Local mead makers Mike Fields, Daryl Benitez and Matthew Clemmons have partnered with investment platform Mainvest to launch a funding campaign for Retro Meadery, a meadery and taproom they hope to bring to downtown Burgaw.

Mead is the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage, pre-dating both beer and wine by not hundreds, but thousands of years, according to Moonshine University, located at The Distilled Spirits Epicenter in Louisville, Kentucky.

The beverage, made of honey, water and yeast, has experienced a rise in popularity in recent years alongside the craft brewing and distilling movements.

Co-founder Mike Fields said mead’s popularity is growing particularly fast among millennials, making them the target market for Retro Meadery.

Fields said millennials are interested in products that are made with natural, high-quality ingredients and are environmentally friendly. Fields said that millennials in general also seem to prefer sweeter beverages.

Not all Mead is sweet, however; it can be made from dry to mid-sweet to sweet, said Fields, depending on the amount of honey used and ingredients used to infuse flavor.

The three friends come from various backgrounds, including business administration, and bring different areas of expertise to the business. Daryl
Benitez, who has been home brewing for the past seven years, will serve as the head mead maker.

“We started brewing mead last year and tested it out on our friends,” Fields said. “Because it’s simple to make, we can easily experiment with lots of flavor combinations.”

Now the trio is hoping to open a meadery and tap room at the former Harrell’s Department Store in downtown Burgaw. Their plan is to begin selling online and to local bottle shops, followed by the opening of a tasting room within a year.

Their long-term plan is to have a piece of land where they can plant wildflowers to support pollination, and eventually establish their own apiary to produce honey for their meads.

Retro Meadery is focused on incorporating North Carolina-grown produce such as blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches and apples into its meads. They also plan to partner with another Burgaw business, Brown Dog Coffee, for a coffee mead.

As for the retro theme, the founders say it’s a fun way to incorporate nostalgic items from their childhoods while sparking conversation.

As Fields said, “What’s more retro than what the Vikings used to drink?”

Following an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign last year, the founders were approached by Mainvest, an investment platform that helps connect brick-and-mortar businesses with investors.

Unlike a traditional crowdfunding campaign, investors will receive a return on their investment, and if the business does not move forward, all monies will be refunded.

“Anyone, accredited or not, can invest in Retro Meadery with as little as $100 in exchange for a percentage of the businesses revenue, paid out quarterly through the platform,” said Lauren Berestecky, business success manager with Mainvest.

Currently, Retro Meadery has received $28,400 in funding and has until May 26 to reach their goal of $80,000.

For more information on Retro Meadery’s funding campaign, visit their offering page.

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