Places to Enjoy Local Meads and Ciders in the Georgia Mountains
There are so many fantastic wineries, breweries, and distilleries in Georgia that you may not even be aware that there are two other alcoholic beverages gaining traction: meads (made from honey) and hard ciders (fruit-based)!
Hard Cider and Mead in the North Georgia Mountains
Check out these places for a unique taste of the Georgia mountains!
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Local Meads and Ciders in the Georgia Mountains
There are a few local places where you can sample unique ciders and meads made locally in the Georgia mountains. Use the map below to find the closest location and plan a great trip with your friends and family.
Map of Local Meads and Ciders in North Georgia
This interactive map can help you locate the local meadery or cider house closest to you.
Etowah Meadery (Dahlonega)
Located in Dahlonega at the very heart of Georgia’s wine country, Etowah Meadery gives local “wine” a unique buzz! Purchase a bottle or try a tasting flight (4 x 1 oz pours). Visit the “On Tap Now” page to see the current mead list.
Light snacks are available in the tasting room (Boar’s Head snacks, meat, and cheese). Dogs are welcome at Etowah Meadery. Discounts are available for active and retired military (15% off with ID) and local Dahlonega residents (10% off with local ID).
Etowah Meadery in the Georgia Mountains
Etowah Meadery Hours
Etowah Meadery is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but welcomes your visits the rest of the week!
- WED: 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- THU: 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- FRI: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
- SAT: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
- SUN: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Etowah Meadery Contact Info
- Call: +1 (706) 864-6323
- Address: 3003 Morrison Moore Pkwy East, Dahlonega, GA
- Website: EtowahMeadery.com
Etowah Meadery Reviews
- Facebook: Etowah Meadery is rated 5.0 with 100+ reviews and 3,950+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Etowah Meadery is rated 4.5 with 20+ reviews
- Untappd: Etowah Meadery is rated 3.7 with 1,850+ reviews
Mercier Orchards (Blue Ridge)
Cider taps at Mercier Orchards
Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge is known for their U-pick events and hard ciders. The family business has been in Blue Ridge for four generations — they recently celebrated 75 years of operation! For the full orchard experience, visit the original farm location at 8660 Blue Ridge Drive.
This family-friendly destination is open early and invites you to dine at their cafe, pick your own fruit, try the adventure/obstacle course, enjoy catch-and-release fishing in their pond, and of course, sample their hard ciders and fruit wines!
Mercier Orchards Hours
The primary market and bakery are open daily, while the farm cafe is open Friday – Monday. Mercier Orchards is closed on holidays.
- Market and Bakery
- Open daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Cafe at The Farm
- MON: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- FRI: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- SAT: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- SUN: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Note that there used to be a Mercier Orchards store in downtown Blue Ridge, but that location closed in 2020.
Mercier Orchards Contact Info
- Call: +1 (800) 361-7731
- Address: 8660 Blue Ridge Drive, Blue Ridge, Georgia
- Website: mercier-orchards.com
Mercier Orchards Reviews
- Facebook: Mercier Orchards is rated 4.8 with 2,675+ reviews and 82,950+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Mercier Orchards is rated 4.5 with 2,400+ reviews
- Untappd: Mercier Orchards is rated 3.6 with 4,100+ ratings
Montaluce Winery and Restaurant (Dahlonega)
A beautiful gem with a Tuscan feel in the Georgia Mountains is Montaluce Winery and Restaurant, a short drive north of the Dahlonega square. This is a GaMountainsGuide favorite for its classic elegance and ability to transport you to an old-world feeling of Tuscany. The gourmet restaurant has panoramic vineyard views and is a great place to enjoy the sunset. On-site lodging is available in Tuscan-style villas. Tesla charging stations are available for patrons.
They currently sell a raspberry mead at $36 / bottle, which they say is less honey-oriented. Call for more details, or purchase online (shipping only available to Georgia and Florida).
NOTE that Montaluce Winery and Restaurant is not included on the map above under the “MEAD” category (Montaluce is listed under the “WINE” category instead).
Montaluce Vineyards in the Georgia Mountains
Montaluce Vineyards Contact Info
- Call: +1 (706) 867-4060
- Address: 501 Hightower Church Road, Dahlonega, GA
- GPS: 34.5683255,-84.0643647
- Email: info@montaluce.com
- Website: Montaluce.com
Montaluce Vineyards Reviews
- Facebook: Montaluce Winery and Restaurant has 24,500+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Montaluce Winery & Restaurant is rated 4.0 with 575+ reviews
- UNTAPPD: Montaluce Winery is rated 3.6 with 15+ reviews
Tesnatee River Winery and Meadery (Cleveland)
Visit the Tesnatee River Winery and Meadery to enjoy the farm-to-table fresh experience! Try a mead-tasting flight to find your new favorite drinks while enjoying a complimentary bread basket. Purchase charcuterie plates and other snacks to enjoy on-site or pick up local treats to take home for later.
