For more than 20 years, James searched for a mead that lived up to its legendary description as "nectar of the gods." He'd read about it in fantasy books as a kid, tasted disappointing versions over the years, and even tried making his own at home. Nothing quite captured what his imagination told him mead should be. That is, until he walked into Strad Meadery as a customer.

"I came in and tried the mead here, and I went, 'That's it,'" James recalls. "I told the founder, Dan, on the spot that the mead was delicious and I needed to understand how he had made this thing that I had been looking for."

And then he boldly told Dan: “I'll sweep, I'll mop, I'll work for free. Just teach me how to make it."

That conversation launched a journey that would eventually lead James from his career in IT to becoming Production Manager at the greater Sacramento region's only dedicated meadery, a hidden gem in Rancho Cordova's Barrel District that's quietly perfecting an ancient craft.

Lineup of colorful mead in bottles with flight on wooden plank in front — *Strad Meadery is located at 2539 Mercantile Drive Suite 1 in Rancho Cordova, CA. It is one of several craft beverage manufacturers in the City of Rancho Cordova’s Barrel District.*

A Founder’s Vision, A Shared Quest

The story of Strad Meadery begins with founder Dan Slort, a former Intel employee who spent nearly a decade on his own quest to recreate a mead he'd tasted during his travels. Like James, Dan had grown frustrated with meads that never quite matched the "nectar of the gods" he'd heard about in historical and cultural references.

"Every time he found a new mead, he was very excited about it, and he would taste it and go, 'Oh, that's not it,'" James explains. "So at some point, he came across a meadery back east that was serving a mead, and he tasted it and went, 'That is what I've been looking for all this time.'"

Dan returned to California determined to figure out how they'd made it. After nearly a decade of experimentation, he finally developed a recipe he loved, and it was exactly what James had been searching for, too.

The Path to Production Manager

James started working at Strad for free, eager to learn the craft. A few months in, Dan called him over to the window for what seemed like a serious conversation.

"He sits me down and says, 'This isn't working,'" James remembers with a laugh. "He gives me a good long count of 10 or 15 after he says that, and my brain starts turning this over. And then he says, 'I can't afford to not pay you anymore.' The next thing I know, he's handing me a job offer."

James has been there ever since. When Dan retired due to health issues – he has, sadly, since passed away - James continued the legacy, working alongside current owner Raelynn DeBone to honor Dan's vision while developing new flavors and maintaining the exceptionally high standards that set Strad apart.

"I still like to tell his stories because they're awesome, and he should be recognized for his contribution," James says. "I don't think I would have come up with it.

The Pursuit of Quality

What makes Strad's mead special comes down to two things: Dan's pioneering recipe and James' unwavering commitment to quality ingredients and careful production.

Unlike many meaderies that produce dry, high-alcohol products, Strad focuses on drinkability. "Dan always said that the reason why he chose the alcohol content that he did was because he wanted people to be able to sit down and drink a glass, like you can sit down and drink a beer," James explains. Their meads typically hover around 7.5-8% ABV, while standard meads typically range from 7.5-14% (or more!).

The ingredient selection is equally thoughtful. Strad uses real fruit and fruit juices – no artificial flavoring. For their traditional mead, they use Sacramento wildflower honey with its distinctive regional character. For fruit meads, they opt for more neutral honeys like clover that let the fruit flavors shine.

But James' expertise goes deeper than just following formulas. He's developed an intuitive understanding of how different honeys interact with other ingredients, a skill Strad Meadery’s owner Raelynn DeBone marvels at.

"He has this amazing ability," she says. "If somebody brought in some honey that they really liked and had him taste it, he could tell you the five or six flavors that would go with that honey and why some of the other ones will not. He doesn't realize it, but that's just pure experience."

James is more modest: "I've been tasting honey since I started working here. My grandmother had bees, so I grew up around it a little bit, but working here has really developed that palate."

Innovation Within Tradition

While honoring Dan's original vision, James and Raelynn continue to innovate. Recent additions include meads made with honey from Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks, a dark, intense honey that creates a completely different flavor profile than their traditional offerings.

They've also discovered that black currant, recently reintroduced to the United States after a 60-year absence, makes an exceptional mead at a fraction of the cost of blackberry. "It came out super fantastic," James notes. The success led them to experiment with red currant and explore white currant, as well.

One of the most exciting recent developments came from an unexpected source: a customer cleaning out his mother's garage discovered old honey and called to see if Strad was interested. "That honey is in the tank right now," James says with enthusiasm. "We're waiting for a secondary ferment, but we're super excited about that."

This kind of collaboration represents James's vision for the future: Working with small honey producers to create unique, story-driven meads that celebrate individual beekeepers and regional honey characteristics.

Filling a Unique Niche

As the only dedicated meadery in the greater Sacramento region (a few wineries make occasional meads, but Strad exclusively produces mead), James finds himself doing more customer education than most beverage producers. Many first-time visitors have never tasted mead before or only know it from fantasy books and video games like Skyrim, which actually includes a mead-making quest.

More commonly, customers arrive with an idealized notion of what "nectar of the gods" should taste like, and Strad delivers on that expectation in a way most meads don't.

"I think there's a common illusion when people hear about this beautiful beverage that tastes amazing, called mead, made from honey. How could it not taste good?" James reflects. "Most people come in and go, 'Wow, that's what I thought mead should taste like.' I think that's a big part of why we're as popular as we are."

The meadery also attracts a surprisingly high percentage of home mead-makers. These customers are commonly those who've tried making their own mead and either want to learn more or have decided it's easier to buy from someone who's perfected the craft.

A bottle of mead sits on a picnic table with a small pirate ship parked in the background — *Strad Meadery is hard to miss. The meadery’s pirate ship is usually parked out in front of the business on Mercantile Drive in Rancho Cordova, when not in use at local community events.*

Part of Something Bigger

Beyond the mead itself, James appreciates being part of the Barrel District community. Strad has hosted the Sacramento Beekeepers Association and is planning a home mead-making competition in May. The meadery's involvement in Renaissance Faires through Raelynn's connections adds another dimension to their community presence, complete with a commissioned pirate ship that is usually parked outside of the meadery when not making appearances at school events or college football games.

"The Barrel District project has always helped people come together," James notes. "We love the neighborhood. Rancho has always been very forward-thinking as far as trying to help people along."

For James, now several years into his unexpected career as a mead-maker, the work represents more than just a job. It's about preserving a craft, honoring a mentor's legacy and introducing people to a beverage that lives up to its mythical reputation.

"I really like just being part of the process," he says with characteristic modesty. But his dedication speaks louder than his words: eighteen-hour days alongside Raelynn, constant experimentation with new flavors and honey varieties, and an unwavering commitment to quality that would make Dan Slort proud.

In a region known for its craft beer and wine, Strad Meadery stands as a testament to what happens when someone finally finds exactly what they've been searching for and then sees the beauty in sharing it with others.

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