Photograph by Chris von Holle
Stepping into Fabled Brew Works in Erlanger is like being transported to The Shire in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and there’s no better way to commemorate the experience than with a glass of mead. “We designed our taproom space with a fantasy theme in order to provide a creative outlet for our owners, some of whom grew up loving those franchises,” says co-owner Kent Wessels. “Mead historically fits into realms of fantasy, so it makes a perfect partnership.”
Mead, which dates back to medieval times, is made with fermented honey or fruit for a finish similar to wine. While it’s quite popular with the renaissance faire crowd, there are only a handful of local wineries that make it commercially and hardly any breweries that do so. That’s where Fabled comes in. “When we had the opportunity to bring in a friend of ours who was already making mead, we jumped on it,” Wessels explains.
Photograph by Chris von Holle
That friend is Brad Ryles, who spent years making mead at home before opening his own meadery in Lebanon a few years back. “Mead is a lesser-known product compared to something like beer or wine, so to offer that, especially at the world-class quality Brad produces, was a no-brainer,” Wessels adds.
Fabled’s mead—which comes in fruit, honey, and carbonated, lower-alcohol “session” versions—has a dedicated following. The varieties change seasonally so there’s a new one on tap every two or three weeks, and the demand keeps growing.
Fabled Brew Works, 331 Kenton Lands Rd., Ste. 300, Erlanger, (859) 727-2337
Photograph by Chris von Holle
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