular bark slabs and fur pelts. A work bench sat behind the retail space. This is where Travis, head of the leather department pursues his trade.
Zane arrived at last, and we once again selected the bartender’s choice, known here as “Cast the Runes.” Wyrd offers a tasting flight of four 1 oz pours for $15 each. The meadery emphasizes the use of locally made Oregon honey and real ingredients, including seasonal fruits and spices.
First we tried Legacy of Treewise, a sweet mead with notes of hops and spruce tips. It sounded intriguing but the mead was a bit too sweet for me. Instead I favored the Magic Apple Cyser, a seasonal beverage made with local Oregon honey and fresh apple cider from Sauvie Island’s Bella Organic Farm. Zane preferred Heorot’s Bounty made with pomegranate, elderberry and red currant. It was exceptionally sweet!
Wyrd does offer a few snacks to accompany your mead, including baked goods from Tipping the Scales Vegan Bakery. We tried the Garlic Dill Focaccia Bread served warm and it was both enticing and savory. It did not disappoint!
Wyrd is located at 4515 SE 41st Avenue and is open from 5pm-10pm Wednesday through Sunday.
Sadly, there are only two artisan meaderies within Portland city limits, so where else can we go? Luckily just a 6 minute bike ride from Wyrd is Portland’s largest and most iconic bottle shop, John’s Marketplace. Here, not only can we find mead but John’s also has a huge selection of classic and new world wines, ciders, craft beers (including 16 on tap), nonalcoholic beverages, and a food cart pod out back.
Walking into John’s I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of shelves and bottles, but at the same time the space was bright and welcoming. A friendly face looked up from the bar and waved me over. I asked about the meads and was immediately led to a an end-cap stocked with an assortment of artisan mead. Not only does John’s carry several bottles of Wyrd and Oran Mor, but they offer several other local mead brands as well, including:
- Ananke Mead Company based in White Salmon, WA
- Melchemy Craft Mead based in Carson, WA
- Hierophant Meadery based in Freeland, WA (north of Seattle).
The staff member happily recommended their favorite meads and described them as if we were in the middle of a game of Dungeons & Dragons. For example, Hierophant’s “Song of the Elders” was described as how it feels when your D&D team defeats a bunch of trolls in the forest. I was confused, but of course Zane knew exactly what the staff member was talking about. Zane says the only way to defeat forest trolls is with fire, so likely the mead tastes a bit smoky with a hint of pine and the sweetness of victory!
The actual description on their website was not too far off: “A toast to our Northwest trees, this mead includes Douglas Fir tips & Red Cedar tips from our forest farm & pine resin with white pepper and cardamom.” I just love the imaginative descriptions and the storytelling. Perhaps this is yet another benefit of drinking mead.
You can check out John’s Marketplace at 3560 SE Powell Blvd. Hours are 11am-9pm daily.
Before this tour, I knew very little about mead. But afterwards I realized that this ancient beverage is very complex and fascinating. Not only does it possess a long and complicated history, but mead is also about terroir, a product of the unique environment that it comes from.
Portland’s focus on hand crafted eco-friendly goods, sustainable agriculture, and local business makes this city the perfect place to explore the evolving world of mead. I personally am intrigued and plan to visit a few of the meaderies east of Portland on my next adventure to the Hood River area. Until then, happy exploring!
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