The Shadow
The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism held a ribbon cutting celebration for Steve Redden’s Honeycomb Grove Meadery & Apiaries in Covington on Fri., July 8.
Located at 221 N. Court Ave., Honeycomb Grove Meadery & Apiaries ferments honey into a variety of wines on site, and it is the first winery in the Alleghany Highlands.
Redden observed, “A lot of folk do not know what mead is.”
He added, “I hope to have a staff that will help educate the public about what it is.”
“I have bubbly wines, still wines and infused honey,” he continued.
In a written statement handed out at the ribbon cutting ceremony, Redden noted, “We’re from West Virginia and chose Alleghany County as our base of operations for its beautiful geography and small-town feel. We expect to hire tasting room staff in the near future, to expand our production, and to eventually distribute throughout the Commonwealth.”
Redden concluded, “I started building out in Feb. of 2020, and it takes a while to get all of the state and federal permits and USDA approval.”
Teresa Hammond, executive director of the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, provided the banner and scissors for the cutting, and Kathleen All, president elect of the Chamber, made welcoming comments.
Tom Sibold, mayor of the City of Covington; Jeff Irvine, mayor of the Town of Clifton Forge; Matt Garten, chairman of the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors; and Terri McClung, representative of the Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation; made welcoming remarks.
In the brochure provided to the 36 in attendance at the ribbon cutting, Redden provided an explanation about his operation, “We gather local honey and source fruits and spices from the two Virginias when available. Mead is a multi-faceted beverage, and we’re always coming up with new recipes, so we’ll be rotating our offerings frequently.”
Currently, his business offers Occam’s Razor Series: Dry Clover Blossom, Cinnamon Honeycrisp Cyser and Grape Gatsby Series: White Grape Mead (Batch CH21).
Others offered are Meadmosa and Honey Seltzer.
