Rabbit's Foot Meadery
Pioneering commercial mead from historical recipes since 1995.
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Rabbit's Foot Meadery produces mead and wine. It was started in 1995 by Michael Faul in Sunnyvale, California, who began making commercial versions of historical mead recipes. Along with David Myers of Redstone Meadery, Faul is credited with helping grow the modern commercial mead industry. The company is known for being the first to successfully produce cyser and braggot on a commercial scale, reviving those historical styles.
It has won many awards and is considered a leader and innovator in the field. The meadery regularly publishes articles on mead production and has appeared on national television and radio, including the internet radio show The Brewing Network, where it shares information with home and commercial mead makers. The original Sunnyvale location closed in 2021, and its public tasting room there is no longer open. The business now operates near the Sierra foothills town of Sutter Creek, California.
Lore & Background
Rabbit's Foot Meadery was founded in 1995 when Michael Faul of Sunnyvale, California began producing commercial versions of many historical recipes for brewing mead. Faul is credited with the expansion of the modern commercial mead making industry along with David Myers of Redstone Meadery in Boulder, Colorado. The company was the first to produce commercially viable versions of cyser and braggot, creating styles of mead from historical recipes.
The meadery has won numerous awards and is known throughout the industry as a leader and innovator. It has produced articles on the production of mead and has been featured on national television and radio, notably on the internet radio talk show The Brewing Network, where it provides information to home mead makers and commercial producers. The Sunnyvale location closed in 2021 and no longer operates a public tasting room there; the new location operates near the Sierra foothills town of Sutter Creek.
Reader's Guide
Rabbit's Foot Meadery holds a significant place in the modern mead industry as one of its early commercial pioneers. Alongside Redstone Meadery, it helped expand the market for mead by translating historical recipes into commercially viable products. Its introduction of cyser and braggot set a precedent for style innovation.
The meadery's awards, including multiple gold medals at the International Mead Festival's Mazer Cup, reflect its consistent quality and influence. Beyond production, Rabbit's Foot Meadery has contributed to the mead community through educational articles and appearances on The Brewing Network, sharing knowledge with both home and commercial producers. Its relocation from Sunnyvale to Sutter Creek in 2021 marked a shift from a public tasting room model to a new base in the Sierra foothills, while its legacy as an award-winning innovator remains central to its identity.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Rabbit's Foot Meadery (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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