Earlier this week, Wild Atlantic Mead, in conjunction with www.IrishMead.ie, brought our Mead Masterclass to Poppies in the picturesque village of Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow — the “Garden of Ireland.” Twelve guests joined us for a sold-out evening, making it the first mead-making class ever run on Ireland’s East Coast.

The evening was led by Dr. Sean O’Connor, beekeeper and founder of Wild Atlantic Mead. Sean is a member of the European Mead Makers Association and the Institute of Craft Brewers and Distillers.

A Frame of Bees, Mid-Story

For the first time, we brought along an observation frame — a live frame of bees caught midway through capping a section of honeycomb. Watching the bees at work on their own honey, right there in the room, was a genuine highlight for everyone in attendance.

A World of Honey and Five Meads

Guests tasted a selection of honeys from around the world — from Yemen to Greece, Spain, and Ireland — alongside five different meads, before making their own batch. Everyone left the evening with 4.5 litres of mead they’d made themselves.

Thanking the Bees

Each participant used one kilogram of honey to brew their gallon of mead. That one kilogram takes roughly 1,500 bees their entire lifetime to make, flying thousands of miles between millions of different flowers. Every jar starts with that effort, and it felt right to acknowledge it on the night.

Thank You

A special thanks to Lucy McDonald for the wonderful goat’s cheese tasting that accompanied the evening, and to Peter and Fiona at Poppies for hosting us in a venue full of atmosphere — the perfect setting for the first mead-making class on Ireland’s East Coast. Poppies is regarded as one of the most sustainable restaurants in Ireland, and a multiple award winner for its sustainability practices.

Part of the proceeds from the evening will go towards supporting the Inishturk Native Irish Honey Bee Sanctuary on Inishturk Island.

Watch this space for the next Wild Atlantic Mead Masterclass.

#WicklowNaturally #WicklowTourism #GardenOfIreland #WildAtlanticMead #MeadMasterclass #IrishMead.ie

Set up before

Sean O’ Connor