Mead Review: JazZzBeRi BzZz (Acoustic Taproom)

I’m always up for exploring new places when I go on trips. Last week, I went on a Paddle for Pints trip in Traverse City. It is the sister company to Kayak, Bike, & Brew. While my wife and I were waiting for the event to start, we searched for a new place to try. Being a music teacher in a past life and my wife still one, we were instantly interested when we saw Acoustic Tap Room.

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Acoustic Tap Room is just off of Traverse City’s Front Street. It’s at most a half mile away from the Workshop Brewing Company and less than a quarter mile away from North Peak Brewing Company. The building is small and unassuming yet adorable. You get a bohemian vibe with the decor and classic guitar playing in the background as soon as you walk in. Acoustic instruments are scattered around, ready for anyone to pick up and play (yes, we did play some of them). It was one of the most interesting taprooms I’ve ever visited.

The server working that day was more than friendly and willing to talk to us about their Meads and the business. Acoustic Tap Room has the distinction of being the first meadery in Michigan. When B. Nektar was first getting started, the team at Acoustic Tap Room shared their brewing processes with the newer company. At the server’s recommendation, I got the JazZzBeRi BzZz Mead.

The Mead she poured was a rich, cranberry red with an ample collar of head floating on top. Its aroma was refreshing with raspberry and cranberry coming through strongly.

What surprised me most about this Mead was how light its mouthfeel was. Usually, I expect Mead to be a bit thicker due to the honey and higher sugar content. While JazZzBeRi BzZz had the blend of four locally-sourced kinds of honey added some sweetness, the Mead was quite fresh and not heavy at all.

The flavors I got right off the bat were cranberry and jasmine tea used in the brewing process. The honey came through more as an aftertaste. Raspberry flavors came through in the smell but were not noticeable as I drank.

My wife and I both took cans of our favorites home, which were canned on the spot by our server. I took JazZzBeRi BzZz home and my wife took home Calypso. I look forward to visiting Acoustic Tap Room again, maybe when they have their live music or jam sessions in this location or one of the new ones they are looking to expand to.

Disclaimer: Zach purchased JazZzBeRi BzZz to review.