Open daily for your convenience. Leashed dogs are welcome.
Tesnatee River Winery and Meadery Contact Info
- Call: +1 (706) 352-5488
- Address: 172 Lloyds Honey Farm Road, Cleveland GA
- Email: tesnateeriver@gmail.com
- Website: tesnateeriverwineryandmeadery.business.site
Tesnatee River Winery and Meadery Reviews
- Facebook: Tesnatee River Winery and Meadery is rated 5.0 with 20+ reviews and 1,050+ likes
- Untappd: Tesnatee River Winery & Meadery
Waldmet Cellars (Jasper)
North Georgia’s newest meadery produces mead, cider, wine, plus a few additional great drinks and treats.
Waldmet Cellars Contact Info
- Call: +1 (678) 743-1773
- Address: 916 Old Philadelphia Road, Jasper GA
- stay tuned for a new nearby location in Fall 2021
- Email: info@waldmet.com
- Website: waldmet.com
Waldmet Cellars Reviews
- Facebook: Waldmet Cellars is rated 5.0 with 20+ reviews and 1,400+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Waldmet Cellars is rated 5.0
- Untappd: Waldmet Cellars
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Note that the BeeCraft Mead Company in Dawsonville closed its tasting room in Spring 2020.
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In addition to the great local cider and meads, North Georgia’s u-pick apple orchards provide a great way to support local agriculture too.
Hi, Alyce,
I love wine! I have been to some wineries in Austin and Mexico. I can never get enough lol.
I have some friends that live in Dalton. Is that too far? I’ve been planning to visit them, but for some reason or another, my plans have changed. This is something I’m sure they would love.
I can already picture myself sipping some wine while looking at the sunset.
I love ciders, but I’ve never had meads. I’d like to try it and see if I like it.
By the way, do we need to make any reservations or can we just show up? I guess it’s better to make reservations to be on the safe side, right?
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Enrique, Dalton is indeed very close to these great places to find meads and ciders in the Georgia mountains! What a great excuse for a trip!! 😉
Considering that the world is out of whack about everywhere right now, it’s even more important than usual to contact these locations directly to find out when they are open and what they recommend for your visit.
Hi Alyce,
What a beautiful place! I love cider and wine. And I have to say it sounds so good. You did a great job of providing such great information about North Georgia. I haven’t been to the States yet, but I really would love to go. Especially now, I have seen your website with so many recommendations. Really beautiful! Thank you very much!
Hi Sylvia, I hope you are able to visit soon and try these local flavors along with the beautiful mountain scenery! Cheers!
Hello Alyce,
Thank you for the information that you have shared in your article. It is a very good article indeed. Personally I am so much of a cider person but the information you have shared makes me crave for healthy Meads. I am now seriously considering to go on a trip and hike the Georgia mountains so that I can have a taste of those Honey Meads.
Thank you
Hi Kachunda, The Georgia mountains offer many unique ways to experience local sights, sounds, and flavors. I hope you are able to visit soon!!
The air and the environment in that place of Georgia must be clean and far away from pollution as those bees live productively in the area. The next time I will visit the place with my auntie who’s living down in Florida, I will request her to pay a visit to BeeCraft Mead Company. I wanna taste that beer that’s made from honey and not grains. Oh, by the way, it’s not beer. It’s mead. Beer and mead are two different things.
I hope you enjoy the local mead. Cheers!
Etowah Meadery sounds nice! And they even have military discounts too, how very kind of them to serve for our unsung heroes. My aunt lives near, I definitely must go and try out that mead with fresh air about, can’t wait! Mead’s a very ancient drink but very popular and healthy too if I’m correct. Do you think we can have a look at their distillery too?
Hi Riaz, Indeed you are right — mead has a very long history and references to mead have even been found in ancient Egyptian artifacts.
These meaderies and cider houses may be able to give you a tour of the production area — it will likely depend on the season and how busy they are when you arrive. It’s best to call in advance to make sure you arrive at the best time for this opportunity.
Warm Regards, Alyce
Hey Alyce, awesome article. I love how you point out all the great activities that can be done and explored while you’re in the Georgia mountains. I’ve never been but your article now makes me want to plan a trip. The information was a great read and although I don’t care for bees, it would be interesting to see the various bees along with everything else the trip has to offer. Thanks for the info.
Hi R.J., I can understand why a person might not like bees (stings are not fun), but know that it’s unlikely that you would come in contact with the bees while at the meaderies. I hope you can make it for a visit — it’s beautiful throughout the year with very different things to do and see in each season.
Warm Regards, Alyce