From a Family Farm to a Mead Hall: Vinland Meads Brings Ancient Tradition to Murchison, Texas 

In a small East Texas town, an ancient beverage is finding new life.

Owned by husband and wife *Clyde and Sarah Hays*, Vinland Meads is introducing visitors to mead, the world’s oldest known alcoholic beverage, while building something even more important: a place where family, heritage, craftsmanship, and community come together.

The story of Vinland Meads actually begins a few miles away at *Hays Manor*, the Hays family farm. There, Clyde and Sarah raise Scottish Highland cattle, maintain a working honey bee apiary, and continue a lifestyle centered around stewardship of the land and traditional skills. Both are licensed falconers, often spending time working with their birds of prey, and together they are raising a family of *seven sons*, passing those traditions on to the next generation. Much of the honey used in Vinland Meads begins its journey at Hays Manor, where thousands of honey bees transform East Texas wildflowers into the foundation of every handcrafted batch.

That commitment to tradition carries into every bottle.

Mead has been enjoyed for thousands of years by cultures around the world, from the Vikings to medieval Europe. At Vinland Meads, those ancient methods are honored while creating handcrafted small-batch meads using raw honey, fruit, and old-world fermentation techniques.

Every mead is produced right here in Murchison by Head Mead Maker Clyde Hays. Guests can enjoy traditional honey meads, fruit meads, seasonal specialties, and creative mead cocktails designed to introduce newcomers to this remarkable beverage.

But Vinland Meads is much more than a winery.

The Mead Hall features an Artisan Kitchen serving handcrafted sourdough flatbreads, charcuterie boards, smoked specialties, desserts, and seasonal offerings. Throughout the week, guests enjoy live music, trivia nights, workshops, educational classes, community gatherings, and special events, creating a destination where people can relax, learn, and make memories together.

Home of a World Record-Worthy Mead

Vinland Meads has also become home to one of the most unique meads ever produced.

Their limited-release *”Tribute” Cemetery Mead*, created from honey discovered inside a hollow oak tree in a historic family cemetery in nearby Ben Wheeler, is believed to be *the world’s most expensive commercially offered bottle of mead*. Only a handful of bottles were produced, with each successive bottle doubling in price, making Murchison, Texas, an unexpected destination for one of the rarest meads ever released. Guests can even experience guided one-ounce pours of this extraordinary mead while learning the remarkable story behind its creation.

For Clyde and Sarah, however, Vinland Meads has never simply been about making mead.

It is about preserving traditions, supporting local agriculture, sharing the history of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage, and creating a gathering place where strangers become friends. Every bottle tells a story, every event builds community, and every guest becomes part of the Vinland saga.

Whether you’re a wine enthusiast, a history buff, a foodie, or simply someone looking for a unique East Texas experience, Vinland Meads invites you to discover why people are traveling to Murchison to raise a glass of history.

Visit Vinland Meads

6504 State Highway 31 East

Murchison, Texas 75778

Hours:

* Wednesday & Thursday: 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM

* Friday: 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM

* Saturday: Noon to 10:00 PM

* Sunday: Noon to 8:00 PM

Follow *Vinland Meads* on Facebook for upcoming events, live music, workshops, and new mead releases. Or visit the website at www.VinlandMeads.com

Must be 21+ to purchase alcohol.