Meadjito

Mead is one of the first alcoholic beverages recorded in human history. Made from fermented honey and water and additional ingredients such as fruits, grains and spices, it’s found all over the world in various forms. So, when family-owned and operated Fallentimber Meadery entered its sparkling canned Meadjito — a mead-based take on the classic mojito cocktail — into the 2018 Jasper Beer & Spirits Festival, just one year after the product’s debut, it was high praise indeed when it was deemed the most innovative product in the room.

“There really wasn’t any sparkling mead being produced in Alberta before we did it,” says Chris Molyneux, sales manager and member of the family behind Fallentimber. “This product came to market prior to the craft cocktail/packaged-cocktail explosion. It was very much ahead of the curve in that regard.”

The Meadjito combines honey, mint and lime and takes about eight weeks to produce, including fermenting the base mead, flavouring it with fresh ingredients and force-carbonating the drink prior to packaging. The use of hyper-local ingredients is truly what sets this drink apart from other canned cocktails: the honey is made with Fallentimber Farm’s wild flowers (mostly clover), and the mint leaves are grown and hand-picked in Fallentimber’s greenhouses. “It’s too bad we can’t grow limes in this climate,” says Molyneux, with a laugh. “Then we’d really be off to the races.”

The Meadjito garnered rave reviews and requests for more when it debuted six years ago, and it still has a loyal following today. Molyneux attributes the cocktail’s success to its role as a “gateway mead” for consumers. “We’ve certainly cracked our way into the local beverage scene in a meaningful way,” he says. And, with Alberta’s thriving honey industry, the opportunity for growth is just as sweet. “We’re seated in the honeypot of North America here in Alberta,” Molyneux says. “We do have the opportunity to be global leaders in the industry.”

$16 for a four-pack
fallentimbermeadery.ca