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Location:
386087 - 16 Street West
Box 12, Site 14, RR1
Okotoks, AB T1S 1A1
403.995.0830
Hours: May to December: Tue - Sat 10AM to 5PM; Sun - Mon 12PM to 5PM
Tours: May to Sept Sat & Sun; Jul & Aug Thu - Sun. See website for times.
Website: chinookhoney.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: /Chinookhoneycompany
Twitter: @chinookhoney
Instagram: chinookhoney
Product: Meads: King Arthur’s Dry, Melissa’s Gold, John Cameron Classic (Bronze 2014 International Mead Competition) , Guinevere’s Elixir, Buckaroo Buckwheat, Bodacious Black Currant, Cherry Mi Amor, Black & Blue, Vanilla Bochet, and Raspberry Ice. Seasonally: Fire n’ Spice (Silver Medal, 2014 International Mead Competition), Summer Sassation
Availability: At the Meadery or Calgary Co-ops (Beddington, Oakridge), Park Wine & Spirits, other fine wine shops & retailers. Lethbridge: Andrews Hilton, Everything Wine & More, LA Liquor and Sharkclub on Mayor Magrath. Online purchasing available.
2016 Alberta Beverage Awards
Check out Chinook Arch Meadery on the #SippinAlberta Culinary Trail.
Founder Art Andrews began the Chinook Honey Company in 1995 as a hobby. It began as a way to relieve the stress of a full time airline job. Art started small with 2 beehives. His hobby soon grew into a full-fledged cottage industry. Art’s wife Cherie joined the project and soon the two were managing almost 250 hives. In 2004, the couple opened a retail operation to sell their honey, as well as various jams, jellies and honey-related products. This “Honey House” began to offer tours and an interpretive centre where visitors could observe real working bee hives. All the while, Art was experimenting with honey wine or mead.
After five years and almost 50 batches, art struck liquid gold. Soon the meadery was awarded Alberta’s first cottage winery license. In 2008, Art began producing award winning mead. Today the meadery produces more than 25, 000 litres of premium mead a year. Apiary Tours in the Discovery Center are popular year round. A knowledgeable staff member talks about honey bees, the many products they make and how beneficial they are to us. This includes observation of a real working beehive. Visitors to their 1200 square foot gourmet honey store can sample and purchase many distinct and delicious meads. Some highlights include King Arthur’s Dry, a traditional mead, and Bochet-Vanilla mead made from a recipe dating back to the 14th century.
Chinook Honey Company and Chinook Arch Meadery operate year round. During the winter they are closed Monday and Tuesday. They are open most holidays. Visitors can take a meadery tours on weekends by appointment. The best time for the apiary tour ifs from April to October when the bees are most active from. Contact them directly to make a reservation.