Hi-Wheel Wines, Fringe Meadery Set Up Shop in Woodlawn

Everyone knows — or should know — that Woodlawn has been quietly blowing up over the last two years, with P's & Q's Market, Tamale Boy, and Bassotto Gelateria opening spots near neighborhood anchors like Firehouse, Breakside Brewery and Woodlawn Coffee & Pastry. Now, Woodlawn's getting the medieval treatment in the shape of a new meadery that's setting up shop just behind Tamale Boy on N.E. 18th Avenue.

Fringe Meadery's Nathan Mattis is a longtime home brewer and bathroom tub winemaker, but he's been thinking for years about how to make good, drinkable meads that aren't too sweet. His secret weapon, he says, is patience, as he makes, treats and ages meads just like he would a wine. (Too many meads, he says, often come to market after a few weeks after the fermentation process wraps up.) Because of his 10-month aging process, you technically won't be able to taste most of his meads (including a carbonated tap version) until next year.

However, you can still soon visit the 30-seat taproom that he's sharing with Hi-Wheel Wine & Mead Co.'s Ken Bonnin, Jr. Mattis says visitors to the tasting room will be able to immediately sample tap versions of Bonnin's pre-existing line of fizzy wines once the space opens its doors.

"They're like Izzes," Mattis explains, but with ABVs of around seven percent. Think flavors like grapefruit, lime habanero and lavender lemon. And while the two won't be serving food, they will be partnering up with another junior, Jaime Soltero, who'll provide tasting room visitors with items from his Tamale Boy menu. The buildout's nearly completed, Mattis says, and if it all shakes out, the tasting room should be open by October 1.
—Chad Walsh
· A Most Excellent Taproom [IGG]
· Plywood Report: Hi-Wheel and Fringe Meadery [-EPDX-]
· Hi-Wheel Wines [Official Site]
· Fringe Meadery [Official Site]
[Photo: @hiwheelwines]