Jacksonville's First Mead and Cider Bar is Now Open

Jacksonville's first mead and cider bar is now open.

The Mazer, owned by Ed and Beth Stansel and Whit and Regina Heffington is located at 1508 King St. Jacksonville, FL 32204. The Mazer opened for the Jax By Jax literary festival a few weeks back on Saturday, Nov. 12.

The Mazer features mead, cider, boutique wines and champagnes, craft beers and light fare.

Once federal and state licensing has been obtained by its wholly owned production arm, East Florida Fermentology LLC, The Mazer will be serving meads and ciders brewed in the bar’s in-house winery, with production estimated to start by mid-2017.Until then, the folks at The Mazer will be pouring a variety of hand-crafted meads, ciders and beers from across the country and abroad.

Co-owner, Ed Stansel, posing in front of brewing kettles

Ed Stansel, an award-winning home brewer and mead-maker whose beer recipes have been commercially brewed by several Jacksonville craft breweries, will be the creative genius of production, concocting mead and cider to be served in The Mazer’s taproom. Beth, his wife, serves as his muse and motivator.

Regina and Whit have owned and operated the Silver Cow for almost three years, bringing tap house management experience to the group.

The Mazer team’s goal is to provide Jacksonville with new tasteadventures in adult libations. Although mead – or honey wine --is believed to be the most ancient of alcoholic beverages and is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. craft beverage industry, Ed says many people are not familiar with it.

“The biggest misconception is that all mead is sweet,” he said. “Customers who come into the Mazer often are surprised to learn that mead can be dry, semi-sweet or sweet, still or sparkling, just like fine wine, and can be made with a variety of fruits, spices and herbs. There really are no limits to what you can do with mead.” He said some of his favorite meads are traditional – made only with raw honey, water and yeast. “Those really let the honey character shine through,” he said. Another favorite is cyser – a hybrid of honey wine and apple cider.

Meadmaking supports beekeepers, who in turn ensure a healthy population of these pollinators that are so essential to our food supply. The Mazer and East Florida Fermentology plan to partner with area beekeepers and source honey and other ingredients locally and regionally.

The Mazer gets its name from a Medieval drinking cuptraditionally used to serve honey wine and other alcoholic beverages, and also from the fact that meadmakers often are called mazers.

Hours of operation at The Mazer are:

Monday – Thursday: 5 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday:  4 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Closed Sundays

The Mazer will feature various events from tastings, food and dessert pairings; educational classes for mead, cider and wine;art classes; homebrew sharing events; and pollinatorconservation and awareness programs. 

The Mazer will be adding retail items to its menu featuring local honey, honey soap, candles, and bottled mead, cider and wine that will be available for purchase to go. Growler fills of select meads and ciders will be offered as well.

The Mazer's Happy Hour is daily until 7 pm with $4 wines by the glass and $1 off all meads, ciders and beers on tap and $2 off mead and cider flights.

Contact: info@mazerjax.com or the Mazer himself, Ed, at ed@mazerjax.com

You can also visit www.mazerjax.com or follow mazerjax onFacebook, Instagram and Twitter for all their upcoming events and classes.

Sourcing Suds: Bell's Hopslam (2014)

This is the first article in a new series entitled, "Sourcing Suds,"  in which I not only review a beer, but also highlight the place where the beer can be found. The people and places pouring for us are what make the craft beer community what it is. I hope to capture some of that craft culture in this new series. Each month, I will highlight a different craft beer location and a beer from their tap list. Enjoy!

Source: Silver Cow

Silver Cow recently opened their doors to the Riverside area of Jacksonville's "Beer District" on King Street. The space is small but packs charm. The exposed brick walls, antique lamps, whiskey barrel table-tops, and dim lighting give a eloquent sophistication that's intriguing and welcoming.

And there's beer.

The Silver Cow has 25 rotating taps that provide craft delights that are sure to please every beer fan. In addition to beer, Silver Cow offers various wines and food dishes.

Owner, Regina Heffington (you might also know her as the Jax Brew Bitch),is usually behind the bar to greet you with a smile as you walk in. And if Regina's not there, her bartender, Kelsey, is just as welcoming and friendly. If you're looking for a cozy neighborhood bar where service truly comes with a smile, then this place is for you.

