Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–Biker B’s, a company that sold homemade soaps and other bath products, asked to be released from their lease space effective December 31, 2019. When the Port let it be known that space became available, they received two good requests to occupy the space. The Port decided to allow Mike Collins, owner/proprietor of Bard & Bee Meadery. (“Mead” is an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, or sometimes with various fruits, spices, grains or hops.) The two-year lease will start February 1, 2020.

Collins stated he has been in the wine industry since 2008, working as a cidermaker, wine maker, and distiller. He graduated from wine school (Walla Walla) in 2015. One product he has made was a 2013 Merlot that was awarded Best Merlot in the State of Washington by TEXSOM. (TEXSOM is a Texas Sommelier Conference to promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further beverage education and certification, and raise public awareness about professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. It has grown into an international event.)

Coming from farmer stock and being near bee keepers, Collin’s real passion is for ways to use spare honey. He has been brewing mead since 2004. For the last two years he has been experimenting with different honey mead recipes and trying to get ready to launch his business at Blue Mountain Station. He is currently brewing 250 gallons in another location. This product will be ready to start aging in bottles in February 2020. His plan is to be open to the public in April 2020. He plans to run this as a brewery and tasting room, but he also plans a lot of outside events. If he captures enough traffic, he may in two years migrate to a downtown Dayton location.

Kathryn Witherington, Economic Development Director for the Port, further mentioned the “Beverage Cluster” and feels that the mead production will be a great addition to Blue Mountain Station along with XO Alambic who produces whiskey and brandy; and a liquor mixer who is currently getting started in Building two. Witherington likes the idea that if people come for a wine tour and had “enough” of wine, that there are other types of beverage brewers to spark public interest.