Mead – booze of the ancients, libation of choice for countless Vikings and other marauders, the golden liquid that gave the Grendel gout…a wine-like beverage made from honey (Is it sweet? Does it taste like honey? Are the hangovers wicked? Can I take it with the Sacrament?)

Ohio bees make Columbus mead, thanks to a terrible chronology dating back to Screaming Trees-era Ohio, and causing Viking commander Oron Benary to travel far across the savage sea, through the misty mountains, and pitted him in mortal combat against the mighty dragon Bleaug...

Well, that’s the bedazzled history. The real thing isn’t much less of an adventure, however.

The Roots

Mead, or the intoxicating result of fermenting honey, dates back to a time that many of us are only aware of through books and plays we were forced to read in high school.

The epic-poem Beowulf tells of the Geatish hero that defies the odds and annihilates the horrific monster Grendel – and his mother, which is worse than dealing with your family for the holidays. His third and final battle was with a dragon, and the dragon totally won that one, but before all the carnage, there was one kick-ass party in Heorot. The mead hall built for the Danish king of the story was basically like an OSU tailgate with swords – that is, until the monster came and tore s**t up for everybody. Beowulf shows up to the rescue, whups the monster, and then everyone got straight basted on mead.

Columbus’s Brothers Drake Meadery doesn’t stray far from its eighth century role model, at least for those with an imagination. Upon entering the doors of the royal-blue steel facade right off the corner of Fifth Avenue and High Street, (and even though the hip indie music is a far cry from banging on buckets and tooting the bukkehorn), you can almost smell the longboats as you hear the golden elixir slink out of the bottle and into the glass. The power of bringing people together with good tasting, good quality alcohol to ensure a good time for all hasn’t changed one bit, according to local meadmaker and owner of Brothers Drake, Oron Benary.

Backyard Booze

The family-like team at Brothers Drake pride themselves on using local products to do what they love.

“We get to make and share alcohol with people, and it makes us so happy,” Benary said.

But where does it all come from? When Eric and Woody Drake called Benary in San Francisco 12 years ago, they asked him how he felt about investing in a meadery here in Columbus. Why not? he thought, and later he and his now-wife Sarah Jones decided to be more hands-on in their investment and moved East in 2008.

Every ingredient is sourced from Central Ohio, said General Manager Eric Allen. Each batch of Brothers Drake Mead starts with Brad McClincy’s honey, harvested from bees kept in Marysville.

But the Champaign County Apiary Inspector (a.k.a the Beowulf of the bees in Central Ohio) is not the only one who keeps Brothers Drake in touch with their surroundings. Val Jorgensen’s farm in Westerville produces flowers, herbs, and other goodies that Benary and his team use to concoct seasonal flavor, with a new one usually popping up every six to eight weeks. With a repertoire of about 12 varieties throughout the year that range from a surprising level of dryness to sweetness, there is something for everyone, says barkeep Cory Vail. After about five months with Brothers Drake, Vail said he expects the popularity of the new location to continue to grow at its current rapid rate.

“There’s more than a dozen people that come in here multiple times a week, and then new faces fill in each night … the place gets packed,” he said.

For an establishment only open during the evening, Wednesday through Saturday, it’s a pretty telling figure.

“People from Columbus love good stuff from Columbus – and it all stays right here,” he said. “We don’t ship anywhere outside of the greater Columbus area, and we never will.” And even though the out-of-towners have begged, Benary said, “Well, then it just wouldn’t be Brothers Drake.”

Community Bonds

It’s not just what’s in the bottle that makes Brothers Drake all-Columbus, but also the effort put forth to bring the community together by sharing their boozey nectar.

“We chose a specific business model for that reason,” Benary explained. “We didn’t have to have the (store)front, but we don’t want to just sell mead. We want to sell the experience.”

And an experience it is. Local art adorns the walls, and a partnership with 83 Gallery down the street allows for a constant flow of artists ready to decorate the dimly lit bar. The larger lounge area provides more wall space, as well as a venue where local musicians perform nearly every night the space is open, Eric said.

And the relationships go further into the beehive that is Columbus. Benary and his meadmaking family have teamed up with multiple local favorites for tastings, dinners and educated shopping guides. Kent Peters, owner of Black Creek Bistro, put together an entire evening of perfect pairings, different meads with the dishes on his menu. The Rossi serves cocktails that feature Brothers Drake, and Chef Dean James Max at Latitude 41 lets the honeywine shine in a poached pear dessert.

Even Whole Foods sells Brothers Drake in their local section, and advises buyers to pair certain cheeses with certain bottles.

Now, with a newly acquired full liquor license, Brothers Drake is able to feature a variety of Ohio-made spirits at the bar, Benary said.

“It’s more than just a bar, it’s more than just a place to get drunk – it’s a place where you can enjoy company, and sometimes we’re a little crazy,” Benary said.

Sounds suspiciously like Heorot.