BORN IN STAR CITY

Hand Crafted

Straight Mead

The seeds for Atheling Meadworks were sown when Stephen Ausband, son of a university English professor, was a child. After hearing his father read Beowulf aloud in Old English. young Steve was intrigued by the vision of the hero saving the King's mead hall from the monster Grendel.

He began experimenting with fermenting honey when he was 14 and continued that hobby through the years, as he graduated from medical school and became an emergency room physician. Now Dr. Ausband is about to bring his first mead, Lyres Song, to the market.

Atheling Meadworks is housed in the former Dr. Pepper bottling plant in Roanoke, Virgnia. While mead was traditionally sweet, many of the new varieties, including Lyres Song, are complex and dry. Lyres Song, available for order in June 2019, was specifically designed to allow the natural flavors of the honey to come through.

With other meads currently in development, Atheling will focus on small-batch, premium quality mead.

Award Winning Mead

Virginia Cocktail of the Year

Cocktail of the Year

2024

"There's No Place Like Home" w/ Rheda's Longing

Copa Reina Hidromiel (Spain)

Medal

2024

Shield Maiden (only U.S. Mead to medal)

National Mead Crafters Competition

Gold

2024

Shield Maiden

U.S. Mead Institute Mead Open

Semi-finalist (90+ points)

2023

Rheda's Longing

Valkyries Horn

Bronze

2022

Lyres Song

Valkyries Horn

Silver

2022

Aelfwynn's Song

Texas Mead Cup

Silver

2022

Eir's Song

Texas Mead Cup

Silver

2022

Shield Maiden

Orpheus Mead Fest

Bronze

2022

Shield Maiden

Orpheus Mead Fest

Bronze

2022

Eir's Song

Orpheus Mead Fest

Gold

2022

Lyres Song

Mead Crafters Competition

Silver

2022

Shield Maiden

Mead Crafters Competition

Silver

2022

Aelfwynn's Song

Mead Crafters Competition

Gold

2022

Eir's Song

Texas Mead Cup

Silver

2021

Shield Maiden

Texas Mead Cup

Silver

2021

Lyres Song

Mead Crafters Competition

Bronze

2021

Midnight Dale

Mead Crafters Competition

Bronze

2021

Eir's Song

Mead Crafters Competition

Silver

2021

Shield Maiden

Mead Crafters Competition

Silver

2020

Shield Maiden