Big Island Meadery - Keaau, Hawaii

Victor Y.

This spot is an absolute must-visit if you're in the area! We had the pleasure of sampling their diverse selection of house-made meads and tasting various local honey varieties—all produced right on the property where their beekeeping operation is located.

The staff shared fascinating insights about their honey and mead varieties, along with beekeeping nuances that only come from years of dedicated experience in the craft. Their passion and expertise are evident in every product they offer, which explains their impressive collection of awards from honey and mead competitions over the years.

The authentic, hands-on experience provides a wonderful opportunity to learn about the entire process from hive to bottle. Their commitment to quality and craftsmanship makes this place truly special and worth seeking out!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

MATTHEW H.

Please support this place if you can, whether you’re a resident or a visitor! Even if you don’t drink (WHAAAT?), you can buy gifts for yourself and others. The two owners, who are married (to each other) do virtually all the work from keeping the bees to harvesting the honey, to serving in the taproom. One of them built the bar from a tree, and it’s a thing of beauty. When he learned l was an “off-islander”, he vacuum-wrapped my bottle purchases so they survived the plane ride. We should always patronize beekeepers, they are so important to the planet, and the mead is delicious. Try the bochet(s), a rare-ish mead made from caramelized honey. (There is at least one other bochet made on the Big Island at Kvasir Meadery.) This place is a short hop from Wailuku Brew Works. Make it a two-fer! Both of them usually have food.

Sofia B.

We had such a great time at this meadery! The moment we walked in, it just felt warm and welcoming, like visiting a friend’s place. The staff was incredibly friendly and knew everything there is to know about mead, they clearly love what they do, and it shows. The selection was fantastic, with a little something for everyone, whether you like your mead light and floral or bold and rich. Every sip was delicious, and you can really taste the care that goes into each batch. If you’re on the fence because of the number of reviews, don’t be! This place is an absolute gem. We’re already looking forward to coming back!

Kiwi

Amazing little gem! Highly recommend for anyone who wants to try local honey or MEAD. If you dont know what Mead is like, go try it! It's a flavorful alcohol beverage sort of between a wine and a beer. They also have non-alcoholic drinks and some light foods. The retail section has wonderful art, honey, honey comb, glasses and mead horn mugs, and other decor and branded items. Oh, and affordable! $1.50 samples... try the whole menu with a Mead flight. You'll be BUZZing in no time, average ABV 10% !

Brian C.

If you like mead, Big Island Meadery is a must visit. If you aren't sure, it's still worth going! Friendly, knowledgable staff, affordable flights, and a truly delicious selection of meads. Legit local Big Island business with the mead maker answering all kinds of questions. Our favorites were the lilikoi ginger, not toddy, and the chipotle bochet. Affordable finger food selection, too.

Michelle A.

We visited on a Saturday with a friend and tried all eight of the wines they were serving at the time, including their slushie. My goodness! I am so happy that this place exists, especially in my home district of puna. The service was exceptional and the wine was something that I have never tried ever. From what I understand, this is the only legit meadery at least in East Hawaii and they try their best to source all their ingredients locally. The owners are super knowledgeable and run every aspect of their business and walk us through where each ingredient in each wine came from and how it was processed to make the particular wine. We absolutely love that we were able to experience something unique and the experience went beyond our expectations. Don't be afraid to visit Big Island Meadery this is one of the best experience I've had in a very long while! We absolutely love this local business!!

Our favorites are the Semi-sweet, Roselle and Chipotle Bochet 💗

Megan V.

This place was amazing! I love sweet things. This couple started this Meadery a little over a year ago. They are putting their heart and soul into it. They reminded me of my husband and I because when you open a business you put everything you have into it to get it going. This is exactly what this couple is doing. They are DIYers. They made their epoxy river bar top themselves, their epoxy tables inside, the holders for their tasting flights, their menu and pretty much everything else! If you want to support a local business that works hard, support them. They’re fun to talk to. The meads range from traditional dry meads to sweet and even a smoky flavored mead! They have a chocolate infused mead, a hibiscus infused mead, hot toddy mead and many more! We tried 8 of them for $14! The Lillikoi ginger mead was excellent! The aromas of these meads were also something to pay attention to! Bottles of mead are roughly $20. They also bottle up their own honey. Don’t miss out on sweetness!

Steve I.

This was a great experience! A real hidden gem in Keaau. We stopped by on a Wednesday afternoon at 3pm. They have a tasting bar and they also have 4 person tables. Vanessa and Devin were exceptionally friendly and really made the trip worthwhile. My wife and I ordered the double flight which gave us 9 one and a half ounce pours (one of each of the meads on tap) and a charcuterie board with meat. It was great to just relax tasting & sipping! We also enjoyed talking story with them. For special occasions they have food trucks stop by. What a great addition to our community. We are looking forward to seeing them again.