New Meadery to Open in Downtown Ferndale

Schramm's Mead, a new craft meadery, is planning to open in downtown Ferndale.

The business will be located at 327 W. Nine Mile Road in the former location of the . Ferndale City Council approved a small wine maker license for the business on March 11.

Owner Ken Schramm, who began making mead in 1989, is the author of "The Compleat Meadmaker," a reference text on meadmaking.

Schramm spoke at the council meeting and said there is a trend toward small, tastier beverages made by "thoughtful entrepreneurs."

"Eating and drinking better things improves our quality of life and Schramm's is all about quality over quantity," he said at the meeting.

He said the business will make one 200-gallon batch of mead each month and will sell meads by the bottle and by the glass in a tasting room. Some small plates will also be offered to accompany the mead.

"We want to employ local people to make great meads," he said. "We're thrilled with the opportunity to do business in Ferndale."

The business plans to open in May, according to its web site. You can also find more information on Schramm's on their Facebook page.