What a cool place to somewhat stumble upon. My wife likes to check out new wineries and cideries for 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. read more

See all

I rarely drink. I grew up with alcohol being available if I wanted a sip, so I never dealt with social 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. read more

See all

Unique experience, leaning into the Viking theme. They have a wide variety of mead, from traditional flavors, to spiced, to spicy (like habanero spicy). Seating is primarily in communal tables, with some individual table options. They have some card and board games that you can use while enjoying a drink or two. For food, you can enjoy some Heggies pizza and few panini options. read more

See all

I loved the atmosphere of the space. We had no idea this gem was in the NE metro. It's tucked away off of Hwy 61 not far from the Maplewood Mall. I'm thoroughly impressed with their Viking theme. From the seating to the souvenirs, to the decor. It was unique and well executed. I may not be the target audience for Meads. They all tasted a bit off putting to me, but I have to believe it was my tastebuds and not the product itself. Jul was the outlier for me - they were right, it tasted like Christmas in a cup (like a cold mulled wine). read more

See all

Bad mead tasted old. I have feeling they don't clean their lines. Owner is not kind to guest never going back.

Great vibe!! We go there at least once a month to just unwind on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon. Great drinks, good food, chill vibes everyone is looking for! read more

One of my favorite places to go when I visit my kids in Minneapolis. So many great choice of a wide variety of Mead, and a wonderful place for my silly grandkids to play while we relax and enjoy the mead. They also have some yummy flatbread choices and other snacks. It really is a super great place to come, especially if you want to enjoy a drink and also have the kids with you! Service is also quick and friendly. They often have events, so check their calendar! read more

See all

Amazing product and service. You can tell they know their stuff! Keep up the good work. Anytime we pass through we will make it a point to stop. read more

White Bear Meadery was worth waiting for the 4:00 opening time. Friendly service and hospitality. Food came in a timely manner and the decor was outstanding. read more

See all

White Bear Meadery has a great selection of meads made with local ingredients. There are so many delicious and unique options but I think my favorite is Midgard's Bounty! So fruity and has a perfect sweetness to it. The decor is so cozy, truly makes you feel like you're in a Viking's Mead Hall - fur pelts, long tables, chandeliers. If you are deciding between flavors; I suggest getting a flight, it is always fun to have more than one! read more

White Bear Meadery - photo op at white bear meadery - Meaderies Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

See all

The food was good and the drinks amazing. This was my first time. The atmosphere was awesome! Wednesday night, game night. Competitive and fun. read more

I am a virgin mead wine drinker. In fact, I had no idea what it was until we used our pub pass to check it out. I went with the standard Vahalla. I didn't mind it as it tasted a bit like a smooth white wine. While I can't say I will become a mead wine drinker anytime soon, I do encourage you to try this place. It's very cozy (two tables and a bar area). If you sit at the bar you can chat and learn from the very friendly staff. Lots of Viking (Norse not football) items for sale and as decorations. Unique experience. read more

White Bear Meadery - Meaderies Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

This place is super neat and unique. WB Meadery was in our Pub pass and I don't think we would ever have checked this place out as I've never heard of it. We weren't sure what to expect as we are more beer drinkers and I have never heard of MEAD so it was a fun new experience. The girl working was SO friendly and told us a little bit about the space and was very helpful on what to pick out. The decor was very fun and they have a ton of snacks and even pizza. The space is small but they are moving to a new bigger location soon. If you have been interested in MEAD or just want to try something different I would totally recommend trying this place. read more

