Monkton Man to Turn Historic Mill into Meadery

A Monkton man is converting a historic mill, constructed in the 1850s, into a meadery with an emphasis on apple-based alcoholic beverages.

Curt Sherrer, 51, purchased the property at 2029 Monkton Rd. in 2005, and has been rehabbing the building ever since.

"It was in pretty bad shape when we got it," said Sherrer, who lives in a home behind the mill. "We had to rebuild the house frame, put in beams. It's been a long, slow process but we're getting there."

Sherrer, a 1983 University of California Davis graduate with a degree in fermentation science, has worked in the wine business for 10 years. But instead of producing traditional grape wines, he decided to challenge himself by working with apples, which he said is a growing movement in the United States.

"We're constantly working on product ideas," he said. "With grapes, there are a lot of government regulations but you can mix other products with apple drinks like nutmeg and honey."

Sherrer hesitated to call his beverages wines or hard ciders, citing differing alcoholic levels based on the ingredients used in the blends.

"We'll probably end up coming up with some fancy new term," he said.

But apple-based alcoholic beverages aren't necessarily a new idea. 

"This is what my great-grandfather was drinking," he said. "Back then, every farmer had 10 acres of apples and they experimented with what they had. And that's what we plan to do. It's a historic drink for a historic building."

The apples used won't be the typical ones found in grocery stores. Sherrer plans to use fruit from local farms and is particularly enthusiastic about using heirloom apples.

"The flavor profiles are incredible," he said. "You can have an apple that tastes like strawberries [and] another that tastes like a pineapple."

Sherrer is also considering planting a half-acre of crab apple trees on the mill property.

The mill, tentatively named Mill Stone Cellars, is scheduled to open in February. The date, however, may get pushed back if Shearer decides to allow other businesses to operate out of the building. He is talking with a high-end art dealer, who may set up shop at the mill.

In the past, the building housed Monkton Mill Antiques. Sherrer said he hopes to sell some antiques, too, but the focus will always be on the beverages.

"It's going to be a turn-back-the-clock type of meadery," he said. "I'm not looking to be a millionaire. It's going to be a small place. We'll have small dinners, tastings, maybe small weddings."