What a cool place to somewhat stumble upon. My wife likes to check out new wineries and cideries…read morefor her birthday and we decided to try a meadery instead. Looking to see what was in the Twin Cities, we found White Bear Meadery and decided to give it a shot. What a cool little place tucked into a small corner of Maplewood! Extensive menu with lots of drink options. It was fun to go through the menu, pick the meads that sounded the best, and then try smaller pours so we could sample a larger portion of the menu. It was still quite a bit to drink through! The Jule mead was my favorite, true to it's name, it is Christmas-time in a glass. We bought three bottle of that kind alone. The decor and theming is Viking age and the meadery was a fun little escape for us. Comfy and cozy seating areas with lots of room for people to spread out. Prices were reasonable and the place was family friendly, which was nice for our family. There was a separate play area for the kids and non-alcoholic choices. Our kids like the NA mead and playing the tabletop games while we enjoyed our adult drinks. At the end of our time, we bought some bottles for home and for gifting but we will definitely be back again to enjoy some more mead fresh from the tap. This will also be a great place to take out of towners for a fun time. Definitely on the top of our list.

I rarely drink. I grew up with alcohol being available if I wanted a sip, so I never dealt with…read moresocial taboos that often makes alcohol seem far more alluring. So while I can hold my liquor, I genuinely have to like anything I choose to drink - which crosses off most alcoholic beverages off the bat, to the benefit of my wallet. Mead is one of the rare categories that even has a chance of being liked. My imbibing friends have wanted to introduce me to this place for half a year, and we decided to visit on their anniversary. Lovely space full of character, clearly themed. Someone had obviously taken their personal joys and centered this business - and charming social gathering space - around it. Surprisingly, the space was rather empty for an anniversary celebration. I felt bad for the eggroll food truck out front, though my friends were thrilled that the couches in front of the fireplace were actually free - not anymore! Very dog-friendly, with several pups in attendance. Very socializing-friendly as well, with our group engaging in spontaneous conversations with those around us throughout our visit. We selected several flights of four to share, using dry-erase markers to circle our choices on the plastic-covered menus, and started a game of Exploding Kittens while waiting for our orders. Once the colorful glasses arrived, we had such fun describing each one as we all sipped away and kept blowing up furballs. And, shockingly, I walked away with a clear favorite. Such a favorite, in fact, that I'm here writing this review right now because that particular mead crossed my mind again today, and I decided to look into visiting soon to fill a bottle of my own to keep in my kitchen - which has never happened.

Located 45-minutes from the cities, Winehaven Winery is a no brainer especially if you're seeking…read moreout a solid day trip. We ventured here on Mother's Day with no expectations and were pleased to enjoy so many components here. The parking lot is spacious, there is a small interior section of gifts, wine can be purchased (of course), visible vineyards plethora of both indoor and outdoor seating, clean interior, well kept bathrooms, friendly staff, etc. the list goes on and on. My sister and I got the dessert wine as we had just come from eating a large brunch and I absolutely loved it! Winehaven offers standard white and red wines but also does an excellent job with the specialty wine as well. The chocolate zom-bee was oh so good! As the description reads, "Chocolate Zom-Bee is a monstrous explosion of dark chocolate and deep grape wine flavors. This wine is sinfully delicious with decadent chocolate desserts as well as vanilla bean ice cream or fruit-based tarts and pies." Enjoy!!

Such a nice winery. I try to visit at least once every summer. I went to celebrate my birthday but…read morewe ended up getting there 1hr before closing. I ordered a wine slushy flight but some of the flavors weren't frozen/ready but they were still good overall. Prices were fair. The patio is nice & overlooks the grapevines. They also offer indoor seating as well. I believe both times I went the inside was being rented out for private parties. The staff are nice & attentive. In the past we've ordered some flatbreads and they come out cut in a heart shape, it's super cute. They taste good as well.