Kinsale Mead Co was founded by Kate and Denis Dempsey in 2017 with the goal to rediscover the ancient art of mead making and to create a world-class range of light and refreshing drinks, the first meadery in Ireland in 200 years. In 2021, their Wild Read Mead was awarded Winner of the Irish Drink of the Year Award from the Irish Food Writers' Guild 2021.
They source the best natural ingredients and finish their meads off-dry and wine-strength. They lovingly hand-craft each batch sustainably, with care and passion.
Their meads embody the modern, refined style of mead making, forgoing the sweet or cloying meads of old.
The inspiration for their meads comes from sourcing natural ingredients from the local region as well as reflecting the rich tapestry of trading and maritime history in Kinsale and its stunning location in West Cork at the start of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Their honey comes from Spain along traditional trade routes to Kinsale, particularly the orange blossom honey in their Atlantic Dry Mead. Their Wild Red Mead is a melomel mead type, made from solid fruit including Wexford blackcurrants.
They developed their process from a blend of old recipes and modern techniques. They mix the honey and fruit with local Innishannon water and then sit back to let nature and time turn it into their delicious mead.
