Although we can’t travel much this year, I’ve been offering ideas for learning about places close to home and tagging them #secretsocialdistancing. After hiking to a nuclear reactor with WGN producer Tom Barnas for the Chicago Scene, he invited me back on the show. Our next adventure? Mead tasting at Wild Blossom Meadery.
Did you know that Chicago is home to the first meadery in the state? Wild Blossom Meadery, located in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, is secret #29 in my Secret Chicago book. Mead is honey wine, so to make it, you need bees. Wild Blossom has bee colonies all over the region, including the Morton Arboretum, the old US Steel site, and the rooftop of the Marriott downtown.
Tom and I met with Wild Blossom founder Greg Fischer. Greg taught us all about how mead is made and 20+ varieties of mead they offer. Then, we tasted a variety of mead flavors on Wild Blossom’s beautiful outdoor patio. The Wild Blossom patio is currently open to visit, in compliance with all Covid-19 precautions and you can also find their meads at Binny’s. For more secret spots in Chicago, you can order the book online now!
Visit WGN or watch the clip below: Did You Know That Mead is Considered to Be the Oldest Alcoholic Beverage on the Planet?
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