Silver Cow was one of the first places to tap a keg of Hopslam, and I was there to get a first taste of this year's popular IPA from Kalamazoo.

Suds: Hopslam

Brewery:  Bell's Brewery
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 10%

The annual release of Bell's Hopslam, and its subsequent appearance on local shelves, never fails to create quite the stir. It's become known as one of the best IPAs in the country and sells out usually within hours of hitting the shelves. 

Bell's Hopslam recently made its official appearance in Jacksonville, and like years before, the beer was gone before most people ever knew it was here. If you are one of the fortunate who secured some Hopslam off the shelves, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back. If you are among the many other less-fortunate, fret no more! Several local bars around the city will begin tapping Hopslam in the coming days (if they haven't already). And this is a beer you want to grab fresh. Trust me.

Appearance: Hopslam was poured in a snifter and is a vibrant amber color and a healthy white head that leaves mild lacing.

Aroma: It's citrusy and fresh smelling. Very appealing. I can also detect an inviting sweetness on the nose, likely honey-related.

Taste: Lemon, grapefruit, pine, and honey. This is surprisingly smooth and drinkable. And the flavors are wonderfully complex. It's a multifaceted IPA that doesn't just wreck the palate by throwing a truckload of hops at your tongue. The bitter hop flavors are balanced by a sweetened malt backbone. The finish is mildly bitter with a touch of honey and lingering pine.

Mouthfeel: This is a full-bodied IPA. At 10%, I wouldn't expect anything less. Hopslam is sweet and sticky, but has plenty of carbonation to keep it from being syrup-like.

Overall: Hopslam is worth the hype. Every year, I expect to be disappointed by this beer. I so badly want to be the one to provide that sobering review that says, "Hopslam is just a Hypeslam!" And yet, every year I find myself at this same conclusion. Hopslam is every bit worthy of the hype. It's just that good.

To read my review of last year's release of Hopslam, click here.
To read more about Silver Cow, check out my full review here.

The Silver Cow: Jacksonville's Newest Craft Beer Joint

King Street. A part of Jacksonville's Riverside area that has become known as "The Beer District." Intuition Ale, Kickbacks, Dahlia's Pour House, Beer:30, Pele's all call King Street home. And now you can add one more to the list of places within walking distance from each other: The Silver Cow.

Regina Heffington (Affectionately known as the Jax Brew Bitch by locals), opened the doors to The Silver Cow last week. The opening wasn't advertised other than a few tweets, posts, and word-of-mouth announcements. And as much as I hope The Silver Cow experiences great success, I selfishly want it to remain a secret gem.

The space is small but packs charm. The exposed brick walls, antique lamps, whiskey barrel table-tops, and dim lighting give a eloquent sophistication that's intriguing and welcoming.

And there's beer.

The Silver Cow has 25 rotating taps that provide something for everyone. Local brews from Intuition and Bold City are represented as well as in and out-of-state favorites like Cigar City Jai Alai and Founders Dirty Bastard. And there will be others. And after talking to Regina, I can confidently say that her patrons will soon be spoiled by some big-time beers she's planning to tap very soon.

Although The Silver Cow's 25 taps may be a modest comparison to Dahlia's and Kickbacks (both of which offer over 80 taps), craft beer lovers will appreciate the intentionality with which Regina selects her beer menu.

And if, after a few beers, you find yourself looking for some grub, The Silver Cow has that too! Each day, there is a different special that is offered that's sure to give your grandma's recipes a run for the money. On Tuesday, for example, the daily special was Olde School Beef Pot Roast prepared with rosemary, garlic and Dogfish Head's Olde School Barleywine topped with Italian parsley served with polenta and roasted carrots. Try finding that somewhere else.

There's charm, beer, food, and good company. Regina is one of the kindest and passionate people I know. She has a heart for the Jacksonville community, and I wish her and The Silver Cow all the success in the world.

The Silver Cow is located at 1506 King Street. They are closed on Monday, but open every other day at 3pm (1pm on Sundays).

Come check it out, drink some good beer, eat home-cooked food, and spread the word...but don't tell too many people. I like that this is a quiet watering hole for locals; although I can't imagine it's going to stay unknown for long. After all, it's only been open for a week and there have already been numerous articles and praises for the place. Deservingly so.