See all

As a dude in his 30s trying to find an alternative to literally all alcohol that doesn't sit well with my belly, I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. I've had mead before and always liked the taste so my wife and I decided to check it out! First off, love the theme. Love the Viking theme and all the bee stuff. Literally everyone loves those two unless you've been pillaged by Vikings or are allergic to bees. If you don't fall into one of those two categories, then this is the place for you. Immediately you'll notice how chill the atmosphere is. It's not pretentious or facetious as some micro breweries can be, or bars for that matter. The staff are so helpful. They're literally just waiting for you to even look like you might have a question and they're ready to answer it. We got all the meads explained and laid out for us. I'd recommend the flight option as there are a TON of options. Really can't go wrong with any. I did end up buying a bottle of the jule one as it's delicious. They have trivia as well and Id strongly recommend this place for anyone who's had it with drinking culture and over the top micro breweries. read more

See all

We really enjoyed our visit. The place is cozy with bar seating and 3 tables. Staff/owners were friendly and very knowledgeable about mead. They have a great selection of mead ranging from sweet to dry. They offer smaller flight sized to allow you to try a few. They have a wall of snacks, pizzas, and bee/honey themed gifts. We had a few drinks and played cards. I would recommend this place for meeting with friends and catching up, or going on a date. read more

See all

First time here for trivia. It is well decorated with Viking/Nordic theme. The staff members are very friendly. The food is good. The mead is very delicious. They have a flight of 4 glass that ranges from $15-20. They also have an Odin's board $97, which hold 20 mead. read more

White Bear Meadery - Trivia Night - Meaderies Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

See all

Great flavors of mead! I love the yule mead. I wasn't a huge fan of the pizza - toppings were a little more charred than I like and the middle was definitely still quite chilled not quite frozen. If you're looking for mead in the renaissance off season this is your place. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place! Super friendly servers. They had to go through the spiel of how it worked every time a new customer came in and you could tell they really didn't mind. Exceptional meads with a lot of choices. Shopping novelties available. Definitely going back soon!!! read more

Membership purchased! The staff is friendly and attentive. We had two flights and a single small, our party of three ordered...Fenrir's Bite, Helbreder, Dragon's Fire, Dragon's Breath, Helbreder, Berserker Everything was great! Our top favorites Helbreder, Spiced Epele and Dragon's Fire. The location is very cozy...but not for long as they are very excited to make way with their new location just a couple miles away. read more

See all

The lights are super bright. The mead is nice, but if I'm going into a Viking longhouse, it shouldn't be illuminated by the power of 1,000 suns. Honestly, the ambience is the only thing that makes me not want to come back more often, and I live nearby. Come for the mead, stay for the suntan. Skol! read more

White Bear Meadery - Lighting, ambience - Meaderies Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

See all

Great mead, great space, great Viking environment...highly recommend for mead lovers and those that are "...what's mead?" read more

White Bear Meadery - A whole mix of flavors over 2-flights. - Meaderies Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

If you like mead, honey, and interesting fermented drinks -- you MUST come here and taste the flavors. I've tried mead before. But it was bad mead. I got it from the Renaissance Festival. It was gross. White Bear Meadery is the real deal though. They definitely know what they're doing. The Meadery has a total Nordic, Old World, Viking theme. There are plenty of swords, Viking helmets, horn flasks...and honey in many forms. They create the mead on location - multiple flavors, recipes, and seasonal variations. You have lots of options for drinking. You can drink at the bar, served from a tap. (Or you can grab a table.) You can fill a bottle to take home - 4 bucks off refills when you come back. (These bottles stay fresh a week or two.) Finally, you can buy pre-corked bottles. (These last for years.) My friend and I tried a "flight" with four variations, 4 ounces each. They ranged from dry to fruity. We both liked the fruity flavors best. The flavors were waaay different though...very interesting. If you have the munchies, they'll cook you a Heggie's Pizza. You can eat at the bar or grab a table in their little dining room. Before you leave, check out the gift area. They have a lot of stuff including T-shirts, mugs, snacks, nicknacks, raw honey and honey in-the-comb. They're conveniently located just 5 minutes north of 694, about a block east of Highway 61 on County Road E. Don't get thrown off by the building. They're in the left side of the gun shop building. The entrance is on the left side. A BIG thumbs up! -Daddy Maxx Retro read more

