Friends Turned Brewers Open 1st Meadery Tap Room In Somerset County

SOMERVILLE, NJ — Three friends turned brewers are sharing their passion for mead, or honey wine, with the opening of Somerset County's first meadery called Middlemist.

Ilija Melentijevic, Caleb Ahles, and Ryan Guasp opened Middlemist this past weekend at 30 East Main Street in Somerville.

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Middlemist serves honey-based alcoholic drinks and nonalcoholic options in a tasting room designed as a gathering space. Mead, or honey wine, is described as an alcoholic beverage that is distinct from beer, wine and spirits because it is made primarily from fermenting natural honey.

"Mead is a honey-based alcoholic drink that has been around for millennia. It's the oldest alcohol in the world, but that doesn't mean there was no room for improvement," according to Middlemist. "Middlemist is not like the medieval mead you might be familiar with. We use local honey and real fruit to create a drink that's not too sweet and is supremely drinkable."

According to the Middlemist, it starts by fermenting local honey to create a naturally gluten-free alcoholic drink, then adds fruits, hops, herbs, teas and spices to build different flavors. Some of its offerings can be reminiscent of beer or traditional wine, while others highlight the taste of varietal honey.

"Middlemist is not just a place to drink. Relax with friends or make new ones," according to Middlemist. "At Middlemist, we recognize that people need places to gather besides work and home."

Middlemist offers a tasting room with more than 100 seats set among green plants and brewery tanks.

Middlemist's meads range from 4.5 percent ABV to 17 percent ABV. They also offer non-alcoholic options too.

Melentijevic, Ahles and Guasp met at Rutgers University and became friends over board games and food. Ilija and Ryan later completed PhDs in Microbiology and used that expertise to create the first Middlemist meads.

Friends and family noticed how different those early meads were from others they had tried, and the drinks later won homebrew awards around the country, according to Middlemist.

Caleb then left his corporate job, and the three founders worked together to open their craft meadery.

Middlemist is open 2 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Closed on Mondays.

For more information, visit middlemistmead.com or follow instagram.com/middlemistmead or facebook.com.

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