While some think of those in ancient civilizations as avid wine drinkers, many believe mead — an alcoholic beverage brewed by fermenting honey along with other ingredients, such as fruit, herbs and spices — is actually the oldest alcoholic beverage.
Archeologists have discovered evidence of mead consumption in ancient China dating back to 7,000 BC. Others have claimed there is evidence of mead consumption dating back even further than ancient China.
No matter when it was first brewed or discovered, Lewis County residents have an opportunity to try it with the recent opening of a mead taproom in Centralia — Good Buzz Brewing Co.
Located at 1640 S. Gold St. in Centralia’s Fairway Center, Good Buzz Brewing Co. is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.
The brewery is owned by Forrest Chesvick and his wife, Aly. Originally from Southern California, Chesvick decided to settle in Chehalis with his family after serving in the U.S. Army at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
While in the Army, he began brewing mead in his spare time.
“I was in the infantry and just came across it as a hobby,” Chesvick said. “Decided to perfect my craft over the years, and now here we are.”
Before Chesvick opened up the taproom on Gold Street, he began producing mead commercially in 2022 and distributing it to local markets. He sources his ingredients locally, using honey produced by Pacific Northwest Honey Company in Rochester.
“We have a local farm that we work with to get our hops, for the mead that does have hops in it,” Chesvick added.
When it comes to breweries, the majority focus on beer, as beer remains the top-selling form of alcohol in the U.S.
In Washington state, that focus is even more intense, with the state known for its hop farms. According to the Washington Brewers Guild, there are 426 breweries in the state.
“As far as I can tell, we’re only the 11th brewery (in the state) that produces mead,” Chesvick said. “Rather than adding to the crazy list of people making the exact same beers over and over again, this is something that is not out there.”
Aside from sourcing ingredients locally, Chesvick supports many of the surrounding restaurants by having their menus available for Good Buzz customers, who are allowed — encouraged, even — to bring food from any restaurant into Good Buzz.
“You’re welcome to bring food from wherever you want to enjoy with your drinks,” Chesvick said.
He also has a cork board where any business owner can leave their business card or fliers to advertise events for Good Buzz customers.
“If you got something going on, come on by and let people know about it,” Chesvick said. “I figure that’d be a good way to reciprocate my retailers that carry our products. Most of them have signage for us, so this is a good way to return the favor here.”
Aside from his mead, Chesvick offers several locally brewed beers and ciders in the taproom.
Additionally, customers have a variety of entertainment options to enjoy alongside their mead, including 20 board games and a Nintendo Switch with Mario Kart, Street Fighter and other games.
“In the future, we’ll get to doing game nights and tournaments,” Chesvick said.
Those under 21 are allowed into Good Buzz, but they can’t sit at the bar. Chesvick offers a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, snacks and local honey.
For those interested in learning how to make mead, Chesvick also offers classes, with the next one scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon at Good Buzz Brewing Co.
“It’s $70 for the class,” Chesvick said. “That includes the instruction along with a mead making kit, which gives you everything you need to make your own 1-gallon batch of mead.”
The class is for those 21 and older. Those interested in signing up can call Good Buzz Brewing Co. at 360-233-3044 or email Chesvick at forrest@goodbuzzbrewing.com to reserve a spot in the class.
For more information, including a list of local retailers selling Good Buzz Brewing Co. mead, visit https://goodbuzzbrewingco.com/.