See all

the drinks were nice as well as atmospher. but, apparently the owner gets crabby "at times" and chose to take his anger out with a customer. insinuating a child broke something which the child did not as I viewed the situation. it seems as though the owner needs to learn some customer skills and maybe take some anger management courses. the child he was blaming was not as out of line as he was insinuating. the family stayed to eat, and the children we well behaved for their age. if you have a Viking establishment, maybe consider you might get some Viking behavior. haha. no, those kids weren't that bad. We will reconsider going there again. read more

Ambiance is Great! Service good. Most of the meads ive tried in 3 visits, i liked. Food, TERRIBLE! 3 pizzas, all burnt, pannini sandwich was 4 bites , for $7 & not tasty at all, barely edible. Apple dessert tasted ok but again very small for the $ & a bit weird. Id give 5 stars if theyd get some better food. The mead is sweet mostly, so some food in stomach is a good idea. Really like the place so i hope they fix the food situation soon. read more

What a lovely and fun atmosphere! Gluten free mead and N/A cans of mead available for individual purchase. Staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. They have a cozy indoor fireplace and a spot for kids to play. Plenty of outside seating as well with axe throwing! Just don't throw axes at children - that would probably be frowned upon. read more

Wonderful mead and excellent atmosphere...and that was on a Tuesday night. I'll be back for more mead and good feels.

If you like mead this is a great place, with a cool Viking aesthetic. They seem to have a lot of weekly events

Tasty mead, fun atmosphere, wish there was some tasty food (or that you could order in from one of the local places)

Great place. Loved the Viking decor. Quite a selection of meads available I loked the way they serve the flights and have markers for the menus so you can keep track of what you ordered read more

Excellent tasting mead and with a great family owned business, what's not to like? Drink Like A Viking! read more

White Bear Meadery - Honeyberry mead. - Meaderies Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

Great product-- 4 or 5 stars. But, I likely won't go here again for two reasons: (1) Every time I've gone here the service has vacillated between complete indifference and outright surliness. I mean seriously-- you have a product as unique and special as mead, yet you show no passion for it, no desire to engage customers in conversation (even when the place is completely empty), and no attempts to check in on the satisfaction of customers. It's a real buzz kill. (2) No Wi-Fi. I like to drink while I work (occasionally). Why wouldn't you provide this very basic amenity to customers? Even the St Paul dive bars I go to have Wi-Fi! read more

Food-pizza was alright but the mead options were great! I'm sorry to say- the baked pretzels were horrible and we bought 3 in anticipation of pretzels like at the mall- No. When I complained to the bar maid how bad they were, she replied, "They are from Costco." Like I should know how bad they would be? No offer for something else or anything! read more

They have over 20 different meads, none of them disappoint. And the ambiance is like a Viking tavern, great place.

What an awesome new spot! I'd never had mead before and decided to stop by on a Sunday afternoon on a friend's recommendation. The owner Josh is super knowledgeable and brews the mead himself on site! I loved the spiced apple and the Skal. Such unique flavors! It's also a super convenient location and a cute spot, has several tables and stools at the bar. Looking forward to coming back! read more

See all

Really cool viking themed decor and an aesome selection of Mead. We actually parked our camper in the parking lot through the harvest host program. We had a great time. read more

Great atmosphere with lots of seating. The flavor profiles on the different meads were excellent! Wish I had known about this place sooner, we'll be back! read more

Amazing mead, great staff, and above and beyond ambiance. Hands down, my favorite bar in Minnesota or California. Can not recommend them enough, and can't wait to see their new location! read more

Came here with a couple of friends in a Friday night. Not too busy for a Friday but it's all the way in White Bear, and there's the global pandemic and all. One of the founders was working and you could tell he was super passionate about brewing, which is always a delight. We each left with a flip top take home bottle and all spent more than anticipated, but well worth it for the tasty mead, great atmosphere, and always happy to support quality local business! read more